Sony’s PlayStation on wheels is in the fast lane, shaping up as a real-world alternative to electric cars from the likes of Tesla, BMW or Mercedes.
The brand won plenty of attention when it unveiled a “Concept S” in 2020, pitching a the car as a loungeroom on wheels.
It combined the best of Sony Hi-Fi, Bravia televisions and PlayStation gaming with next-gen driver assistance based on the brand’s world-class understanding of cameras and imaging.
The plan was to sell the tech to other car makers.
Then Sony announced in 2022 that it would work with Honda to produce an electric sedan – and SUV – under a new joint venture.
This year, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the joint Sony Honda Mobility company announced that its automotive brand will be called “Afeela”.
Car lovers haven’t welcomed the name. Reddit users guessed that “Soda and Honny were rejected by the marketing department”, and that they “Afeela like-a this name isn’t good.”
Observers at The Autopian felt that the electronics giant should have leaned into its “Walkman” and “Discman” musical heritage by calling it the “Sony Driveman”.
Which is a fair sight better than “Sony Honda Inventive Transportation”.
Similar in size to the Tesla Model S, the Afeela is a sleek four-door sedan with seating for five.
The car has a digital display between the headlights that can show messages to pedestrians and passers-by.
Sustainably sourced interior materials join an enormous panoramic roof in a cabin dominated by a huge digital display that runs the full width of the dashboard. Sony promises that the car will link seamlessly with home entertainment systems – you can pick up a film or game where you left off – and that its user interface will be a leap beyond what you find in rivals.
It benefits from graphics produced by the “Unreal Engine” made by Epic Games – the same company responsible for smash hit shooting game Fortnite – that should look sensational on high-resolution displays.
Tech details are somewhat limited. We know that the car will have all-wheel-drive and a decent-sized battery that should deliver reasonably rapid thrust.
The car will go on sale in the US in 2025 before being delivered to customers in 2026.
Prices for the model have not been confirmed, though it looks likely to carry a six-figure sum if offered in Australia.