Designed by Mercedes but manufactured in China by Geely on its bespoke electric platform, the Smart #1 retains the cutesy look of the concept. At 4270 mm long, 1822 mm wide, and 1636 mm tall, the crossover is by far the company’s largest vehicle ever. It has a generous wheelbase of 2750 mm and weighs a hefty 1,820 kg (4,012 lbs). Consequently, it’s also the heaviest Smart to go into production.

Much like combustion-engined Smart cars of the past, the new #1 is also rear-wheel drive. Its electric motor mounted at the back is good for a substantial 272 horsepower (200 kilowatts) and a near-instant torque of 343 Nm (253 lb-ft). The compact crossover riding on massive 19-inch wheels wrapped around 235/45 R19 tires can reach 112 mph (180 km/h), which is more than enough for this type of EV.

Courtesy of a decent-sized 66-kWh battery pack, the future rival for the BMW iX1 and MINI Countryman EV can cover up to 273 miles (440 kilometers) based on the WLTP cycle. Once it’s out of juice, it takes less than half an hour to charge it from 10 to 80% thanks to support for DC charging at up to 150 kW. When using AC charging at 22 kW, replenishing the battery will require around three hours.

Using those nifty pop-out door handles allows you to gain access inside the impressively minimalist cabin. The Smart #1 does away with most physical buttons since nearly all functions can be accessed through the center screen. The 12.8-inch touchscreen with a full HD resolution takes center stage on the dashboard and is complemented by a rectangular digital driver’s display.

Being a bespoke EV, it comes with a small front trunk that can swallow 15 liters. At the back, the cargo area has a volume varying from 323 to 411 liters depending on the position of the rear bench since it slides forward and aft by 13 centimeters. Also worth mentioning is the panoramic glass roof to give the Smart #1’s cabin an airy vibe.

Sales in Europe are programmed to kick off this September, with the first deliveries to customers planned for January 2023. Pricing details have not been disclosed, but the Smart #1 is expected to start from €30,000.

Source: Smart

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Simply known as the Smart #1, the EV recently completed the vital pre-market tests, which included evaluating the crossover in the wind tunnel. The procedure was conducted at the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute in Chongqing where the future Mini Countryman EV rival registered a drag coefficient of only 0.29. The lower the Cd, the better efficiency to achieve greater range thanks to improved airflow.

The number was achieved by implementing several drag-reducing methods, including door handles that remain flush with the body along with an active grille shutter fitted as standard. The Smart #1 has been designed by Mercedes and will largely retain the concept car’s appearance. We can also see it testing in a cold climate, specifically the far north of China where temperatures dropped to -40 ℃ / °F.

Compared to previous models, the new EV will be substantially larger, stretching at 4290 millimeters in length, 1910 millimeters in width, and 1698 millimeters in height. That makes it not much smaller than the Mercedes EQA. It has a generous wheelbase of 2750-mm wheelbase to create what will be the most spacious Smart model ever, complete with five seats.

Other technical specifications beyond size have not been disclosed, but we do know the Smart #1 will ride on a platform developed by Geely. It’s going to be based on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) and will attempt to grab all five stars in the Euro NCAP test. It will be built in China, but Smart plans to sell the EV on the Old Continent as well from 2023.

Source: Smart

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According to a report from Electrive, the two-door ForTwo together with its convertible version are still being made. The more practical ForFour exited the assembly line for good in December, but with no formal announcement made by Smart. As a refresher, the pint-sized EV was offered with a single electric motor producing 80 horsepower (60 kilowatts) and an instant torque of 160 Newton-meters (118 pound-feet).

The electric punch enabled the Smart EQ ForFour to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 11.5 seconds and top out at 81 mph (130 km/h). Equipped with a small 17.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the diminutive four-door hatchback can travel for up to 84 miles (135 kilometers) before running out of juice, per the WLTP test cycle.

Smart – which is now a joint venture between Daimler and Geely – is hard at work preparing an all-new model. Previewed in September 2021 by the Concept #1, the EV will take the shape of a much bigger crossover to compete with the next-generation Mini Countryman coming in zero-emissions guise.

It will ride on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture and should largely retain the concept car’s generous proportions: 4.29 meters (168.9 inches) in length, 1.91 meters (75.1 inches) in width, and 1.70 meters (67 inches) in height. It won’t have anything in common with the now-defunct ForFour as Smart is entering a new era thanks to Daimler’s 50:50 tie-up with the Chinese automaker.

The made-in-China Smart crossover will go on sale in the People’s Republic later this year before arriving in Europe.

Source: Electrive.com

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It’s been teased before, but this is a more substantial preview as it gives us a better understanding of the vehicle’s size. Daimler design chief Gorden Wagener shared an image of the yet-to-be-named showcar, revealing its roof with a funky pattern finished in bronze. You can easily tell it’s much bigger than any other Smart before it, including the 2005 Formore crossover that never happened.

It has four decently sized doors and looks just about as big as a Mini Countryman, which has already been confirmed to get a purely electric version in 2023 for its next generation due to be built in Germany at a BMW plant. Smart remains coy on details about its new EV, but the use of conventional side mirrors for the concept hints the IAA-bound showcar will be close to the production version.

