Smart #1 front, driving
Smart #1 winter testing
Smart #1
Smart #1 range testing, winter conditions
Smart #1
Smart #1 front detail
Smart #1
Smart #1 profile, wind tunnel testing
Smart #1
Smart #1
Smart #1
► New Smart SUV is called #1► Pre-production tests near completion
► It’s Smart’s biggest car to date
Dear Smart, FFS.
It’s 25 years since the disruptive, trendy and clever City Coupe made its debut – with fashion first styling and accessories thanks to Swatch, it may not have changed urban commuting quite as dramatically as it should have done, but as two-seater, almost microcar concepts go, it worked.
At a time when environmental concerns, congestion and just ‘getting people to change their habits’ is at the forefront of transport discussions, a new Smart is exactly what we need. Innovative, disruptive… clever?
Or maybe what we need is a derivative small SUV with a rather desperate attempt to be trendy signified by the use of the # symbol; itself a rather derivative thing – it started out as a way of identifying groups on IRC around the same time that the original Smart was launched.
What is the Smart #1?
Marking Smart’s first car produced with Geely and Mercedes-Benz design, it’s a compact crossover-style SUV. If you think it looks like a knock-off Mini with a hint of Vauxhall Adam, you’re not alone, and it’s lost a couple of individual touches that were present on the Concept #1 as well – specifically the pillarless, reverse-hinged rear doors.
Naturally it’s electric – and in that regard, it should be a significant leap forward over the previous EQ ForFour which was in essence, an adapted Renault Twingo.
Pictures imply a range of three models, and if you look at the details under the wrap there appear to be two treaments for the side – one with more prominent details and ‘rugged’ cladding, though all appear to have distinct plastic arches. Given we already know the platform for the Smart is also providing the basis for a Lotus electric SUV and other Geely models, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect a Smart #1 that’s got some off-road ability – or at least, aspirations.
We do know that the hidden door handles are a production feature; they’ve been equipped with de-icing technology to avoid them getting frozen. It will be interesting to see if that foresight applies elsewhere, as it looks like the Smart #1 will have frameless windows.
That looks big…
And it is, for a Smart: 4290mm long, 1910mm wide and 1698mm tall – at least for the Concept #1, and there’s no reason the production model will deviate much. That means the #1 is around the same size as a B-segment SUV (like the Peugeot 2008, Ford Puma, Vauxhall Mokka etc.). That’s positively massive for a Smart; it’s around half a metre longer than both generations of the ForFour and even the long-but-low Roadster from the early 2000s, for example.
But Smart says that’s intentional, as the brand wants to get into that segment as it makes other car makers so much money. Given the Smart brand is now part-owned by Geely, it’s expected that the production version will go on sale in China – a region that also doesn’t tend to favour very small cars.
Still, the brand says that the space inside is where it counts; that value of maximum interior space for as small a footprint as possible still holds some sway here. And it’s mainly due to the use of a new, purpose-built battery-electric platform. Specs aren’t known yet, but Smart promises long battery life and fast charging; active grille shutters and battery pre-conditioning are confirmed.
So, what’s special about the interior?
On the production version? We don’t know yet. The Concept #1’s pillarless doors appear to have gone, though the completely flat floor is a typcal feature of bespoke electric platforms and often gives a sense of space. The centre console is mounted in such a way it looks like it’s floating, and comes complete with a ‘3D’ touch panel and 12.8-inch display.
It’s also got Daimler Group’s chief design officer, Gorden Wagener’s fingerprints all over it: a sweeping dashboard, massive central screen and a light blue/gold/white colour scheme throughout. Even the seats have piping that lights up. ‘The new sporty Concept #1 is a redefinition of the smart brand in a very cool grown-up way,’ says Wagener, ‘we have created a completely new design DNA that has the potential to establish smart as the leading design brand.’
When will we see the real version?
Daniel Lescow, Smart’s global sales and marketing director, told CAR to expect a production version of the #1 in the first half of 2022. As for the price: ‘given the access to the Geely system, we’ll be able to offer the car at a very, very competitive cost.’
Keyword: Smart #1: all-new electric SUV nears production