In case you are not familiar with the current iteration of smart Automobile Co., the company is no longer a full subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz but has been transformed into a joint venture between the company and Geely. As such, the Stuttgart giant is responsible for the design of the new smart #1 while the engineering portion is being handled by its Hangzhou counterpart. The new smart #1 (L) vs Concept #1 (R). [Image: smart Automobile.] Exterior-wise, smart has generally retained the design lines of its Concept #1 for the production model albeit with some differences such as smaller 19-inch wheels, a less extravagant glass roof, and rear doors that still have front-mounted hinges. Measuring 4270mm long, 1822mm wide, and 1636mm tall alongside a wheelbase of 2750mm, the 1,820kg SUV also features concealed door handles and frameless doors together with up to 411L boot space and a 15L front boot. Alongside customisable ambient lighting, the smart #1 is equipped with touchscreen infotainment & vehicle control system that features a 12.8-inch Full HD display while the driver has also been provided with a 9.2-inch Full HD digital instrument cluster and a 10-inch Head Up Display. For the Premium and Launch Edition variants of the EV, there is also a 13-speakers audio system from Beats. [Image: smart Automobile.] Featuring a 200kw rear-wheel-drive setup that produces 272PS of power together with 343Nm of maximum torque, the SUV has a maximum speed of 180km/h. Through the car’s 66kWh battery, smart claimed that its new SUV is able to reach a maximum range of between 420km to 440km according to the WLTP standards. As always, charging times depends on the type of charger used with the smart #1. According to the company, the SUV can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 3 hours with a 22kW AC charger or in under 30 minutes when using a 150kW DC charger. [Image: smart Automobile.] Despite the official announcement today, smart didn’t reveal anything regarding the release date or the pricing for its new all-electric compact SUV. While Proton Edar has recently signed a deal to bring smart EVs into Malaysia, the company also has yet to make any official announcement regarding the availability of smart #1 for our market.
