New pictures have been revealed of the Smart 1 electric SUV.
It is the car tasked with bringing the fight to rivals like the Hyundai Kona EV and Peugeot e-2008. It’s set to have 260PS and a range of more than 200 miles.
It’ll also be Smart’s first SUV, offering more interior space than any Smart car before it as the brand attempts to appeal to family car buyers put off by the lack of space in the firm’s current lineup which includes the two-seater Smart EQ ForTwo and four-seater EV ForFour.
Smart #1 price and release date
A larger size means a bigger price and you can expect the Smart #1 to be priced from £35,000 – significantly more expensive than the Smart EQ ForTwo (£23,3754) and the Smart EQ ForFour (currently being heavily discounted at around £19,000).
That said, it’ll be in line with small SUV rivals such as the £30,040 Hyundai Kona Electric and £35,710 Peugeot e-2008.
The Smart #1 will be revealed on 7 April and will likely go on sale towards the end of the year.
Smart #1: range, performance and specifications
We already have a pretty good idea how the new Smart #1 will look thanks to a steady stream of teaser images being released as the car’s release date approaches.
The latest batch of pictures show the car being put through its paces in the wind tunnel as Smart attempts to make it as aerodynamic as possible in the quest for increased range.
As a result, you’ll find no grille at the front of the car, door handles that recess into body work when not in use, aerodynamic wheel trims and a subtle roof spoiler.
The Smart’s standout feature – on its admittedly featureless design – is the floating C Pillar reminiscent of the one found in the Vauxhall Crossland X.
While the design (on these early pictures at least) doesn’t give you a lot to write home about, it should mean the Smart #1 is very spacious for its size, with room for four and a boot that’ll swallow a couple of large suitcases.
Like the Smart #1’s exterior, you can expect the interior to be highly customisable with a choice of upholstery, trim types and colours. You can expect the car to have a large infotainment screen poking out of the top of the dash, as seen in the concept picture here.
The big talking point is the Smart #1’s electric powertrain. The car is based on a Geely (which owns half of Smart’s) SEA platform which would allow for a battery of between 58kWh and 100kWh in size – 70kWh is being predicted and would give the #1 a range of around 200 miles between charges. An 800V rapid charge system means it’ll take less than an hour to charge the battery from around 10-80 per cent.
The battery will power a rear-mounted motor set to produce around 260PS which would give the #1 hot-hatch worrying performance. In reality, though, the Smart will focus on being comfortable and easy to drive, it’ll have instant, silent performance and regenerative brakes that slow the car when you take your foot off the pedal.
The raised ride height will be ideal for tackling speed humps, while having the motor mounted in the rear frees up space around the front wheels, allowing for an exceptionally tight turning circle.
We’ll have full details on the Smart #1 when the car is revealed next month.
