Sony needed to increase the tentacles of its leisure empire into one of many final locations individuals can flip away from the media: the automobile. Honda, which currently is on a journey to find the facility of friendship, helps Sony obtain this aim by lending a few of its automotive know-how. The result’s the Afela 1an electrical sedan that simply threw a splashy popping out celebration this yr CES technological present. But is he already behind the occasions?
We are evaluating it to a different startup Electric luxury sedan of comparable dimension and form: the Lucid Air. While Sony Honda Mobility hasn’t but disclosed the total technical specs of the Afeela 1, we’ve got sufficient statistics to place collectively a fundamental specs comparability between the 2. Without spoiling every part, it makes us surprise if Sony’s distinctive leisure angle will probably be sufficient to beat its different technological deficits.
Measure
The two vehicles are fairly shut dimensionally, however the Afeela’s variations might make the cabin roomier. The Afeela 1’s 193.5-inch general size is barely lower than the Lucid Air Pure’s 195.9 inches, however the Afeela 1 makes up for it with its wheelbase, which is 1.6 inches longer than the Pure’s. Combine that with the Afeela’s taller roofline (57.5 inches versus 55.4) and the cabin might have a bit extra space than the Lucid affords. But that is simply conjecture, as a result of whereas we all know how a lot area the Lucid has inside — 100.7 cubic toes of passenger quantity — Sony has but to launch that quantity.
Unsurprisingly, the Afeela’s barely elevated dimensions give it just a little extra space within the trunk. At 27.0 cubic toes, it is bigger than the Lucid Air Pure’s 22.1 cubes. But then there’s the difficulty of frunk. The Lucid’s barrel is sweet for an extra 10 cubic toes of storage. Sony Honda Mobility has but to substantiate the presence of a frunk, so the lead right here is unknown.
Powertrain and suspension
Despite being a base mannequin, the Lucid Air Pure is just not weak. This factor has strikes; a single everlasting magnet electrical motor sends 430 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. Switch to all-wheel drive Air touring and a second electrical motor seems on the entrance axle, bringing web output to a whopping 620 horsepower and 885 pound-feet.
So far, SHM has solely stated that every electrical motor within the Afeela 1 (the place all-wheel drive is commonplace) will produce 241 horsepower, however because the calculations for EVs aren’t easy, we’re unsure if the horsepower will probably be precisely 482. energy. However, we enterprise that it will not be removed from what the RWD Lucid Air Pure affords.
Under the bodywork, every Afeela 1 will come commonplace with an air spring suspension, with an unequal size management arm on the entrance and a multilink association on the rear. The Lucid Air Pure makes use of the identical suspension format, however as an alternative of air springs it pairs adaptive dampers with metal coil springs.
Battery and charging
This is the place the Afeela begins to… a-feel-a simply behind the curve. Capacity-wise, issues aren’t a lot totally different: the Afeela 1 affords a 91.0 kWh battery, which is a bit bigger than the Lucid Air Pure’s 84 kWh unit. But Lucid’s loopy energy administration know-how sends the Air’s vary estimate into low Earth orbit. While SHM estimates 300 miles of vary from the Afeela 1, the Lucid Air Pure’s EPA-estimated vary is a whopping 420 miles (with 19-inch wheels; that is 372 miles with the elective 20s). This is a Huge gulf.
The Afeela additionally lags behind on the subject of charging. In DC quick charging, the Afeela 1 is claimed to max out at simply 150kW, which is lower than half the height energy delivered by the quickest public charging banks. When related to AC outlet, it will possibly draw a most of 11 kW. The Lucid, then again, has double the height DC charging velocity, and its most AC charging velocity is nineteen.2 kW. Combine that with its smaller battery and you may spend rather a lot much less time plugged into the Lucid, whether or not at house or on the go.
Cabin, know-how and subscriptions
On the inside design entrance, it seems like SHM is choosing a combination between an IMAX film display and a Tesla. The Lucid additionally has a big display, however splits some obligations throughout a decrease central touchscreen that the Afeela lacks. The Afeela 1 was additionally offered with a fork as an alternative of the spherical steering wheel that has served us completely for over a century. We do not know if the semicircle will probably be commonplace or not, however we hope it is elective.
What will undoubtedly set Afeela aside, for higher or worse, is its deal with leisure. If your loved ones’s TikTok mind rot has changed the flexibility to take a seat down and browse a ebook, Afeela will undoubtedly maintain the dopamine reward cycle in full swing. Each rear seat has a big display and naturally there will probably be an built-in AI assistant. SHM additionally guarantees SAE Level 2 driving aids much like Lucid’s DreamDrive know-how.
But this is the kicker: you will have to enroll. The leisure choice, customizable themes, AI agent and Level 2 driving aids are all bundled right into a free three-year subscription. After that you’ll have to pay. How a lot? SHM would not say. Driver help funds are a particular sort of atrocious. Meanwhile, on Lucid, you pay for DreamDrive as soon as and might maintain it for so long as you need. That stated, SHM’s presentation slide for its subscription service says it is topic to alter, so perhaps if sufficient individuals took out their web pitchforks, dusted off that Twitter account and began complaining, the corporate will change its strategy.
Price
Maybe there are literally two kickers. Considering how very comparable the Lucid Air Pure and Afeela 1 are, you’d suppose the costs would line up equally. But they do not. A rear-wheel-drive Air Pure will set you again $71,400, a way more palatable sum than the $89,900 base value the Afeela 1 is promoting for. Step as much as the spicier all-wheel-drive Pure Touring and its asking is $80,400 Still a whole used automobile below the place to begin of the Afeela. If you need every part SHM can match into its automobile, the loaded Signature trim will set you again $102,900, however that will not get you extra energy, an extended vary, or a quicker charging velocity.
Oh, and to make issues worse, you will not be capable of buy the entry-level Afeela 1 instantly. Only the Signature trim will go on sale first, with the bottom Origin variant arriving in 2027. At that time, we’ll most likely have to start out an entire new spec comparability.
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