Smart Grows Up With New Midsize Electric Crossover

The Smart #5 is the biggest model in the manufacturer's history, and it's targeting heavy-hitters like the Tesla Model Y. There will be both rear- and all-wheel drive versions including a top Brabus-badged version, which is expected to have 638 hp. The #5 goes on sale in China first and it should debut in Europe in 2025. There are no plans to bring it to North America.

Smart is distancing itself even further from its roots with the unveiling of the #5 electric crossover, the biggest model to ever wear a Smart badge. It is the third new smart to be unveiled after the #1 and #3, and purely based on its size alone, it has its sights set on the Tesla Model Y.

Measuring exactly 185 inches in total length, it has an almost identical footprint to Tesla’s global best-seller. It’s entering a segment populated by other talented electric crossovers from Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Ford and others, so it needs to be special to stand out and win buyers.

We already had a pretty good idea of what the #5 was going to look like after Smart unveiled the #5 Concept, which had the production #5 body but with raised suspension and a general off-road makeover. It looks quite upright from most angles, with a more traditional SUV profile not too dissimilar from that of the slightly smaller Mercedes-Benz EQB.

It’s being pitched as an electric family crossover for outdoor enthusiasts, and it has an available Adventurers’ Collection pack that adds a roof light bar, underbody protection, a roof carrier, side steps and a ladder on the side. With this pack selected, it really does look ready to take you off the beaten path, even though it doesn’t have any extra ground clearance or mechanical changes to enhance its off-road ability.

Smart wants to highlight the #5’s interior, which is not only roomy but also packed with tech. It has 34 storage compartments in total, including a 2.5 cubic-foot front trunk and up to 54 cubic feet of space inside the vehicle if you fold the rear seats. What steals the show inside the vehicle is the huge 25.6-inch augmented reality head-up display, which complements a 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster and two high-resolution 13-inch AMOLED displays, one of which is in front of the passenger.

The infotainment animations are built using Unreal Engine, so for everything to run smoothly on all those screens, it needs a lot of processing power. That comes courtesy of an AMD V2000 eight-core integrated CPU and GPU designed for both mini PCs and automotive use.

Thanks to its 800-volt platform, the Smart #5 can quickly charge its 100-kilowatt-hour battery from 10 to 80% in 15 minutes. This gives an impressive range of 460 miles, but that’s on the optimistic Chinese CLTC test cycle. Its real-world range will probably be closer to 300-320 miles.

CarNewsChina reports that while the powertrain details are still unknown, the base versions will feature a single motor driving the rear wheels, producing 335 or 358 horsepower, and a dual-motor all-wheel drive version with 579 horsepower. The top model will have Brabus badges and increase the combined output of the dual-motor setup to 638 hp.

All #5s will be built in China, and they will go on sale there first, but Smart plans to begin sales in Europe in 2025. However, with looming increased import duties imposed on cars manufactured in China, the #5 may end up being quite expensive, and European buyers may want to stick to more keenly priced locally manufactured vehicles.