Would you buy a German-designed and engineered compact electric SUV that’s made in China and sports a brand name once known for its pioneering microcars?

Luxury car importer and distributor LSH Auto thinks you will and has partnered with Smart to relaunch the brand in Australia.

LSH Auto claims to be the world’s largest Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles retail group with more than 320 retail outlets internationally and nine in Australia, including the brand’s showcase Mercedes-Benz Lifestyle facility at Breakfast Creek in Brisbane.

The company is now also the sole importer and distributor of the new Smart range in Australia, which comprises the Smart #1 and Smart #3.

By the way, the hashtag is articulated as parts of the cars’ naming convention and the ‘s’ in Smart is meant to be lower case, but we’re sticklers for writing mechanics here.

Some readers will recall that Smart was sold here between 2003 and 2015 under the auspices of Mercedes-Benz Australia.

The specialist microcar brand was best known for its tiny two-seat Smart Fortwo and only slightly larger Forfour models, along with the stylish Smart Roadster, all of which were powered by internal combustion engines.

In this latest incarnation, Smart has moved to electric propulsion and the brand is now a 50:50 joint venture (JV) between Mercedes-Benz and Chinese automotive giant Geely, whose other brands include Volvo, Proton, Lotus, Lynk & Co, Polestar and Zeekr.

The new generation of Smart cars are designed in Germany but manufactured in China using Geely’s EV-specific SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture), with Smart understandably keen to play up the connection between itself and the German luxury car maker as a key point of difference.

Among the contingent of Chinese and German executives on hand at the Australian launch was Kai Sieber, Head of Design for Smart at Mercedes-Benz Design, who told journalists the new Smart cars were designed in the same studios as Mercedes-Benz models, using many of the same personnel, and incorporated some Benz-like styling attributes.

The new JV is also seeking to leverage Smart’s status as an established global brand and appears to be making solid progress.

The Smart #1 is described as a premium e-segment SUV.

Two years into the brand renewal the joint-venture has delivered two new models, more than 100,000 vehicles, and is available in over 30 countries, with Australia the latest stop on its global rollout.

A third model, the Smart #5 was also revealed to global media at the Australian launch of the #1 and #3 but that premium mid-size SUV isn’t due to here until early 2025.

Smart #1

The #1 is the first product of the new Smart era.

Launched in Europe April 2022, it’s described as a premium e-segment urban SUV, with a focus on Mercedes-Benz design, advanced connectivity, and being a comfortable, practical space for youthful families.

It boasts more boxy, upright SUV styling than its stablemate the #3, which launched the following year and is described as a sportier, crossover-style C-segment SUV.

Both Smart models are based on identical EV underpinnings and the grade walk is identical for both models, beginning with the Pro+, rising to Premium, and ending with a high-performance Brabus variant.

That means design is really the key differentiator between a #1 and a #3.

The standard drivetrain for both is a 66kWh battery and single electric motor sending outputs of 200kW/343Nm to the rear wheels.

There is, however, a difference in range and charging capacity between the entry-level Pro+ and the mid-spec Premium, and between the #1 and #3 due to the superior aerodynamics of the latter.

Price-wise, the #1 Pro+ is the most affordable way into the new Smart range with its sticker price of $54,900 (MRLP), which rises to $58,900 (MRLP) for the Premium, and tops out at $67,900 (MRLP) for the feisty #1 Brabus.

The #1 Pro+ boasts up to 420km of range on the WLTP standard and 0–100km/h performance of 6.7 seconds.

Stepping up to the Smart #1 Premium brings no more pace but an additional 20km of range (440km WLTP) thanks to the inclusion of a silicon carbide invertor and heat pump.

A three-phase onboard charger also endows the mid-spec #1 Premium and top-spec #1 Brabus variants with faster 22kW AC charging capability, where the entry-level Pro+ is restricted to 7.4kW AC charging. When it comes to DC high-speed charging all six Smart variants are capable of charging at up to 150kW.

The Smart #1 Brabus ups the ante over its single-motor stablemates, adding dual electric motors, all-wheel drive grip and V8-like 315kW/543Nm outputs.

Together, this drops the pocket rocket’s 0–100km/h acceleration time to a rapid 3.9 seconds, despite its hefty 1,900kg kerb weight, while still maintaining a respectable claimed range of 400km (WLTP).

