Sony Honda Mobility showcases revised Afeela prototype at CES 2024

Sony Honda Mobility has taken to CES 2024 to reveal an updated version of its Afeela prototype, as it's inching closer to production. This sleek electric sedan has undergone several noteworthy changes, offering a good idea what we can anticipate when it officially launches in 2025.

Visually, the Afeela shows a more polished appearance, starting with a revamped front-end design. The front bumper now has a sporty black strip on the lower bumper, with illuminated badging, a full-width light bar, and wrap-around headlights. The adoption of traditional side mirrors and slightly thicker roof pillars, albeit with a gloss black finish and flush fitment, were probably necessary in the transition from a concept to a road-ready vehicle.

At the rear, the Afeela boasts a beefier bumper and an active rear spoiler, while the trunk lid retains its attractive design. There are clearly visible hints of Lucid Air and Toyota Crown influences in the vehicle's overall aesthetic.

The Afeela also reveals significant cabin updates. While some features carry over from the original prototype, such as the yoke-style steering wheel and a wide dashboard-spanning screen, the latest version introduces a larger center console with dual wireless charging pads.

The vehicle will leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for its driver assistance systems, working in conjunction with several undisclosed sensors. Sony Honda Mobility plans to implement Vision Transformer, a deep learning model specialized in image recognition, for path planning, with a redundancy system in place to ensure safety. Qualcomm's chipsets will power these systems.

On the entertainment front, Sony Honda Mobility has joined forces with Epic Games to create immersive displays capable of simulating external environmental conditions for pedestrians, weather, and other vehicles. Utilizing the Unreal Engine 5.3 gaming engine, this partnership might pave the way for in-car gaming experiences a class above what is currently available in the market.

Sony Honda Mobility has more exciting plans for gamers, announcing a collaboration with Polyphony Digital to introduce the electric Afeela to Gran Turismo 7 later this year. The company is also working with Microsoft to co-develop a "conversational personal agent" based on Azure OpenAI software, aiming to establish itself as a leader in sophisticated digital assistants.

As a quick reminder, the Afeela features permanent magnet synchronous motors on both front and rear axles, each producing 241 horsepower, resulting in a total output of 482 hp. While Sony Honda Mobility hasn't disclosed the vehicle's range, it can be charged at up to 150 kW on a DC charger. Interestingly, the Afeela has grown slightly in size, now measuring 193.5 inches in length, while all other dimensions remain consistent with the prototype.

Source