Under the umbrella of Daimler and Geely in equal parts, Smart reinvents itself by offering the first SUV in its range. The new Smart #1 is the most powerful electric car in its segment and we have already been able to see and touch it.
Smart has started a new stage and the Smart #1 (according to the brand it should be pronounced as «Hashtag One») is the first step in the transformation of the manufacturer and I have been able to see it first-hand. It is not only the manufacturer’s first SUV and the largest model ever offered in its range but exemplifies which path the new Smart will walk.
The Smart electric brand reinvents itself betting on a more versatile vehicle that allows it to adapt to a wider range of customers in Europe and China. These locations are no coincidence: #1 is the first fruit of Daimler’s partnership in 2019 with the Chinese giant Geely in which the new Smart Automobile is owned equally by both car groups.
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A joint venture that has brought stability to a brand whose future had been in doubt but that through this change of scenery hopes to return to profitability. It should be remembered that in 1998 the Smart brand came onto the market with the original Fortwo, the tiny two-seater utility vehicle that made the manufacturer immediately position itself as urban mobility leader, but in recent years Daimler did not get the accounts. The solution came from the Asian giant.
Geely is Daimler’s largest single shareholder since 2018 and also has close relationships with Lotus, Lynk & Co, LEVC, Volvo and Polestar, among others. His irruption serves to take Smart into a new era with a totally different range of products in which Mercedes is in charge of the design and Geely takes care of the technical part and the production.
With these wicks, the new Smart SUV arrives with the idea of leading the 100% electric proposal in the B segment, being the most powerful electric urban crossover on the market since its main opponents will be the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense and the Mazda MX-30 that show less cavalry and autonomy. Although they do not have a crossover aesthetic, they will also have their sights set on the MINI Cooper SE, the electric FIAT 500 and the Honda e.
The new Smart model breaks with everything known until now by the German brand… well, now Chinese since its headquarters has moved to Ningbo. This is evident, for example, in the design language full of rounded and sinuous shapes that allow it to offer a drag coefficient of just 0.29, a remarkable figure for a car in this segment.
The front shows a lot of character with a shark look thanks to the shape of the front air intake and the led headlights linked together. There are several avant-garde details such as the electric door handles that are flush with the bodywork, the frameless doors, the panoramic sunroof or the 19-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, the leading role is for the led drivers, also united, and whose appearance has reminded me a lot of those of the Mercedes EQA.
Smart’s first SUV sits on a new SEA platform (Sustainable Experience Architecture) specific for electric vehicles developed by Geely. It has remarkable dimensions to become the largest model manufactured by the brand: 4.27m length1.82 m wide and 1.64 m high that put it squarely in segment B.
Inside the design has also changed but above all one of the most positive surprises has been to find that the quality of the cabin has taken a huge leap forward. The Fortwo and Forfour had relatively simple interiors with an abundant presence of hard plastic, but #1 proposes an atmosphere with a certain premium touch.
A spacious interior that bets on sophisticated design
With the new approach of the brand, the cabin looks very modern and has a minimalist touch. The quality of the materials used is high. And the seats are very comfortable. In addition, the atmosphere proposes a customizable ambient lighting with 64 colors that shines on the edges of the dashboard and door panels, the front trim and the air outlets.
The digital instrumentation uses a 9.2-inch screen in a very long format but with good image quality and which, apparently because it is a static event, informs the driver of everything the driver needs. The multimedia system stands out even more with a huge 12.8-inch touch screen which concentrates most of the vehicle’s functions.
The center console, very highcreates mixed feelings in me because it has a hard touch and divides the cabin in two giving less sense of space but in return its format allows it to offer more storage spaces, something that is always useful.
One of the things that most caught my attention aboard the Smart #1 is the enormous interior space. With an exterior size greater than that of the brand’s previous models, especially in width, a gain in that sense was to be expected, but even so, the habitability is very well used and passengers up to 1.90 m tall find accommodation both front and back.
The Chinese manufacturer even allows itself the luxury of offering a sliding rear bench seat in two parts so that the space for the occupants can be maximized or the cargo volume increased. In this way the trunk offers between 313 and 411 liters depending on the position of the rear seats. Besides, in the front there is an additional cargo compartment of 15 litres, ideal for storing charging cables.
Driving is postponed for our next meeting with the new #1 although in this static contact we have the basic figures that will define its dynamism. Obviously Smart #1 is 100% electric and it will be offered with a single version of motor and battery, at least for now.
The electric motor generates 200 kW of power, which is equivalent to 272 hp what makes you the most powerful Smart ever marketed. The maximum torque reaches 343 Nm and is sent entirely to the rear axle. The Chinese brand has not yet announced the acceleration capacity of the SUV, a figure that promises to be interesting, but it does indicate that the maximum speed is 180 km/h.
Under the floor there is a lithium ion battery with a gross capacity of 66 kWh (62 kWh net) with NCM cathodes manufactured by Geely itself with which the new Smart model is capable of offering a autonomy up to 440 km according to the WLTP cycle. The maximum load capacity is 22kW in AC and 150kW in DC.
When will the Smart # be on sale? In the next few days the commercialization of the launch edition special edition limited to 1,000 units, of which only 70 are destined for the Spanish market. The normal versions will be pre-ordered in September with the Premium and Pro + finishes and that will be when the prices are announced. The first deliveries to customers are planned for February 2023.