The exterior design of all three #1 variants is slick and well executed, with smooth, clean body surfacing and what design chief Kai describes as “full volume, sexy proportions.”

Concealed electronic doors handles, Matrix LED headlights, a floating roof, and attractive 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels are among the #1’s notable design attributes.

It’s just as stylish on the inside, too, with a floating centre console, minimalist design and large 12.8-inch touch screen display providing access to most vehicle functions including standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

As you’d expect, there’s a notable improvement in the quality of materials and finishes as you step up through the range.

All #1 variants ride on a 2750mm wheelbase which is slightly longer than rival the Polestar 2 (2735mm), helping deliver a decently spacious five-seat cabin layout with up to 421 litres of luggage space, expanding to 986 litres with the rear seats folded. The second-row seats feature a 60:40 split fold function and the ability to slide by up to 13cm to expand boot space when the seats are in use, and there’s a modest 15-litre frunk (front trunk).

Search and compare new cars

All #1 variants are also impressively well equipped, with the Pro+ offering a panoramic sunroof, ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), heated seats, a 360-degree surround camera, intelligent voice assistance, LED lights and a powered tailgate.

The $4000 more expensive #1 Premium builds on these features by adding a Beats sound system, Head-Up Display (HUD), CyberSparks+ Matrix LED headlights and Automatic Parking Assist (APA). The Premium also offers an extra 20km of range but no additional performance over the Pro+.

Buyers looking for more dash and styling differentiation will need an additional $9000 over the Premium to step into the range-topping #1 Brabus, which brings all the fruit, and some. Brabus specific design cues include more aggressive styling, bonnet vents, contrast paint and 19-inch Dynamo wheels. Inside, there’s an Alcantara-clad steering wheel, microfibre suede seats and Brabus-embossed headrests, along with eye-catching red seatbelts and metal pedals.

The Brabus also gains lower profile 20-inch wheels and tyres (versus the standard 19s of other variants) and an additional performance driving mode, selectable via a steering wheel mounted button or central touch screen. But it’s the impressive outputs of the #1 Brabus’ dual motor electric drivetrain and its blistering pace that will hold the most appeal for driving enthusiasts.

Infotainment software

Smart claims the human-machine interface of its new models has been developed in partnership with software and hardware integration specialists ECARX, with a view to delivering one of the most advanced infotainment platforms available.

Central to this goal is the use of advanced computer chip technology – specifically Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8155 intelligent chipset with 7nm process technology and an eight-core CPU processor – which the car maker claims is the strongest mass-produced car-level chip presently on the market.

The touch screen features shortcut icons to the most popular vehicle functions, including a one-click drop-down menu for the most frequently used vehicle controls, and split screen functionality for simultaneous camera-view and navigation.

The native (inbuilt) mapping wasn’t functional on any of the vehicles at launch, but Smart representatives suggested this would soon be resolved.

Despite this, after a day at the wheel of the full range of #1 and #3 model variants, we found some of the basic in-screen functions, such as side mirror adjustment, to be unnecessarily distracting.

Both the #1 and #3 also feature quirky cartoon-like graphics and avatars as part of the infotainment system. It’s apparently a nod to Smart’s history of being a youthful, fun brand, but the ‘gamification’ of such critical vehicle systems won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Smart says the AI Assistant avatars – a fox for the #1 and a cheetah for the #3 – are the personification of the car, but they don’t seem to do a great deal other than look quirky.

The avatars pop up occasionally within certain selections, such as the heating and cooling screen where the sight of a cartoon cheetah cooling itself under a fan is certainly different.

Smart #3

The Smart #3 follows an identical grade walk to its #1 stablemate but each of its three variants are $3,000 more expensive, starting at $57,900 (MRLP) for the Pro+, rising to $61,900 (MRLP) for the Premium, and a topping out at $70,900 (MRLP) for the Brabus.

The #3 underpinnings and drivetrains are identical to the #1, meaning the standard package for Pro+ and Premium is the 66kWh battery and single electric motor sending outputs of 200kW/343Nm to the rear wheels, while the Brabus gets the more powerful dual motor drivetrain with 315kW/543Nm outputs.

However, the #3 has slightly better range and performance than the #1, thanks to its lower ride height and slipperier body design.

The #3 Pro+ boasts up to 435km of range on the WLTP standard, an increase of 15km over the equivalent #1, and is almost a second quicker from 0–100km/h at 5.8 versus 6.7 seconds.

