by Smart introduced its crossover #5 in Europe after it was shown in China last year. This Tesla Model Y-sized electric vehicle has a 100 kWh battery and a range of up to 366 miles. The company does not plan to expand its lineup of electric vehicles #1, #3, and #5 into North America. Sometimes the smartest products are not the most radical. They are the ones that have taken an existing idea and improved it, like this new crossover, which debuted this week in Europe, seven months after launching in China.
The third and largest of the new crossovers, #5 is not as clever as the original ForTwo, which accommodated two passengers in an extremely small package. However, choosing to compete with the Tesla Model Y, which remains the most popular electric vehicle in Europe and America even after sales slowed, is certainly a smart decision. At a length of 4,695 mm and a wheelbase of 2,900 mm, #5 is practically the same size as the updated model. However, it looks much more handsome, with a distinctive front end and enough rounding at the corners to give the boxy silhouette a friendly demeanor. Design details include wheel covers in the style of Rolls Royce, frameless door glass, and on the Summit Edition trim, an electric tow hitch, a roof rack, and a side step.
Under the hood of #5 lies the PMA2+ architecture from China’s Geely, which currently co-owns Smart along with Mercedes, and is also used in other Geely products such as the Zeekr 7X. This makes the #5 distinct from its smaller siblings, which rely on the smaller SEA platform and settle for 400-volt electrics, whereas #5 features 800-volt technology for faster charging. The base #5 Pro versions get an LFP battery of 76 kWh, but more expensive Pro+ versions and above upgrade to an impressive 100 kWh battery. Smart does not specify how far this vehicle can travel on a single charge, but it’s likely less than 300 miles (483 km) since the large battery requires a charge after 366 WLTP miles (589 km). Plugged into a sufficiently fast charger, it fills from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes, and like Hyundai-Kia electric vehicles, #5 has a power outlet so you can make the most of trips outdoors.
Smart has not disclosed all the technical specifications, though they claim that the more expensive Pulse and Summit Edition models with dual motors can accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds. We learned from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last year that all-wheel-drive versions combine a front electric motor of 221 hp (165 kW / 224 hp) with a rear motor of 358 hp (267 kW / 363 hp) or 416 hp (310 kW / 422 hp). The same document revealed that cheaper #5 models with a single motor and rear-wheel drive have an output of 335 hp (250 kW / 340 hp) or 358 hp (267 kW / 363 hp), although it is not quite clear whether both these fairly similar power options will be offered in Europe. But it seems you can get a single-motor system with a 100 kWh battery, and we assume this is the one that will deliver the 366-mile range. Opening the doors, the interior looks much more welcoming and less austere than inside the Tesla Model Y.
Smart boasts heated rear seats, an electric curtain, LED aircraft-style lighting, 256-color ambient light, 20 speakers from Sennheiser, and a head-up display with augmented reality on a 25.6-inch screen. You also get a three-section dashboard with a 10.25-inch digital central block and two 13-inch touch OLED displays, which feature video streaming and gaming using the Unreal 3D engine. But it’s not just about gadgets. The #5’s seats can be configured so you and your passengers can quickly relax during a charging stop, and there’s a comfy front trunk of 72 liters (2.54 cubic feet) to stash anything that doesn’t fit in the trunk, which is smaller than the Model Y. Tesla also offers a small third row of seats, but there is none in #5.
When will it go on sale? Although #5 was unveiled a year ago, Europeans will only be able to place orders in the fourth quarter of 2025, with prices expected to be announced closer to that time. But at least it’s coming. We can’t help but think this sizable crossover would have done well in the USA, but Smart has no plans to bring it or the brand to America, and Trump’s tough import tariffs mean that this stance is unlikely to change anytime soon.
