MENU
SEARCHTemporary mall location comes as brand faces lawsuit from state franchised dealers
Honda's U.S. division partnered with Sony Group Corp. to create the Afeela auto brand.
Honda
A Honda joint venture that’s made a luxury electric car opened a temporary “studio” in Silicon Valley.
The Afeela brand pop-up in San Jose will operate for six months, according to Sony Honda Mobility of America, the venture between Honda’s U.S. division and Sony Group Corp.
Consumers can engage in “hands-on” demonstrations of the Afeela 1 model at the studio, which recently celebrated a grand opening.
The development comes as the venture faces a lawsuit by California auto dealers over its direct sales. The California New Car Dealers Association filed in the suit in August, claiming Afeela sales illegally bypass franchised dealerships.
“CNCDA has sued Sony Honda Mobility and American Honda for violating California law by competing with Honda and Acura franchisees. It is unfortunate that another Afeela “studio” has opened in San Jose," said association President Brian Maas. "Hopefully the courts will soon agree with us that this illegal sales activity must cease immediately.”
A spokesman for Afeela didn't immediately respond to a request for a statement regarding the lawsuit.
The brand's San Jose studio is located in shopping mall Westfield Valley Fair. An announcement of its grand opening says reservations for its electric car come with a refundable $200 deposit and that deliveries are scheduled to start in California some time next year.
The venture earlier announced California Afeela studios in Torrance of Los Angeles County's South Bay area and in Fremont in the San Francisco Bay area.
The joint venture says the Afeela brand represents a mission to “bring mobility and entertainment closer together” and "redefines the in-car experience" with an artificial intelligence-powered “personal agent” and Sony 360 Spatial Sound.
LEARN MORE: New at the top of NADA
Sony-Honda venture cancels two planned models, the first of which had been pegged for a mid-2026 California delivery debut. The brand’s direct sales had been challenged by the state’s auto dealers, but the venture cites Honda’s EV retreat.
Read More →
Softening prices, rising credit availability and higher tax refunds could be behind February’s sales pace rise and accompanying dip in inventory, according to Cox Automotive.
Read More →
The wholesale automotive market fared remarkably well given the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, Black Book analysts reported.
Read More →
The agency sent warning letters to dozens of auto groups about what it described as illegal practices and urged them to ensure their pricing policies enable transparency with consumers.
Read More →
New-vehicle sales fell year-over-year for the fifth month in a row in February, making retail deliveries the slowest they’ve been since 2023, according to a CarGurus report.
Read More →
The automaker says its California skunk works is already finding efficiencies to lighten traditionally heavy electric vehicles for lower cost, plus extended range.
Read More →
Both vehicle values and conversion rates sped up last week as two segments outperformed in the pre-spring burst of buying.
Read More →
GM says it sells the cheapest electric vehicle in the U.S. market. It explains how it made improvements to the entry-level EV while keeping its price down.
Read More →
A Tennessee-based automotive group with deep industry history picked up the well-established Honda store, rebranding it.
Read More →
GM says more than 750 dealers across the U.S. are enrolled in CarBravo and that in January CarBravo dealers sold over two times the certified volume of Chevrolet, Buick and GMC dealers using traditional CPO.
Read More →
