2025 Lucid Air Pure vs. 2026 Sony Honda Mobility Challenge 1: Compare launch EVs
Sony has been eager to extend the tight ropes of its entertainment empire into one of the last places people can get the hell away from media—the car. Honda, which is on a recent drive to get friendly power, is helping Sony achieve this by borrowing some of its automotive know-how. The result is the Afeela 1, an electric sedan that just had a coming out party at this year's CES tech show. But are we behind the times?
We benchmark it against another luxury sedan EV starter of a similar size and shape: the Lucid Air. Although Sony Honda Mobility has not revealed all the technical features of the Afeela 1, we have enough figures to put together a basic comparison between the two. Without spoiling everything, it leaves us wondering if Sony's unique entertainment angle will be enough to overcome some of its technical shortcomings.
The size
The two cars are very close, but the Afeela's difference can make for a spacious cabin. The Afeela 1's 193.5-inch length is shorter than the Lucid Air Pure's 195.9 inches, but the Afeela 1 makes up for it on the wheelbase, which is 1.6 inches longer than the Pure's. Combine that with the Afeela's higher roofline (57.5 inches versus 55.4), and the cabin may have more space than the Lucid offers. But that's just speculation, because while we know how much room the Lucid has inside—100.7 cubic feet of passenger volume—Sony hasn't released that number yet.
Not surprisingly, the slightly inflated size of the Afeela gives it a little trunk space. At 27.0 cubic feet, it's more powerful than the Lucid Air Pure's 22.1 cubes. But then there is the matter of the frunk. Lucid's frunk is good for another 10 cubic feet of stowage. Sony Honda Mobility has yet to confirm the existence of the frunk, so the benefit here is unknown.
Powertrain and Suspension
Despite being a basic model, the Lucid Air Pure is not weak. This thing has motion; a single permanent magnet electric motor sends 430 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. Step up to the all-wheel-drive Air Touring and a second electric motor appears on the front axle, upping net output to a meaty 620 horses and 885 pounds.
So far, SHM has said that each electric motor in the Afeela 1 (when all-wheel drive is standard) will produce 241 horsepower, but because the EV figures are imprecise, we're not sure if the output will reach 482 exactly. horse power. We're guessing it won't be far from what the RWD Lucid Air Pure delivers, though.
Under the body, every Afeela 1 will come standard with air-spring suspension, with an unequal height control arm setup at the front and a multilink setup at the rear. The Lucid Air Pure uses the same suspension structure, but instead of air springs, it pairs adjustable dampers with steel coil springs.
Battery and charger
This is where Afeela begins, um, a-feel-a slightly behind the curve. In the power department, things aren't much different: the Afeela 1 offers a 91.0-kWh battery, which is larger than the Lucid Air Pure's 84-kWh unit. But Lucid's crazy power management technology sends the average Air range into low Earth orbit. While SHM estimates 300 miles of range from the Afeela 1, the EPA-estimated range for the Lucid Air Pure is 420 miles (that's 19-inch wheels; it's 372 miles with the optional 20s). That is a big gap.
Afeela lags when it comes to charging, too. In DC fast charging, the Afeela 1 is said to have a maximum power of just 150 kW, which is less than half the maximum power delivered by the fastest public charging banks. When connected to an AC outlet, it can draw a maximum of 11 kW. Lucid, on the other hand, has twice the maximum DC charging rate, and its maximum AC charging rate is 19.2 kW. Combine that with its small battery, and you'll be spending very little time connected to the Lucid, whether at home or out and about.
Cabin, Tech, and Subscriptions
On the interior design front, SHM looks set to combine an IMAX movie screen with a Tesla. The Lucid has a large screen as well, but it splits some responsibilities on the lower center touchscreen that the Afeela lacks. The Afeela 1 was also shown with a yoke instead of the round steering wheel that has served us well for over a century. We don't know if the half-squircle will be the standard or not, but we hope it's optional.
What will undoubtedly set Afeela apart—for better or for worse—is its focus on entertainment. If your family's TikTok brain rot has replaced the ability to sit down and read a book, Afeela will undoubtedly keep the dopamine reward circuit flowing at full strength. Each rear seat has a large screen, and of course there will be an AI assistant baked into it. SHM also promises SAE Level 2 driver aids like Lucid's DreamDrive tech.
But here's the catch: You'll have to sign up for it. A selection of entertainment, customizable themes, an AI agent, and Level 2 driver services are all baked into the three-year subscription. After that, you get to pay. How much? SHM does not say. Paying for driver services is a special kind of abomination. Meanwhile, at Lucid, you pay for DreamDrive once and keep it for as long as you like. That said, SHM's presentation of the subscription service said it could change, so, maybe if enough people jump over their internet forks, dust off that Twitter account, and get to e-bitching, the company will change its approach.
Price
Maybe there are actually two kickers. Considering how similar the Lucid Air Pure and Afeela 1 are, you'd think the prices would be about the same. But they don't. The rear-wheel drive Air Pure will set you back $71,400, a much more attractive sum than the $89,900 base price the Afeela 1 retails for. Step up to the zestier all-wheel-drive Pure Touring, and its $80,400 asking price is still the whole car worked below where Afeela starts. If you want everything SHM can shove in its car, the loaded Signature trim will set you back $102,900, but that doesn't buy you more horsepower, greater range, or a faster charging rate.
Oh, and to make matters worse, you won't be able to buy an entry-level Afeela 1 right away. Only the Signature Cut will go on sale first, with the base variant Origin coming in 2027. At that point, we'll probably have to start a new spec comparison.
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