Latest news with #Smart5
The Independent
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Smart #5 review: Tesla-rivalling family SUV is both big and clever
Best known for making city cars small enough to lose down the back of the sofa, Smart has lately been resurrected as a purveyor of premium (and very normal-sized) electric SUVs. The new Smart #5 is the biggest and boldest yet, a tech-focused family SUV with off-road stylings that joins the smaller Smart #1 and #3 in the brand's embiggened line-up. Built by Chinese firm Geely and designed by Mercedes-Benz – both share custody of the Smart name and DNA – the 4.7m long Smart #5 is about as far from the brand's compact roots as you can get. But besides a faint sense of loss for the goofy pocket-cars of yesteryear, the Smart #5 gives you little reason to dislike the brand's change of direction. So yes, the Smart #5 is big – you could parallel park the original Smart Fortwo inside its 2.9m wheelbase – but its boxy proportions, wide-apart wheels and flat floor make it lavishly spacious inside. The rear seats are as well-appointed and roomy as those in the front. The 800V architecture of the top-spec models means it charges faster than most UK charging points will allow, and most versions of the car offer some impressive tech as standard. How we tested We drove the Smart #5 Brabus around Porto and its surrounding countryside, assessing its performance, handling, interior tech and practicality on a variety of challenging roads. Independent rating: 7/10 Smart #5 specs Price range: From £32,000 (estimated) Battery size: 76kWh / 100 kWh Maximum claimed range: 366 miles Miles per kWh: 3.8 Maximum charging rate: 150kW / 426kW Battery, range, charging, performance and drive The Smart #5 comes with two battery sizes. There's the entry-level Pro with a 76kWh battery and 288 miles of range which will probably cost around £32,000. Move up to the Pro+ and beyond and you'll get the 100kWh battery, which offers 366 miles in RWD rear-drive configurations and 335 in the 4x4 AWD car. Those higher trims include the over-the-top Brabus version which could cost something in the region of £55,000. It does away with some comfort and efficiency to deliver a whopping 637bhp and nail a 0-62mph time of 3.8s – just in case that's something anyone would ever want to do in a Smart car. That's silly performance for an SUV of this heft and weight (and something few customers will choose) but thankfully the Smart #5 is fast in ways that matter, too. Charging speeds are where the Smart #5 excels. The biggest battery will charge at speeds of up to 400kW in optimal conditions, taking the Smart #5 from 10 to 80 per cent in under 18 minutes. That's quicker than the Porsche Taycan and the new Tesla Model Y, but you're unlikely to find those optimal conditions in the UK any time soon – where typical motorway fast chargers currently top out at 350kW. The entry-level Pro edition won't worry our current charging infrastructure, with 150kW charging speeds capable of getting from 10 to 80 per cent in under 30 minutes. We test drove the Smart #5 Brabus which, even on its 21in alloy wheels, feels composed and comfortable whether you're crawling along cobbled streets or cruising at motorway speeds. The top-spec Brabus is incongruously powerful for an otherwise sensible family SUV, but switch to a less sporty driving mode and you'll get something closer to the performance of lower trim models. Things gets more business-like then with nicely weighted steering and smoother, more predictable power delivery. Ironically, city driving isn't the Smart #5's strong point. The 2.4 tonne SUV is more than comfortable in start-stop traffic, and the boxy body shape gives you excellent road visibility, but the car's size and fairly unremarkable turning circle makes it naturally unsuited to squeezing around tight bends and out of tricky spots. Interior, practicality and boot space The Smart #5 is surprisingly cavernous. A flat floor and long wheelbase, coupled with the overall boxiness of the shape, creates a huge amount of headroom and legroom for even the tallest front and rear passengers. Boot space is generous at 630 litres, expanding to 1,530 litres with the seats down. There's