

If you remember the smart fortwo you'll know it was a very small car. One of the quirky features of this two-door, two-seater car was that it could park in tiny on-street parking sideways with its front against the curb, without jutting out. But this wasn't the only car in the range. There was a four-door version that was actually very pleasant to drive and a sporty smart roadster that was a lot of fun – especially the Brabus-tuned version.
smart is a joint venture between Mercedes Benz and Geely (who own Volvo, Polestar and Lotus). This week we finally got to see its first electric model, the smart #1. Unlike previous models, the smart #1 is a compact SUV, complete with four doors.
The new EV looks a lot like the concept model the company showed last year, except that it doesn't have those cool suicide rear doors like a Rolls Royce. Though they are still frameless and there's a halo glass roof to give plenty of light.
Despite being an SUV, this isn't a huge car. The length and wheelbase is only a little more than a Kia Soul and considerably smaller than the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5. As with previous smart models, this is aimed at a younger audience than Mercedes or Geely offer otherwise. It has a modern, clean interior with Beats speakers, a 12.8-inch touchscreen display and an app with digital key compatibility.






Importantly for an electric car, it also has solid range figures. The specs promise 260-273 miles per charge and 150kW DC fast charging to go from 10-80% in under 30mins. It's rear-wheel drive and has a 200kW motor that delivers a top speed of 112mph. This isn't going to challenge a Tesla on speed but that's not the point here.
There are plenty of advanced driving assistance features here too. The smart #1 includes highway assist, evasive maneuver assist, blind-spot detection, automatic park assist and over-the-air updates.
Price and availability are still to be confirmed but the smart #1 is expected to go in sale in the UK and Europe later this year with a price starting around £35,000 (roughly $45k/AU$61k).
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As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.
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