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A post shared by Gorden Wagener (@gorden.wagener)

To be sold mainly in China and Europe, the new Smart will allegedly be longer than four meters and offer enough space inside the cabin for five adults. Based on previous statements made by people at Smart and Geely, it’s being developed to get the maximum five-star crash test rating from EuroNCAP and will ride on the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) developed by the Chinese company who also owns Lotus and Volvo.

Some reports are speculating the new China-built EV will offer a maximum range of more than 200 miles in the real world, but we’re honestly hoping for more given the advancements made in battery tech in recent years. It’s said to feature a 70-kWh battery pack and a rear-mounted single electric motor pushing out as much as 268 horsepower, although that seems a bit too optimistic.

We are likely going to see even more teasers between now and early September when the Smart electric compact crossover is scheduled to make its world premiere.

Source: Gorden Wagener / Instagram

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A concept car will be displayed in September at the IAA Munich Auto Show in Germany, and in the meantime, Smart keeps releasing teasers. Following a few official design sketches published in the second half of May, we’re now being given a brief look at a camouflaged prototype being pushed hard during testing.

The adjacent video was published by Smart’s Vice President Global Sales, Marketing & After-Sales, Daniel Lescow, on his LinkedIn account. It starts off to remind us Smart was the first company to abandon the internal combustion engine altogether and switch entirely to EVs. It goes without saying this statement doesn’t take into account automakers that have been selling only electric cars since day one, such as Tesla.

Daniel Lescow doesn’t go into any in-depth details about the upcoming electric SUV, only saying the Smart brand as a whole will grow up to become more mature and premium while integrating more high-tech elements. That’s not saying much, but we do know the new-era Smart model will ride on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform and will feature styling from Smart’s in-house design team.

For a brief moment, we can catch a glimpse of the camouflaged prototype towards the end of the video. We can already tell it looks visibly larger than any other Smart before it, thus fueling rumors about the SUV going up against the Mini Countryman.

It will reportedly stretch at over four meters in length and offer a cabin spacious enough for five adults. Mainly targeting China and Europe, the electric Smart crossover is being developed with maximum safety in mind as the Daimler-Geely joint venture is targeting a five-star rating in the EuroNCAP crash tests.

We should learn more about the made-in-China crossover this fall once the concept will premiere in September ahead of the production version’s market introduction scheduled for 2022.

Source: Daniel Lescow / LinkedIn

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Meanwhile, a concept car will be debuting this September at the IAA show in Munich. To give us an idea of what to expect from the new zero-emissions crossover, Daimler’s design chief Gorden Wagener has shared several design sketches on his personal Instagram account. Bear in mind the unnamed concept is not Smart’s first crossover attempt as the ForMore conceived in the 2000s follow a similar formula, but never made it to production.

While the design is led by Smart’s in-house team, underneath the skin it’s basically a Chinese car as the vehicle will ride on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform. You can tell just by looking at these teasers the crossover will be significantly larger than the pint-sized Smart cars we’re all familiar with and there’s a good chance it will mimic the Mini Countryman in terms of size.

Expect the overall length to exceed four meters to enable a spacious cabin with enough room for up to five adults. The styling is shaping up to be a significant departure from the aging models Smart is offering today, and that will even extend to the company’s logo. The plastic panels and exposed safety cell appear to be a thing of the past, signaling the brand is adopting an entirely new design language in the EV era.

Originally going on sale only in China and Europe, the Smart electric crossover is expected to get a five-star EuroNCAP rating as Geely is prioritizing safety for its new SEA architecture. While technical specifications are not available, it seems likely the new Smart car will offer in excess of 200 miles of range, which would be more than adequate for a city-oriented vehicle.

We’re hoping to learn more about the production version this fall when the concept will premiere at IAA.

Source: Gorden Wagener / Instagram

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The German and Chinese automakers inked a deal in March 2019 to form a 50:50 joint venture, announcing plans to build a new factory in China. When the deal was signed, larger models were promised, and now we know the first of the bunch will be an SUV. The disclosure was made on LinkedIn by Daniel Lescow, Smart’s VP of sales.

Technical specifications regarding the electric Smart SUV are limited at this point, but we do know the model will ride on Geely’s recently announced Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) featured here. The engineers are targeting a five-star Euro NCAP rating for the new model, which will be “super-compact on the outside and big on the inside.” Daniel Lescow went on to say it’ll be “instantly recognizable as smart, ultra-modern, sophisticated and advanced in connectivity solutions.”

There is some bad news in all of this as the high-riding Smart will be sold only in China and Europe, at least at first. The company withdrew from the US market back in 2019, and there’s no sign of a potential return in the foreseeable future. Daniel Lescow is confident the car will be a “huge success” on the Old Continent thanks to a “progressive design, innovation, high-tech and, of course, battery-electric driving.”

It’s important to keep in mind Mercedes is designing the vehicle while Geely is responsible for the engineering. The SEA platform has been in development for the past three years and will be used across the Geely Group, including for the Lynk & Co and Volvo brands. As a side note, Geely also owns renowned British sports car marque Lotus.

As a final note, Daimler recently sold to Ineos Automotive the Hambach factory in France where the Smart cars are made. Production of the EQ ForTwo will continue for the time being, although it’s unclear for how long. The facility will be retooled to accommodate production of the Grenadier 4×4 SUV scheduled to hit the assembly line from late next year. As for Smart’s other car, the EQ ForFour, it’s built by Renault at the factory in Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia where the Twingo and Clio are also put together.

Source: Daniel Lescow / LinkedIn

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