Before its official launch, the Afeela brand owned by Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) has unfortunately been discontinued.

In an official statement, SHM clarified that they will continue discussions with Sony and Honda regarding the direction and future of the company.

According to initial plans, the Honda-Sony collaboration was set to launch the Afeela 1 electric sedan by the end of this year, with another SUV model expected to debut in 2028.

Main Reason: Honda’s EV Strategy Overhaul

The primary reason for the project’s halt is closely tied to a significant overhaul of Honda’s strategy announced earlier this month.

To avoid losses amounting to 2.5 trillion yen (approximately RM62 billion), Honda has reportedly canceled several key EV programs, including:

• 0 Saloon
• 0 SUV
• Acura RSX

Without the support of hardware, platforms, and technical assets, SHM acknowledged that they no longer have a realistic pathway to bring the model to market as planned.

Surprisingly, this announcement comes shortly after SHM America unveiled the Afeela Studio and distribution hub in Torrance, California, on March 16.

With this cancellation, customers who pre-ordered the Afeela 1 will receive a full refund.

Vision-S 01 as the Starting Point

Sony made waves in the automotive world with the introduction of the Vision-S 01 model at CES 2020, followed by the Vision-S 02 two years later.

The collaboration between Honda and Sony (Sony Honda Mobility) was established in 2022, with the Afeela brand formally announced in 2023.

The full production model Afeela 1 was slated for introduction in 2025, with a target price of $89,900 (RM356,000).

The Afeela 1 is powered by two electric motors (483 hp) paired with a 91 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and has a fast DC charging capability of 150 kW.

On a full charge, this electric sedan can travel up to 480 km.

The End for the Afeela Brand?

Don’t worry; the sedan can still be experienced ‘legally’ via the Gran Turismo 7 platform.

Through a collaboration between SHM and Polyphony Digital, the Afeela 1 was officially added to GT7 last April.

Polyphony Digital also created an electronic motor sound and special audio effects to convey a sense of speed, braking, and cornering for the Afeela 1.