In case you missed the whole story, smart is no longer a subsidiary/brand under Daimler (now Mercedes-Benz Group); it is now a China-based 50:50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely (since 2019). Even the production is gonna happen in China. And the first product from this new joint venture is the Smart 1 (stylized as smart #1) we are seeing in the photos here; it’s an electric SUV, of course, because apparently, no one wants a sedan these days.
The smart #1 is a production version of the Concept #1 that debuted at the IAA Mobility in Germany last year. It is built around Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform that underpins the Zeekr 001 and also the Lotus Eletre that debuted not too long ago. As for the styling, the production model has retained most of the elements from the concept, including the characteristic exterior lighting with Y-shaped light signatures, and flush door handles. However, the suicide doors/rear-hinged doors have been let go for normal ones. The aero rims on the launch edition (limited to 1,000 units) here measure 19-inches.
Which brings us to the dimensions of the vehicle. The smart #1 measures 4,270 mm long, 1,822 mm wide and 1,636 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,750 mm.
Inside too, the styling elements from the concept have been retained, such as the shape of the air vents, the floating centre console design, ambient lighting, the headrests, and of course, that 12.8-inch floating full HD touchscreen. With that narrow 9.2-inch display, the driver pretty much has an unobstructed view out of the dashboard. Other key features include a panoramic glass roof, 13-speaker Beats audio system, a 10-inch HUD, and ADAS such as adaptive cruise control with stop & go function, active lane keeping system, blind spot assist, highway and traffic jam assist, auto parking assist, and adaptive high beam assist. Passive safety includes 7 airbags.
Moving on to the juicy bits of the story then, the smart #1 launch edition is gonna pack a single rear electric motor that offers 200 kW (272 metric hp) and 343 Nm (253 lb-ft) of torque. The official top speed is 180 km/h (112 mph), which is most likely electronically limited. A 66 kWh NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) battery pack is estimated to offer a WLTP range anywhere between 420-440 km (261-273 mi). The battery pack can be DC fast-charged with up to 150 kW, with which, a 10-80% SoC is claimed to take <30 minutes. For anyone interested to know, the vehicle’s dry weight is 1,820 kg (4,012 lbs).
smart is yet to announce the pricing and availability. In the meantime, check out some more photos here.
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