Sony and Honda’s electric saloon car, the Afeela 1, will enter production, with the first deliveries expected in 2026.
Starting with California, reservations are now open for the $89,900 tech-loaded automobile with $200 saving you an order slot.
When it arrives, a synthesized interior sound, employed during forward movement, will have been created by Gran Turismo video game creator Polyphony Digital.
As electric cars make little noise when compared to internal combustion engines, various car manufacturers have produced ‘fake’ sounds.
For instance, by default, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N sounds like a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. In certain driving modes, a Porsche Taycan emits futuristic tones, while BMW enlisted film score composer Hans Zimmer to form a dramatic noise dubbed ‘BMW IconicSounds Electric’.
“Polyphony Digital will leverage its unique sound engineering expertise to support the creation of the optimal e-Motor Sound for AFEELA,” said President and Representative Director of Polyphony Digital Inc., Kazunori Yamauchi.
“Over the past 30 or so years, we have walked alongside the automotive industry with our perspective. We look forward to further exploring the future of automobiles and mobility.”
According to SHM, the sound “enhances the driver’s sense of oneness with the car during acceleration, deceleration, and cornering.”
The Afeela 1 initially debuted in a near-production-ready form at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) two years ago. A year later, Polyphony was publicly enlisted in its development process, and the car has been available within Gran Turismo 7 since April 2024.
The Gran Turismo development team has worked on several other projects with car manufacturers. Perhaps most notably, the production Nissan GT-R (R35) launched with a user interface designed by the gaming team.
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