SMART WHEELS
An electric motor that’s lively and fun
SMART is back. You might remember its first incarnation in the 1990s, when it was a match-up between Swatch, which wanted to apply watchmaking design cues and manufacturing processes to the motor industry, and Mercedes parent company Daimler-Benz.
The result was the tiny Smart fortwo, and later the more generously proportioned Smart forfour (the Smart name came from the S in Swatch, the M in Mercedes, and the word ‘art’). Although it carried on until 2019 in other countries, the brand was removed from sale here some years ago. Now, in a new tie-up between Mercedes and Chinese car giant Geely, which also is behind Volvo and Polestar, the Smart returns only as an electric car.
The first model to go on sale here is the awkwardly named Smart #1 (and yes, they call it the hashtag one), in four trim and power variants. Pro, Pro+ and Premium all offer 6.7-second acceleration to 100kph, but varying range.
Pro (€37,479) comes with a smaller battery, and 310km range, while Pro+ (€41,894) and Premium (€48,332) offer 420km and 440km respectively, with the same 0100kph performance as Pro.
My test car was the top-ofthe-range Brabus (€54,170), which comes with twin rather than single motors, one on each axle, delivering a whopping 428hp and a 0-100kph of just 3.9 seconds. In almost all its mechanical detail, it is the same car as the Volvo EX30 I reviewed here last week, and it shares the irritating necessity to operate the wing mirrors by touchscreen only, rather than buttons.
That said, this is the better car, a lot more fun to drive, and a lot funkier to look at. My test car, shown here, came in red and black and, unlike the Volvo, you simply have to approach the car for the door handles to emerge, rather than tapping a credit card against the B pillar.
By the same token, the locking also is automatic when you walk away from the vehicle, very convenient if you’re lugging a heavy load from the rear bench. That, incidentally, slides back and forth to give you the option of more cargo space, and you’ll find a decent amount there anyway, with a generous hidden underfloor compartment. There’s also a frunk, or front trunk, that’s big enough to store your charging cables, leaving the rear space free for shopping, sports gear, or other items.
I don’t have a set of skis, but there is a load-through function in the rear bench, with an opening compartment that suggests you might just be able to take the car to the piste.
The cabin is decently roomy, and also really well designed and appointed. There’s a flyting arch between the front seats that contains cupholders, a wireless phone charge pad, and two USB-C sockets (there are two more in the back). This might seem obvious, but with the smaller USB inputs, you might think every carmaker would place them in easily accessible locations, but that is far from the case; in some models, I have had to kneel outside the car and fiddle around almost at floor level to get them into the socket.
Unlike the Volvo EX30, the Smart actually has a 9.2-inch instrument cluster and, in this trim level, a head-up display too. The central screen for infotainment is a large 12.8-inch unit with clear and easily controlled menus an graphics. It sits high on the fascia, which is really well designed with high quality fibreglass, and ambient lighting at night.
The driver and passenger seats are six-way electrically adjustable, and I particularly loved the soft felt covering on the steering wheel that made it feel sporty and robust.
As for the drive, well, that whoosh of acceleration is an absolute joy, and if the handling occasionally feels just a little on the skittish side, I rather liked that too, as it brings a touch of MINI-style, go-kart feel to the party.
The car will accept charge up to 150kW on public units, meaning you’ll get from 2080% in around 30 minutes at full power. At home, on a 7kW wallbox, you’re looking at about ten hours to charge from 0-100%. Brabus also adds LED+ Matrix headlights, and all models come with a generous panoramic sunroof.
As for the looks, well, I loved that two-tone paint job, with red seatbelts to match, and if the front coastto-coast LEDs look a little like the VW ID. range, that’s actually no bad thing.
A few minor quibbles aside, I really loved this car. It’s fun, it’s lively and, yes, it does what it says on the tin. It’s smart.