also 74 litres of space in the frunk, should you need it. The Smart #5 comes with some decent kit as standard. Even the basic Pro gets a panoramic roof, plus heated driver seat, a 360-degree parking camera and climate controls for passengers in the back. Move up to higher trims and you get features like dual wireless charging pads for your phone, a touchscreen display for your passenger, a heat pump for better battery efficiency and an augmented reality head-up display. Technology, stereo and infotainment Smart has gone all-in on displays with the #5. The dashboard is dominated by a bright and responsive 13in OLED central touchscreen – it's an impressive, pill-shaped panel that stretches all the way over to the passenger side on Pro+ models and above. Somewhat alarmingly, your passenger can watch movies on their side of the car if they're sufficiently bored of your company – though Smart says the passenger display will disable if the driver tries to sneak a peek at whatever's on. The OLED display is vibrant, fast, isn't overly fussy and intuitive to navigate. While you don't get physical buttons on the display, you do get a few on the steering wheel and the most essential controls are always within reach on screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work wirelessly and seamlessly, integrating neatly with Smart's underlying interface. You've got your usual list of driver assist systems, which as with many modern cars includes a few overly judicious safety warnings. Overtaking a truck on a motorway with ample space, for example, we received the rather stark message that the car was 'taking evasive action'. Yawn just once and you'll be told to take a break and grab a coffee. The car's lane keeping can get a little jaunty with adaptive cruise control too, sometimes meandering in the lane like it's looking for something. Premium models and above get an impressive 20-speaker Sennheiser system with Dolby Atmos support, all 1,190 watts of which sound great in the the arena-sized cockpit of the Smart #5. Prices and running costs The Smart #5 will be available in the UK later this year, with prices still to be announced. Estimates put the entry-level Pro at around £32,000 which, if Smart could manage that, would offer good value in a competitive mid-size SUV market considering the #5's size, the amount of standard kit, and that impressive charging tech. The top-spec Brabus model could well top the £55,000 mark when prices are announced. Efficiency is nothing special, but still decent at around 3.8 miles per kWh, meaning running costs will be typical for a large EV. That means cheap if charging at home on off-peak tariffs, but potentially pricey if you want to make regular use of the Smart #5's impressive charging speeds at public chargers. FAQs How long does it take to charge? Models with the 100kWh battery and 800V system can theoretically charge 10 to 80 per cent in under 18 minutes on a 400kW+ charger. The 76kWh Pro model takes under 30 minutes on a 150kW charger. How much does it cost - is it worth it? Estimated from £32k to over £50k. Mid-range models offer a strong blend of space, tech, and range for the money, making it a compelling premium EV choice if you can live with the screen-heavy interface. Does Smart replace batteries for free? Like most EV manufacturers, Smart will offer an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty on the high-voltage battery, covering significant degradation or failure. Why trust us Our team of motoring experts have decades of experience driving, reviewing and reporting on the latest EV cars, and our verdicts are reached with every kind of driver in mind. We thoroughly test drive every car we rate, so you can be sure our verdicts are honest, unbiased and authentic. The verdict: Smart #5 Big enough to swallow the old Smart Fortwo whole, the Smart #5 is about as far from the brand's dinky heritage as you can get. Impressively large, crammed with technology and with a few too many screens in the cockpit, the family SUV delivers a premium driving experience, copious interior space, plenty of kit and enough character to avoid feeling generic. The Brabus is bonkers fast, but the standard versions will be the smarter buy.
