Sony Honda Mobility’s vision unveiled at CES 2026 Media Day: The future of mobility as envisioned by Afeela
At CES 2026 Media Day press conference in Las Vegas on January 5th, Sony Honda Mobility reiterated its long-term vision of transforming mobility from a simple means of transportation into a “Creative Entertainment Space.” Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture between Sony Group and Honda, shared updates on the development of its first mass-produced model, the “AFEELA 1,” and its future roadmap.The company announced that the vehicle is currently in the pre-production phase, with customer deliveries scheduled to begin in California in 2026, followed by expansion to Arizona and other regions in 2027. They also unveiled the “AFEELA Prototype 2026” as a world premiere, showcasing the design and technological direction for a potential mass-produced model in the US around 2028. Sony Honda Mobility reaffirmed its plan to adopt a next-generation automotive architecture based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis and introduced the “AFEELA Co-Creation Program,” which opens development documentation to external creators to expand the in-car entertainment content ecosystem. They also mentioned plans for an on-chain mobility service platform utilizing token-based incentives, suggesting the possibility of a new service economy model centered around automobiles. At the CES exhibition, various color options of the AFEELA 1 pre-production vehicle and concept models were displayed, emphasizing Sony Honda Mobility’s identity with key keywords such as autonomous driving, augmentation, and human-centered design (Affinity).
Sony Honda Mobility presents the Afeela infotainment system and digital cockpit vision at CES 2026 Media Day. (Source: SHM)
A particularly noteworthy aspect of this announcement was the in-car display and infotainment system, presented as a key differentiating factor of the Afeela platform. While the official CES 2026 press release did not disclose specific display specifications in detail, the Afeela interior is designed with multiple digital displays tailored to the location and purpose of each driver and passenger, providing an environment where various applications and video content can be freely utilized. According to industry and media reports, the Afeela vehicle aims for an interior “swimming in displays,” focusing on personalized UI and diverse entertainment experiences. In particular, LG Display has officially stated that the mass-produced Afeela vehicle will feature an approximately 40-inch pillar-to-pillar (P2P) display spanning the entire dashboard, symbolically demonstrating the evolution of in-car displays from simple information displays to immersive interfaces. This large, integrated display integrates the driver’s instrument panel, navigation, and passenger entertainment area into a single continuous screen, representing an attempt to redefine the car interior as a single digital space. Furthermore, Afeela directly incorporates Sony’s strengths by supporting PlayStation Remote Play, allowing users to stream PS4 and PS5 games within the vehicle. This is a clear example of Sony Honda Mobility’s strategy to expand the vehicle into a mobile entertainment platform.
In summary, the message conveyed by Sony Honda Mobility and the Afeela project at CES 2026 clearly demonstrates that the automotive industry is moving away from hardware-centric competition and towards a “software-defined mobility” era where software, displays, and content are integrated. According to Changwook Han, Executive Vice President of UBI Research, “The Afeela electric vehicle is the result of an attempt to redesign the user experience, going beyond driving performance and traditional vehicle specifications, focusing instead on large displays and an entertainment ecosystem. This is a symbolic example of the combination of Sony’s content and digital capabilities with Honda’s automotive manufacturing expertise.” He continued, “Afeela is less of a single electric vehicle and more of a platform that transforms the vehicle’s interior into a digital experience space.” He predicted that this direction would shift the axis of differentiation in the premium electric vehicle market from driving performance to the digital cockpit experience, and that it would also likely bring about a certain level of impact and change to the overall automotive display industry in the medium to long term.
Changwook Han, Executive Vice President/Analyst at UBI Research (cwhan@ubiresearch.com)
2025 Automotive Display Technology and Industry Trends Analysis Report
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