On August 28, the smart #5 made its debut in Australia. It is learned that the smart #5 is positioned as a pure electric 5-seat medium-sized SUV and is currently the largest-sized model in the smart brand. It is designed by the Mercedes-Benz team and offers single-motor, dual-motor, and BRABUS performance versions. The new car will meet the public at the 2024 Chengdu Auto Show, complete its listing and delivery within the year, and the price will be higher than that of the smart #1. In terms of appearance, the smart #5 continues the overall “square box” outline of the concept car and retains the dot-matrix through-type front and rear LED light groups similar to the concept car. The use of the silver surround at the bumper, combined with the design of the diversion grooves on both sides, makes the whole look rather unique and completely different from the design style of other smart models currently on sale. Interestingly, the vehicle will also be equipped with a projector on the front bumper, which can project a 233-inch picture. On the side of the body, the new car adopts a relatively square shape as a whole, while adding more rounded corners. It does not adopt the exaggerated opposite door design of the concept car. At the rear of the car, the new car still has the popular through-type taillights. The overall shape design is basically the same as the front face, and the rear bumper is also painted in silver, forming a呼应 at the front and rear. In terms of size, the new car’s length, width, and height are 4705/1920/1705mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2900mm, positioned as a pure electric medium-sized SUV. In addition, the smart #5 will also provide rich vehicle expansion accessories such as outdoor adventure packages, including an X-shaped painted roof platform with a modular design, which is flexible and has future upgrade space. It can install roof tents and outdoor canopies. At the same time, there are four convenient standard mounting ports reserved on the side of the roof platform, providing more possibilities for sports cameras (GoPro) or other expansion accessories. In terms of styling, both the small backpack and the free side climbing ladder are in a square and rounded corner design, echoing the design language of the smart family. In terms of the interior, the design style of the smart #5 is completely different from other models currently on sale. The most eye-catching part of the entire center console is the 13-inch dual-connected screen running through the center console and the co-pilot. The main driver’s position will also feature a 10.3-inch LCD instrument screen and a 25.6-inch AR-HUD. The minimalist design style of the entire center console has no redundant button layout. It is expected that the area below the screen is the wireless charging panel, cup holder, and central armrest layout, and there will be a huge storage space at the bottom. The overall layout is quite traditional. In addition, capsule element designs can be seen in places such as door handles and the front central passage. At the same time, the rear seats support electric adjustment of the backrest and seat cushion. The front seats of the new car are equipped with ventilation/heating/massage and electric leg rests, and the co-pilot supports the zero-gravity seat function. In terms of power, the smart #5 is built based on the 800V architecture and offers single-motor, dual-motor versions, and BRABUS performance versions. Among them, the maximum power of the single-motor version is 250kW/267kW, the maximum power of the dual-motor version is 165kW/267kW, and the maximum power of the dual-motor of the BRABUS performance version is 165kW/310kW respectively. In terms of battery life, the smart #5 provides two battery packs with capacities of 76kWh and 100.01kWh, and the range options are 570km, 660km, 670km, 720km, and 740km. The initial product of the smart brand was the smart fortwo, a two-seat city car that has been in production since 1998 and has undergone multiple version updates. With its small and flexible features, it meets the needs of urban driving. Later, smart began to transform to electrification, launching the fortwo electric version and the forfour model jointly developed with Renault. With changes in market demand, smart began to launch SUV models and fully turned to the research and development and production of pure electric vehicles. In December 2019, Mercedes-Benz and Geely Automobile reached a cooperation and established Smart Automobile Co., Ltd. with a 50:50 share ratio, becoming the carrier for the domestic production of smart. They successively launched two models, the smart #1 and the smart #3. Both models are built based on Geely’s SEA vast platform. The styling design is handled by the design department of Mercedes-Benz, and the vehicle manufacturing is handled by Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile, a subsidiary of Geely Holdings. As the third domestic model of the smart brand and the largest-sized model under the smart brand currently, the launch of the smart #5 will improve the product lineup of the smart brand, covering small SUVs, compact SUVs, and medium-sized SUVs. However, this also proves indirectly that the sales pressure is increasing. Considering its model characteristics and brand features, there are no competing models that are fully benchmarked against it. Perhaps if MINI can launch a medium-sized SUV, that would be the real competing product of the smart #5. The launch of the smart #5 not only enriches the product line of the smart brand but also showcases the future product direction of the brand. However, in the face of the highly competitive pure electric SUV market in China, whether the smart #5 can offer a competitive guiding price is undoubtedly crucial. Entering 2024, the competition in the Chinese automotive market has become increasingly fierce. Starting with BYD taking the lead in the price war, it has triggered major Chinese automakers to follow with price reductions. This not only affects the mainstream joint venture brand market but also has a significant impact on some new force brands that have not yet established a foothold in the market, including smart. Terminal data shows that from January to July 2024, smart’s cumulative sales were 14,980 units, among which the smart #1 was 10,573 units and the smart #3 was 4,407 units.
The largest SUV in history! The smart #5 made its debut.
