Smart car returns as a mid-size electric crossover

Does every new version of a car have to be bigger than the one before it? Smart seems to think the answer is, “Yes!” And it’s launched a new, five-passenger electric crossover in Australia that it thinks will be able to take the fight to Tesla’s best-selling Model Y.

Smart arrived on the automotive scene as a joint-venture between funky plastic watch brand Swatch and Mercedes-Benz that hoped to sell ultra-compact city cars with swappable plastic body panels that would, in theory, make it easy for young urbanites to customize their cars.

Despite its first cars being objectively terrible (seriously, that 1-2 shift would nearly put you through the windshield), the company seems to still be around, and its latest vehicle – the all-new smart #5 Summit Edition and #5 Premium+ models that made their world premiere in Byron Bay, Australia, this weekend – has ditched the funky microcar concept entirely in favor of more conventional styling, a high-tech interior, and its sights set firmly on the automotive mainstream.

Interior upgrade

The new #5 features room for five adults, some cargo, and an approachable, chunky off-road style that’s sure to be popular, if not groundbreaking. And, for their part, the smart guys seem pretty proud of the thing.

“We are delighted to present our first-ever mid-size premium SUV, the all-new smart #5, to the world,” says Dirk Adelmann​, CEO smart Europe. “With this new vehicle, we are expanding into a new market segment, reflecting our commitment to quality, innovation, and addressing the evolving needs of our customers … this vehicle represents not only a new level of premium for smart but also an opportunity to explore new possibilities in the realm of electric mobility.”

The biggest smart yet

Adding to the off-roader aesthetic, the smart #5’s exterior features a roof light bar, an electric trailer hitch, and an optional “Adventurers’ Collection” package that includes underbody protection, a roof-mounted carrier basket, running boards, a side bag, and even an fire escape-style ladder to reach your overland gear more easily.

Gotta have a ladder

Smart is really selling the outdoorsy lifestyle with the new #5, too. Beyond the Adventurers’ Collection, the #5 offers buyers the ability to adjust all seats to create a king-size, queen-size, or single sleeping space inside the cabin. The smart #5 also offers 34 storage compartments, a 72-liter frunk, and up to 1,530 liters under the hatch to help you feel at home while you’re camping out, too.

The smart #5 features an 800V, 100 kWh battery with a “super-charging function” (4C) that enables charging from 0 to 70% capacity in just 15 minutes. The #5 is good for up to 740 km (over 450 miles) on the CLTC cycle. No word yet on price, but smart executives floated an entry-level price under 50,000 euros at Auto China.

Electrek’s take

While I absolutely hate the fact that every carmaker is turning its iconic brands into five-passenger crossovers (and if you don’t think that’s happening, ask yourself what a Mitsubishi Eclipse or the latest “Mach” Mustang looks like these days), I fully understand that the car business is a business, and if you want to move the metal in today’s market, you need to be selling crossovers.

I don’t like it, but it is what it is. Smart will sell more of these than they did the OG ForTwo.

SOURCE | IMAGES: smart.