AFEELA’s Vision for Interior Design: New Elegance Where Sustainability Meets Technology and Aesthetics

At Sony Honda Mobility, we believe design is not just about aesthetics—it’s about creating an experience. The AFEELA’s design is defined by the “OVAL” concept: a form that represents quiet intelligence and reflects an uncluttered form that prioritizes the functions essential to the experience, allowing technology to gently envelop the passengers.

Technology and Circularity: The Blueprint for AFEELA’s Next-Generation Interior

In our belief of the OVAL concept, sustainability is fundamental. For our interior design, this meant thinking about how recycled materials and technology could be part of a continuous loop. Traditional luxury brands often rely on genuine leather and elaborate craftsmanship or real wood as a decorative element.

In contrast, with the AFEELA, we explored whether the power of technology could be used to achieve both sustainability and elegance. We aim to create an experience worthy of a new era of mobility by enveloping the cabin in materials selected for feel and function, but also sourcing and environmental impact.

The AFEELA’s interior is meticulously designed, with every detail considered for its feel and function. In addition to incorporating recycled materials, we’ve also carefully selected color palettes that express the gentle gradations of nature accentuating the in-car displays and jog dials.

Pursuing innovation in textiles, we reduce waste while embracing a minimalist aesthetic and giving natural materials new life. By enhancing functionality, we created an interior that doesn’t just look and feel refined – it also enriches the immersive in-car entertainment experience.

Designing New Functions Beyond What Nature Provides

The AFEELA’s interior features innovative materials repurposed in entirely new ways. These materials partially contain bio-based fibers from sugarcane molasses, surface resins from corn cobs, chemically recycled fibers from recovered textiles, and even recycled nylon yarn from reclaimed fishing nets.

Approximately 70%* of the interior surfaces you can see, and touch are crafted from high-quality and partially plant-derived or recycled materials. The AFEELA goes beyond a seamless fusion of design and sustainability; it also delivers incredible comfort created by advanced materials.

In selecting textiles, we looked beyond simply using bio-tech and recycling technologies. We wanted to add functions that natural materials don’t have, such as odor control. The result is an elegant balance of sustainability, technology, and human-centered comfort.

Creating Synergy with Partners

Here are the interior materials we adopted for the AFEELA, created in partnership with others to bring new value.

Ultrasuede® (Toray Industries, Inc.)
Made with polyester partially derived from plant-based sources like sugarcane molasses, providing interior surfaces with a soft and luxurious feel.

Artificial Leather (Okamoto Industries, Inc.)
Durable areas are made with artificial leather, while the surface layer that passengers touch uses partially plant-based materials, such as sugarcane molasses and corn cob waste. The lining is partially made with chemical recycled polyester yarn from recovered textile products.

Mesh Textile (AUNDE Boshoku Co., Ltd.)
The textiles are equipped with deodorizing functions to enhance the comfort of the cabin environment by addressing odors. The base mesh textile is made with partially chemical recycled polyester yarn, derived from textile products collected within the factory. 

Pile Carpet (SUMINOE Co., Ltd.)
The carpet is equipped with deodorizing functions to improve the cabin environment from the floor up. The base of the carpet partially uses ECONYL®, regenerated nylon yarn, through recycking of waste materials such as fishing nets, thread waste, old carpets, and others.

Sony Honda Mobility is redefining the relationship between people and their cars to innovate the mobility experience. The next generation of mobility may be a model where people and nature coexist through technology. We believe that a car with a sustainability story will also nurture a new relationship between people and nature. We trust that the people who connect through the AFEELA will, in turn, create their own new forms of sustainability.