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Smart #5 Electric SUV Proves That Size Really Does Matter
The #5 is the biggest Smart yet, and definitely not just a city car. Once upon a time, not so long ago, Smart cars were tiny. But the brand has well and truly moved on from that era. The #1 was still urban in focus, despite being a more traditional crossover hatchback size, and the #3 took that in a more coupe-like direction. But now we have the Smart #5, and it's very much in a different league to any Smart that went before. The #1 and #3 are still 'city first' cars, but with more extra-urban capabilities. The #5 is much more general-purpose and mainstream than that. This is a mid-size crossover SUV with some resemblance to a Jeep Renegade from the front, albeit with a much more contemporary spin. Smart is pitching the #5 as an outdoor-capable 'adventure' vehicle, and there's even an offroad mode available with some versions of the car. While the #1 and #3 have a distinct family resemblance from the front, so it could be easy to mistake them unless you see the side profile, the #5 is a noticeable divergence. Smart calls it a design evolution, but it feels like more than that. The row of lights along the front and rear add to the rugged look. However, this isn't a huge car – it's less than 4.7m long, making it shorter than a Tesla Model Y. Definitely not a small city car. The range of versions is greater with the #5 than previous Smarts, too. The entry-level model is the Pro. It sports a single motor driving the rear wheels and delivering 250kW (335hp) and 373Nm of torque, allied with a 76kWh gross (74.4kWh net) LFP battery. All the rest of the range have a 100kWh gross (94kWh net) NCM battery. The Pulse allies this with all-wheel drive delivering 432kW (579hp) and 643Nm of torque, as does the Summit. The Premium and Pro+ use a single rear motor with 267kW (358hp) and 373Nm of torque. The range-topping Brabus, which I drove, boasts a potent 475kW (637hp) AWD system and 710Nm of torque. Smart has been a joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz since 2020. The cars are also available in China (the #5 was the main act on Smart's stand at Auto Shanghai last month), and the powertrain comes from Geely. That means it uses the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), variants of which can also be found in cars from Polestar, Volvo, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co. But the exterior and interior styling have been created by Mercedes-Benz, so you have Chinese EV technology underpinning a European design, which Smart reckons gives its cars a unique selling point in both regions. While the trim options of the first couple of hashtag Smarts were relatively easy to choose between, the six different versions of the #5 provide more confusion because the equipment level varies too. All versions have a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate, adaptive cruise control, powered seat adjustment and front heated seats. There's wireless phone charging plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is what you get with the Pro and Pro+. Dual infotainment screens are only included with the higher trim levels. There's a 10.25 instrument display and a 13in infotainment screen on these two trims, too. The Pulse, Summit, Premium and Brabus have a second 13in infotainment screen on the passenger side, which enables that occupant to enjoy media while driving. The Pulse adds off-road driving modes (being all-wheel drive), plus a heat pump and leather seats. There's a PM2.5 sensor with air quality control. Summit then provides a powered trailer hitch, hands free access to the tailgate, a head-up display, and a second wireless phone charger. Premium has all this, lacks the all-wheel drive, but adds ventilated front seats and heated rear ones, plus an enhanced 20-speaker Sennheiser sound system. Apart from the extra power, the Brabus mostly adds design elements, although you get the additional Brabus driving mode, launch control, and simulated engine sounds (of which more later). All the new hashtag Smarts have minimalist but high-quality interiors – this is part of what Mercedes-Benz brings to the joint venture. There are leather upholstery options, and the front seats are very comfortable. I drove the #5 for nearly five hours in one day, with a break after three, and felt perfectly fine. There is a strong sense of roundness about the interior trim, with the dashboard, screens, vents and other features echoing the C-shape in the Smart logo. The Smart EQ fortwo only had two seats, while the #1 and #3 are credible five-seaters, but the #5 has an almost unfeasible amount of room in the back given how big it is. Sitting behind the driver's seat, adjusted for my 5 ft 10in self, there is a lot of legroom, with plenty of headroom too. The panoramic sunroof makes the space feel even greater. Although the middle seat is more child-only, this is a car that four adults could travel long distances in with comfort. There are also two movable internal cameras above the rear doors. Nobody was able to tell me what these were for, but I suspect they will be used for some kind of occupant-monitoring system. There is plenty of space for rear-seat passengers. There are some opaque methods for opening