. 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.
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.
Physical climate control buttons reside under the center of the panoramic screen, and the center console has a Mazda-style dial and four satellite buttons, but we weren’t allowed to play with that. Everything is also controllable on the main touchscreen. On either end of the panoramic screen are two smaller ones that act as digital side mirrors. The Afeela has physical side mirrors on the outside as well, because relying solely on digital ones is illegal in the United States.
Customization options can be mapped to individual driver profiles, but Afeela also comes pre-programmed with “themes” based on Sony properties. If a superhero fan chooses Spider-Man, red and blue lighting and a web motif is displayed on screens, including the external Media Bar.