Seven months after Concept #1 was revealed in Munich, the revitalise smart Automobile Co. has officially launched its first production model for the company’s new all-electric era, the smart #1. In case you’re wondering, the actual way to pronounce the EV’s name is “smart HASHTAG one” according to the official launch video.
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.
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.
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.
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.
