Smart moves segment with its new #1 EV

SMART has unveiled details of its first electric-only model formed by the joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz.

The #1 (pronounced hashtag one) will be sold as a small, premium SUV when it reaches showrooms in early 2023, and will be offered a choice of 200kW two-wheel drive or 315kW all-wheel drive configurations, the latter tuned by Brabus.

In Europe, the #1 marks the debut of Geely’s SEA electric vehicle architecture, the scalable platform adaptable to almost any segment size and slated to underpin as many as seven models from the Chinese brand over coming years.

The #1 is built in Smart’s Xi’an facility in China and will be initially exported to Europe for sale in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal with other countries – including Norway – to follow.

Smart says the #1 will be priced from €39,990 ($A60,400) in base model form (Pro, pictured), increasing to €43,490 ($A65,600) for the mid-tier Premium, and €47,490 ($A71,700) for the all-wheel drive Brabus model. A launch edition priced at €44,790 ($A67,200) will also be offered with a limited production run of 1000 units.

The #1 offers a driving range of up to 440km and boasts 150kW charging capacity. The 4270mm long model is said to offer more interior space than segment competitors (such as the Citroen DS 3, Opel Mokka e and Peugeot e-2008) and will arrive with a 200kW/343Nm rear-wheel drive configuration for Pro, Premium and Launch Edition variants, or 315kW/543Nm all-wheel drive setup for the top-tier Brabus. The Brabus model can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds.

All variants feature a 66kWh battery pack Smart says can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in three hours at a 22kW charging station. The base model variant is also available with a 7.4kW plug for home charging.

“The Smart #1 finally starts its journey to become an integral part of the sustainable future mobility,” said Smart Europe CEO Dirk Adelmann.

“With the upcoming start of pre-ordering, our direct-to-customer approach is also going live. Now our customers can select the #1 version that best fits their needs and defines their way of owning or using it.

“We are really looking forward to the positive impact we can make in the industry in general and our customers’ daily lives specifically.”

Smart will sell the #1 and all future models using a fixed-price or agency sales model. Smart dealers will continue to sell the ForTwo city car using the traditional retail model until the end of that car’s lifecycle in 2024.

Standard features on the Smart #1 include a panoramic sunroof, heated front power seats with memory, powered and heated wing mirrors with memory and safety items including adaptive cruise control, parking and lane-keeping assistants, and a 360-degree parking camera.

A 12.8-inch landscape-oriented infotainment array developed by Geely’s ECARX dominates in the centre of the dashboard, but oddly, is not equipped with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity.

Other features include a gesture-activated powered tailgate, ambient cabin lighting, inductive device charging pad and a semi-concealed ‘floating’ centre console.

Smart says the exterior design of the #1 is distinguished by a contrating roof that appears to ‘float’ above the car’s belt line. The remainder of the body is composed of “smoothly flowing contours”, sharp, tech-inspired details and a few “Easter eggs” to surprise and delight owners.

There is no word yet as to whether the Smart #1 will be offered in right-hand drive markets, including Australia.