The new smart #1
The new smart #1
For those familiar with the smart brand of years gone by, you'd immediately picture a small compact car capable of parking in those tight spots.
However, when the new smart #1 was unveiled at the Munich Motor Show last year, their designers had quite clearly decided to head in a different direction.
Last week, we were able to get up close and personal with the new all-electric offering as it made its UK media debut at the British Motor Museum.
As a company, smart is a 50-50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Chinese car manufacturer Geely. Their goal is to position smart as a leading provider of electric vehicles, aimed towards premium customers.
Their partnership has kicked off with the launch of the all-electric smart #1.
As mentioned earlier, this direction from smart is much different from where they've been in the past. The smart #1 is still compact, but this time, it's a compact SUV, which represents a new generation of all-electric smart models.
The all-new design is sleek and dynamic. Speaking to the brand's designers, it's clear they wanted to create a 'user-centric driving experience'. The car is atheistically stunning, with 'firework' rear lights adding extra dynamism to its appeal.
The Launch Edition closely mirrors the concept smart #1 show car that was revealed in Munich last year, with only 1,000 being available across Europe as a whole. On the outside, it combines a white body and gold roof, which gives off a striking and futuristic appearance. Its 19-inch Prism alloys mirror the same design as the rest of the exterior and are equally impressive.
The five-seater #1 is similar in size to a Mini Countryman and at 4.27 metres long, its the largest Smart ever.
Exclusive interior trim colours and a two-tone leather interior highlights its upmarket character even further.
However, the focus is also aimed towards its impressive cabin space and state-of-the-art technology.
The highest level of features available on the smart #1 are included on the Launch Edition, including matrix LED headlamps, a 13-speaker Beats audio system, adaptive cruise control, fully automated parking system and wireless smartphone charging.
Customers benefit from a fully interconnected ecosystem linking the vehicle with the smart app and the cloud, allowing them to easily integrate their smart #1 into their daily lives. A customisable user interface is supported by a bespoke environment for in-car apps, featuring an intelligent avatar with AI-based voice control as a convenient companion on the move.
Equipped with an advanced fully electric powertrain, the driver benefits from an engaging experience behind the wheel, with the smart #1 delivering the thrill of seamless acceleration via 272PS (200kW) of power and 343Nm of torque.
The dynamic power delivery is complemented perfectly by the powertrain’s efficiency, expected to deliver 273 miles of range under the WLTP combined cycle (subject to certification). Where journey charging is required, the smart #1 can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 30 minutes.
Thinking of making the switch to electric?
When I spoke to Henryk Strogwasiewicz, a creative designer at smart, he couldn't pick his favourite feature of the car, he 'loved it all'.
However, when pressed, he beamed about the exterior looking sleek due to it being based on a shark’s head.
David Browne, CEO smart UK, added: ‘The smart #1 represents the start of a new era for our brand. Its comprehensive offering of outstanding design, exceptional space utilisation and connected solutions is confidence-inspiring to customers and is a strong signal of intent for our product portfolio moving forward.
‘Our Launch Edition offers customers an exclusive opportunity to be the first to experience our vision for a new generation of fully electric urban mobility when it hits the road mid-next year.’
No details in terms of cost have been announced yet, however, industry experts are expecting prices to start around the £35,000 mark.
Order books for the smart #1 in the UK will open in December this year, with an exclusive 100 Launch Edition units available ahead of first deliveries in mid-2023.
