5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE...

The name is cringey, but is the swoopier #3 down with the kids?

1 IT’S A ‘SPORTS UTILITY COUPE’

Carmakers are always trying to shove their cars into lifestyle niches. We’re not sure which lifestyle the new Smart #3 is aimed at, but it’s a small electric SUV with a swoopy roof. Smart is owned 50:50 by Mercedes and Geely, so through the magic of modern carmaking, the

2 THE YOUNG PEOPLE WILL LOVE IT

At least that’s what Smart is hoping. Every #3 comes with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen as standard, which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and all the over the air updates that you can shake a stick at. Plus the fancier specs come with a 13-speaker Beats sound system as invented by the world’s favourite physician Dr Dre.

3 PRICES WILL START FROM £33K

There are four standard specs available for the new #3 – Pro, Pro+, Premium and a limited run 25th Anniversary Edition. The range starts at £32,950 (there are no precise details from Smart on the trim levels just yet) for the Pro, £36,950 for the Pro+, £39,950 for the Premium and a punchy £45,450 for the 25th Anniversary Edition.

4 THERE’S A BRABUS ONE TOO

The info so far suggests the #3 will have the same powertrain/battery options as the #1 SUV, which means a 268bhp e-motor driving the rear wheels and a 62kWh battery offering up to 283 miles of range. Smart has confirmed a Brabus version though – with 422bhp, dual e-motors, AWD, 0–62mph in 3.7secs and 258 miles of WLTP range.

5 MORE HASHTAGS ARE ON THE WAY

The #3 will arrive in the UK by summer 2024, but keen eyed readers will have noticed the new #3 leaves a gap in the Smart range. Two more cars are said to be on the way – a Fortwo replacement in 2025 called the #2, and the #4, which will fill the gap left by the planned demise of the Merc A-Class in 2026.