car tailgates, but Smart's must be one of the most obscure. Hidden within the hole of the letter A of the brand name on the back is the button to release the door. Considering how much rear seat space there is, the fact that you also get 630 liters of cargo capacity with the seats up is commendable. Fold them forward, and this increases to 1,500 liters, which isn't quite so class-leading but certainly adequate for a car less than 4.7m long. There's a 72-liter frunk as well with the rear-wheel drive cars, although the all-wheel drive Brabus, Summit and Pulse have motors where this space would have been, so only offer 47 liters. The infotainment system for the #5 has matured compared to previous models. While the #1 and #3 are packed with software features, the home screen is very busy. The #5 is much more sedate and easier to navigate as a result. You still get a pet lion hanging out on the home screen (each Smart has its signature animal, with the #1 getting a fox) but it's far less active than previous cars. It's a tamer big cat. I would still have liked a few more discrete buttons for air conditioning settings, however. The Brabus version of the #5 I drove has serious grunt. By default, this car operates in Comfort mode, which still feels quick. There's an Eco mode below that for squeezing out the most range. But then there are Sport and Brabus options. Dial in the latter, and you get the full power and torque. This enables a sprint to 62mph in just 3.8 seconds. That is incredibly fast for any car, let alone a reasonably sized SUV. Most impressively, if you're doing motorway speeds there is still plenty left to go beyond the limit very quickly. Don't ask me how I know that. If you want a bit more drama to your drive, there is even a selection of fake engine noises to turn on, although only with the Brabus version. The non-Brabus #5s are still perfectly fast enough, however. Even the Pro only takes 6.9 seconds to hit 62mph, while the Pro+ and Premium require 6.5 seconds. The Pulse and Summit drop further to 4.9 seconds. This is a quick SUV whichever version you go for. The Brabus is almost too quick, and you'll probably not use Brabus mode most of the time. I saw the efficiency drop very noticeably in this mode. The handling on windy mountain roads is more engaging than most midsize electric SUVs I've tried. It's not a BMW iX, but it's definitely one of the best in class, while handling rough road services almost as well as a car with air suspension. That's a seriously impressive achievement. The Smart #5 Brabus is monstrously quick in a straight line. The electric range of Smart cars has come a long way since the EQ fortwo, which would make you nervous driving anything beyond your local urban area. The #1 and #3 are much more comfortable travelling between cities, but the #5 takes that another step further with its huge 100kWh battery. The all-wheel drive Pulse, Summit and Brabus offer 338 miles of WLTP range, while the Premium extends to 369 miles. The 76kWh battery in the Pro and Pro+ is still quite big, so delivers a reasonable 291 miles of WLTP range. I drove the Brabus for nearly five hours and 274.5 km (171 miles) at the European launch. This included a lot of steep and windy hill roads, some urban driving, and at least a couple of hours of highway. Most of this was in Comfort mode, with about 20% in Brabus mode and very little in the other two options, but my driving style was generally what you might call 'vigorous', within legal limits. My overall efficiency was 2.4 miles per kWh, implying a real-world range of 226 miles. That's not stunning, when the Tesla Model Y Performance (last generation) went further with a smaller battery when I tested it in 2023. The new version is even more efficient. The Smart #5 cars with 100kWh batteries boast incredibly quick 400kW charging. However, the #5 has another trick up its sleeve - 400kW charging, thanks to an 800V architecture. You won't find 400kW charging in many places yet, but if you do, lightning-quick replenishment is on the cards. During the launch, the car was demonstrated going from 8% to 82% in under 15 minutes. That's not really any slower than refilling with dinosaur juice, when you factor in having to go into the fuel station to pay. The LFP battery in the Pro/Pro+ only offers 150kW charging, however, thanks to having a 400V architecture. Smart hasn't finalized UK prices for the #5 yet, although UK CEO Jason Allbutt hoped to set the entry-level Pro around £40,000 ($53,500) and the Brabus 'early to mid £50,000 ($67,000)'. That would be very reasonable, particularly for the more premium versions of the car. If the #5 can be introduced at this level, it will be competitive with the Tesla Model Y and a strong contender against Chinese entrants like the BYD Sealion 7 and XPENG G6. The quality is high, the driving experience commendable, and the practicality strong. Will Smart ever return with a smaller car? Sylvain Wehnert, Head of Design Creation at Smart, says the company has been working on something called Project #2 for 18 months, but there's still no concrete date for release. Until then, Smart cars are getting bigger, and in the case of the #5, more mainstream. Judging by how many boxes the Smart #5 ticks so well, that means we could see plenty of them on the road.
