First Sony-Honda Car Confirmed to Hit Showrooms in 2026

Sony Honda Mobility conducted a press conference ahead of CES 2026 to update on its mobility initiatives themed Mobility as a Creative Entertainment Space. 

The presentation showcased the pre-production Afeela 1, the brand's first production model with customer deliveries planned in the United States from late 2026, and introduced the Afeela Prototype 2026, with a production derivative targeted for the US market as early as 2028.

Deliveries of Afeela 1 are scheduled to commence in California during 2026, followed by expansion to Arizona in 2027. The company highlighted collaborations in technology, entertainment, and creative sectors to support its development roadmap.

The vision centres on transforming vehicles into Creative Entertainment Spaces through AI, enabling personalised interactions that respond to user preferences and emotions. The Afeela Intelligent Drive advanced assistance system integrates Vision-Language Model technology, offering Level 2+ capabilities initially and progressing towards Level 4 equivalence for entertainment-oriented interiors.

The Afeela Personal Agent utilises Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service for natural, individualised conversations. Upcoming electrical and electronic architectures will incorporate Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon Digital Chassis platform to enable these features.

The Afeela Co-Creation Program opens development resources to creators for in-vehicle entertainment content, including themes, applications, cloud APIs, and Android infotainment tools. An on-chain service platform with token-based incentives under an X-to-Earn framework is under development to encourage open collaboration across ideation, creation, and evaluation cycles, extendable to other manufacturers.

Afeela 1 reservations opened in California in January 2025, attracting over 100,000 visitors and 24,000 demonstrations. Trial production took place in fall 2025 at Honda's Ohio facility, with pre-production examples displayed at CES. New Afeela Studio and Delivery Hubs are set to open in California this spring, alongside phased access programs for reservation holders.

Sony Honda Mobility, formed in 2022 as a joint venture between Sony Group and Honda Motor, aims to leverage the combined strength of both companies in technology and automotive engineering.

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