New Smart #5: biggest Smart car ever gets 367-mile range

• All-new electric SUV is Smart’s biggest car yet
• 100kWh battery delivers up to 367 miles of range
• Rapid-charging speed of up to 400kW

It’s not unusual for car makers to dabble outside of their usual territory, but few cars represent a bigger change in direction than the new Smart #5. The electric SUV couldn’t be any more different to the teeny city cars that launched the brand to global fame, with space for five passengers, a dual-motor setup and plenty of kit for off-road adventures.

It’s the German-Chinese brand’s largest car to date, and packs the latest EV technology to give it an edge against the Tesla Model Y and Audi Q4 e-tron. The key spec-sheet highlight is the #5’s capability to charge at an impressive 400kW DC – the highest charging speed of any electric car you can buy in Europe.

What do I need to know about the new Smart #5?

Forget Smart’s city cars of old – the #5 is a big car. At 4,705mm long, it’s comparable in size to mid-size SUVs such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Mercedes GLC – or over two metres longer than the last Smart ForTwo.

From the outside, the Smart #5 wears a much squarer look to its two siblings, the Smart #1 and Smart #3. There’s still a light bar spanning across the upright front end, but the headlights are oblong in shape – a motif that’s repeated at the rear. There are some shared features, however, including the panoramic sunroof and the frameless doors. The wheels even get a ‘floating’ centre cap, which keeps the Smart logo upright while the wheels are turning.

Elsewhere inside the #5’s cabin, you’ll find a 10.3-inch digital driver’s display alongside two 13-inch screens for infotainment and the front-seat passenger. It’s a vast digital setup, but Smart has still managed to squeeze in some oak trim and ambient lighting. You get heated leather seats all-round, plus a 72-litre front boot and up to 1,530 litres of rear cargo space with the seats folded.

What are the important battery, performance and range specs?

Smart has confirmed that the #5 will be offered with either a 76kWh battery in the entry-level Pro model, or a 100kWh battery for higher trim levels. The former can deliver up to 289 miles of range, while the bigger pack will return up to 367 miles. That’s not quite enough to land it on our list of the longest-range electric cars, but it’s still more than the #1 and #3 can muster.

All but the entry-level #5 benefit from a hi-tech 800-volt electric architecture. This has allowed Smart to boost charging speeds all the way up to 400kW, making it the fastest-charging EV you can buy at the moment. A 10 to 80% top up is said to take as little as 18 minutes, giving you just enough time for a flat white and a loo break before hitting the road again. You get vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, too, meaning you can run electric appliances from the #5’s battery – handy for camping trips.

The entry-level car gets a 335bhp single motor driving the rear wheels, giving it enough grunt to hit 62mph in 6.9 seconds. Mid-tier models get a 358bhp motor instead, dropping the acceleration time to 6.5 seconds, while the top-spec models get a 579bhp dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup. This is substantially faster, launching from 0 to 62mph in 4.9 seconds – half a second quicker than a Volkswagen ID.4 GTX.

What trim levels are available for the Smart #5?

The Smart #5 range kicks off with the Pro model. This is the only version to get the smaller 76kWh battery, and it misses out on the trick 800-volt electric tech and the 400kW charging. For the bigger battery and faster charging, you can upgrade to the Pro+ or the Premium models. All three use the single-motor, rear-wheel drive setup.

For all-wheel drive, you’ll need to upgrade to either the Smart #5 Pulse or Summit Edition. Along with the added traction of all-wheel drive, you get a unique drive mode system with Adaptive, Sand, Snow, Mud and Rock settings, plus useful tech like a range-boosting heat pump.

The Summit Edition has been designed with adventurous customers in mind – it includes a roof-mounted light bar, underbody protection, an electric tow hitch, a large roof rack, side steps, side bags and a side-mounted roof ladder. You can even fold all of the seats flat to create a king-sized bed, so forget about fiddling with tent pegs and poles.

All that kit does come at a weight penalty, though, as the #5 Summit Edition tips the scales at a dizzying 2,370kg – over three times as heavy as the original Smart ForTwo.

How much does the Smart #5 cost and when can I buy one?

Smart has only confirmed European pricing for the #5 so far, which stands at €45,900 for the entry-level Pro model. When it reaches our shores, we’d expect it to start from around £40,000, pushing closer to £55,000 for the top-spec Summit Edition.

New Smart #5 exterior and interior images

PreviousNext

1/18View Gallery

You can find the latest new and used Smart deals on our sister site Auto Express