First look at the Sony Honda EV: More than a PlayStation on wheels

We’re living through a period of radically shifting automotive technology. Companies are working on increasing electric vehicle range and redefining our concept of reenergizing. They’re also gradually refining driver assistance technology and figuring out how to make vehicles an extension of their drivers.

Sony Honda Mobility’s (SHM) main aim with its AFEELA luxury-tier sedan concept is to put the emphasis on the latter. The dynamic duo’s website is filled with marketing buzzwords, but what is the concept actually like in person?

Recently, I was invited by SHM to check out AFEELA firsthand. It’s still very much a prototype, so certain key information like price, range, and charging times weren’t disclosed. But it was still worthwhile to see how these two Japanese institutions put their know-how into this spacious sedan.

If you see a resemblance to another EV in the AFEELA, it might just be the aerodynamics.

Credit: Peter Nelson

Long-live big sedans

Regardless of manufacturer, I’m a sucker for big sedans, and it’s cool to see AFEELA continuing down this road, torch in hand. The car is a handsome, sleek brute. One might call it a Lucid knock-off, but I’d say it’s more a case of modern design language meeting optimized aerodynamics in spacious sedan packaging.

When AFEELA personnel pressed a somewhat hidden button near the car’s window frame, the large front driver door swung wide open, revealing a very welcoming environment. Integrated into the B pillar is a facial recognition camera that allows for even more seamless opening and closing.

The interior is minimalistic and airy, with a single knob in the center console—presumably for park, forward, and reverse—and instead of a usual steering wheel, there’s a yoke for what AFEELA personnel described as an uninhibited view of the instrument cluster screen. Stage right of that is a massive screen displaying an expansive infotainment system, with a Sony gaming controller mounted below in its own dedicated holder—more on that in a bit.

Hopefully, the production version will come with a steering wheel instead of this yoke.

Credit: Peter Nelson

Both the front and rear seat areas are roomy, with pleasant overall materials quality and supple white leather. Visibility is generally good; the car’s higher beltline means you sit down in it like a cocoon of luxury. Rear-seat passengers each get a panoramic screen, though I didn’t spend much time back there, and the units present were non-functioning.

An expansive user interface

AFEELA’s three core pillars are augmentation, autonomy, and affinity. Augmentation means that the vehicle can change and adapt to the owner, and it has a variety of available themes to suit any personality. Sony’s Gran Turismo property is available as a theme, changing AFEELA’s interface colorways and various sounds to give them more enthusiasm. [You can also drive the AFEELA now in GT7 thanks to the latest update. Stock, it understeers too much.—Ed.]

No, there’s still no word on pricing.

Credit: Peter Nelson

That’s fun and all, but what really struck me was how seamless the interface was. To move different screens around—within the massive center screen or to others throughout the vehicle—just press, hold, move, and release. Haptic feedback is quite good, the graphics are incredibly crisp and colorful, and there is no lag in moving elements between screens. As personnel pointed out, Sony has extensive experience here due to its smartphone and gaming system development, and it certainly shows.

We watched a clip of Gran Turismo to help demonstrate the entertainment system, and I asked whether it will play video while the vehicle is in motion. A representative told me that you definitely won’t be able to engage with content on the instrument cluster screen, but you might be able to on the main screen. “I haven’t gotten word on what the [Department of Transportation] will allow, though,” the representative said. I definitely can’t see US regulation allowing that, though it would come in handy while hangin’ out at the plug.

Additionally, there are myriad apps to expand the entertainment catalog, even including karaoke, plus integrated Playstation gaming that will pick up where any PS4 or PS5 owner left off at home (mostly for rear-seat passengers).