Smart #1 EV crossover has been launched in China with two trim levels priced at 179,000 yuan (PKR 54.04 lac) and 230,000 yuan (PKR 65.4 lac) respectively. The vehicle will hit the Chinese domestic market in the third quarter of this year.
The Smart, small car brand was once fully owned by Daimler but is now jointly owned by Geely and Daimler. Under the partnership, the new generation of pure electric Smart vehicles are being designed by Mercedes-Benz global design team while Geely’s global R&D network is responsible for the engineering and development of the new models.
Related: Smart #1 EV by Geely and Daimler Unveiled
Unveiled earlier this month, the Smart #1 measures 4,270 mm long, 1,822 mm wide and 1,636 mm tall with a 2,750 mm wheelbase. #1 may appear to be a small crossover from the pictures but in fact its a very large car, for the sake of comparison the new Suzuki Swift that was recently launched in Pakistan measures 3,840 mm long. The Smart #1 has a single electric motor for 200 kW (272 hp) and 343 Nm on the rear axle with 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 6.7 seconds. In later stages, the Smart Brabus #1 with dual electric motors and 4WD will also be introduced.
The battery is ternary (NMC) with a capacity of 66 kWh and 535-560 km CLTC range (420-440 km WLTP). On a standard charger, battery takes 3.5 hours to charge from 10% to 80% . On a fast charger (max 150kW DC) this takes only 30 minutes. The #1 also has a Smart Pilot L2 autonomous driving system, powered by the Qualcomm 8155 chip.
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In terms of safety, the Smart #1 is offered with 7 airbags and a host of driver assistance features, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane centering assist, lane change assist, lane keeping assist and blind spot monitoring.
Smart #1 is backed by 4 years or 150,000 km warranty for the whole vehicle, and 8 years or 150,000 km for the battery. Another benefit of owning the Smart #1 in China is a 4-year road assistance. The #1 is manufactured in a new factory in Xi’an, China. Smart is planning to launch more versions of the #1 down the line, aimed at specific target audiences. Next in line are more SUVs a larger one as well as an even smaller one, a sedan, and possibly a compact MPV. The Smart #1 will hit the Chinese car market in Q3, 2022 followed by its introduction in international markets. Whereas Geely will use Proton brand to market the car in Right Hand Drive markets.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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