5 things to know about the upcoming smart #1 EV

Smart is set to enter the Malaysian market with the launch of the smart #1 (Hashtag One) electric SUV, scheduled to take place in the last quarter of the year. The smart #1 will be officially distributed by Proton New Energy Technology (Pro-Net) in the local market, which has started accepting the EV’s bookings via the Hello smart app available on Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Huawei AppGallery.

In today’s story, we will be discussing 5 important things you should know about this upcoming EV, so let’s get started.

Brand’s first EV under Mercedes-Benz-Geely JV

The "smart" car brand emerged from a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Swatch, aiming to produce small, innovative, and eco-friendly urban cars. The brand's first model, the "smart city-coupé," came out in 1998 and was tiny and cool for driving in cities. Later on, the brand evolved and introduced models like the smart ‘fortwo’ with electric technology at its core. 

In 2019, Mercedes-Benz and Geely (owner of Lotus, Volvo, and Polestar, among others) formed a joint venture to revitalise the brand's global presence with a focus on electric mobility. The smart #1 is the first vehicle produced under the said joint venture.

Offers a driving range of up to 440 km

The EV will be offered in two trims in Malaysia viz. Premium and Brabus. Powering the Premium variant is a rear-wheel drive single motor, which cranks out a maximum power of 272 PS and a max torque of 343 Nm. The motor is fed by a 66-kWh NMC battery pack that lets the EV cruise up to 440 km (on the WLTP cycle). The smart #1 Brabus gets an AWD setup and the same 66-kWh NMC battery pack, but here it offers slightly less driving range on a single charge, 440 km to be precise.

Comes in a special ‘Brabus’ version

The smart #1 Brabus is a special version of the EV designed in collaboration with Brabus, the renowned tuning and automotive performance company that has a history with the brand. The Brabus version features unique exterior and interior design elements and another electric motor at the front axle, converting the drivetrain setup into an all-wheel drive. The total system output is rated at 428 PS allowing the EV to complete the century sprint in 3.9 seconds (2.8 seconds quicker than the standard version). 

Also, the Brabus model exclusively with a range of striking two-tone colour combinations, including Matte Black (Radiant Red), Laser Red (Eclipse Black), Cyber Silver(Radiant Red), Cyber Silver(Eclipse Black), Digital White(Eclipse Black), Atom Grey-Matte(Radiant Red), Atom Grey- Matte(Atom Grey-Matte).

Holds a 5-star Euro NCAP rating

The smart #1 achieved a five-star rating in the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) crash test in 2022. The EV earned excellent scores across key safety categories, including Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Vulnerable Road Users, and Safety Assist. According to the automaker, the overall architecture of the car has been designed and developed to meet the highest industry standards. The usage of 74% high-strength steel and 19% press-hardened steel makes the smart #1 a safe EV. 

Ensuring overall battery safety protection are multiple technical safeguard measures such as high thermal stability battery core materials, heat insulation of battery modules, and structural protection of the battery packs.  

In terms of active safety technologies, the EV is equipped with adaptive cruise control, front collision mitigation, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking, door open warning system, parking assist, and highway and traffic jam assist.

A treat for tech-savvy buyers

Jointly developed by the auto-giant Mercedes-Benz, the smart #1 is no short of advanced tech features that can easily impress younger, tech-savvy buyers. It comes kitted with a 12.8-inch floating touchscreen infotainment unit supporting wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a wireless phone charger, a 10-inch head-up display, 64-colour ambient lighting system, a 13-speaker Beats sound system, keyless entry and start, and dual-zone climate control.

So, those were the five key things about the smart #1. Do you think this upcoming electric SUV will be a game-changer for EVs? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: Proton launches X90 hybrid SUV in South Africa