Smart invests big and launches a new electric SUV in the same size class as the Tesla Model Y and Volvo XC60. The newcomer charges super fast – but suffers penalty charges.
Smart has launched a new electric car model that is a far cry from the two-seater microcar of the 1990s. The newcomer is as long as the Volvo XC60 and almost 2.2 meters longer than the first generation Fortwo.
Smart #5, as the new model is called, will be launched in Europe in early 2025 and means that Volvo’s sister brand in the Geely group is ahead with a fully electric SUV in the medium-sized SUV segment. One of the competitors will be the Tesla Model Y.
Technically, the Smart #5 stands out with optional 800-volt technology and a large 100 kWh battery pack. Buyers can choose between rear- or all-wheel drive and engine power of between 340 and 646 hp.
There is no official range figure according to the WLTP driving cycle. But the car must be able to be quickly charged with a full 400 kW, which in that case means 10-80 percent in just a quarter of an hour. The on-board charger can handle 22 kW as standard.
– With this model, we are expanding into a new market segment, says Smart’s European manager Dirk Adelmann.
The prices are not official, but as long as the car is built in China, it will be affected by the EU’s punitive tariffs on electric cars, which are a total of 29.9 percent for the Geely group.
