Yahoo Autos Afeela Deep Dive: Our closest look yet at Sony Honda Mobility's electric sedan
For about four years, Sony and Honda have been teasing an electric and autonomous car. Last year the project got a name, Afeela. Entry into an already crowded marketplace with a new and new-agey-sounding name is a steep hill to climb, but the joint venture thinks it can break through by bringing a new suite of “experiences” to the automotive space.
We recently got the chance to take our closest look yet at an Afeela prototype, one in such early stages that we weren’t allowed to open the hood, trunk, or even the center console under-armrest storage compartment. We couldn’t drive it either, but were able to better understand the direction Afeela plans to take on-board technology and entertainment.
The first thing noticed is that the Afeela blends into the background, even in an otherwise largely empty showroom. This is by design. Its shape is clean and decidedly un-aggressive, uncluttered by the swoops and surfacing that characterize many modern designs. That’s because the Afeela was made to let the owner’s personality take center stage via many customization options.
The average person would be hard pressed to know that two of the biggest brand names in the world are behind the tranquil, river pebble shape. Neither Sony nor Honda have put their stamps on the car. Indeed, a representative told us repeatedly that Sony Honda Mobility is its own thing, 50/50 from each but not Sony or Honda. When asked if Honda and GM’s now-scrapped partnership to build EVs influenced the car, the representative reiterated that Sony Honda Mobility is its own entity and Afeela is the brand. The name appears once in the taillight bar and can, if the driver chooses, also appear on a screen where a traditional grille would be.
That sliver of pixels is called the Media Bar, and can be customized to display a range of information. It reacts as you approach the car and can show, for example, how much battery charge is left, a pre-programmed theme matching the interior (more on that in a bit), or a personalized message. On the day we saw the car it greeted each visiting guest with their name in the welcome message. Presumably there will be a filter for profanities or distasteful images, but SHM admit they haven’t worked that part out yet.
The car also has no physical door handles, just a button by the base of the window. Doors open via a proximity fob, phone app, or facial recognition via a camera in the B-pillar. When asked what happens if there is no power, the representative reminded us that this is an early prototype and SHM will address such concerns before the car goes into production.