The #3 Premium matches the acceleration of the #3 Pro+ but adds an additional 20km of range (up to 455km WLTP), which is an extra 15km over the equivalent #1.

As with the #1, AC charging is also slower (7.4kW) on the #3 Pro+ than on the Premium and Brabus with their silicon carbide invertor and heat pump enabling up to 22kW AC charging.

The #3 Brabus shaves a further 0.2secs off the 0–100km/h time of the already rapid #1 Brabus to stop the clock at a blistering 3.7 seconds and take the mantle as the fastest Smart available, while

maintaining a still respectable range of 415km (WLTP).

By way of comparison, that makes the #3 Brabus not quite as quick as a Tesla Model 3 Performance (2.99secs) but neck and neck with a Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8.

Dimensionally, the #3 is 130mm longer, 20mm wider and 80mm lower than the #1, and rides on a 35mm longer wheelbase.

The Smart #3 is more expensive across all variants compared with the #1.

The longer wheelbase should translate to a roomier cabin but its lower roofline and seating position plus reduced headroom makes the cabin feel snugger than the #1.

Despite this, its luggage capacity of 370 litres with the seats upright, or 1,160 litres folded, is superior to the #1.

Like its stablemate, it also has a 15-litre frunk.

Stylistically, the #3 features a classic coke-bottle shape in side view, with a more dynamic roofline than the boxier Smart #1, and a strong ‘shark nose’.

Large wheels, a prominent spoiler and a rear diffuser underscore the model’s more sporting intent, while eye-catching slimmed-down headlights are connected by a wide light-line that’s repeated at the rear.

Smart design chief Sieber describes the #3 as a “confident, athletic, (and) aerodynamic design,” while acknowledging that the fastback silhouette and certain other angles bear a more than passing resemblance to some contemporary Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

The Smart #3’s smooth, flowing exterior design is carried over to its interior which is described as “futuristically premium”.

A swooping centre console flows up into a sculpted dashboard which houses the same 12.8-inch touch screen found in the #1, running the same graphics and software package except for the avatar, which in this case is a leopard.

Tasteful design details abound, including chrome-finished turbine-shaped air vents that look to have come straight from the Mercedes-Benz parts catalogue, Smart logos on the back of the integrated front seat headrests, and etched Smart logos on the top edge of the flush-fit exterior door handles.

Equipment levels for the #3 mirror the relevant #1 variants, including seven airbags and a comprehensive list of standard safety equipment, plus the latest high-tech technologies including ADAS and semi-autonomous driving.

The Smart pilot assist ADAS package on both models includes adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function, lane keeping assist, blind-spot detection, traffic sign recognition, lane change assist, highway assist with lane change assist and traffic jam assist.

The #3 Premium and Brabus variants also get automatic parking assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.

Neither car has an ANCAP rating at this stage but the Smart #1 was awarded a five-star rating in the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) crash test and an LSH Auto spokesperson said both models will be submitted for ANCAP testing.

On the road

We spent a half day at the wheel of all six Smart variants and can confirm that the driving experience for both #1 and #3 is impressive, with the typical quiet and rapid acceleration that characterises EV driving, and dynamics that feel suitably polished and resolved. At least as far as we could tell.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a particularly illuminating drive route and we were cycled through the cars every 20–30km which meant there wasn’t enough time or driving variety to get a decent feel for the subtle differences between models.

That said, the #3 feels to have a dynamic edge over the #1 thanks to its lower ride height and the driver sitting lower in the cabin and closer to the road.

But the #1 has perfectly acceptable dynamics and is the easier of the two to step in and out of, thanks to its higher roof, higher ride height and higher seating position.

It also offers superior rear seat accommodation but both Smart models are quite compact and their cabins are on the narrow side, meaning larger-framed types will find them tolerable but not exceptionally roomy.

The console area in each provides a lidded centre cubby with cooling function, twin cupholders, a wireless phone charging pad with twin USB-C sockets, plus large door map pockets, but there’s not an abundance of storage spots for wallets, keys and the like.

On both models there’s the usual annoying chimes and alerts from the various ADAS systems to tell you to get back in your lane or to pay attention, but that’s par for the course with modern vehicles and the Smarts are better resolved in this regard than some other Chinese-made vehicles we’ve driven.

Let us do the work finding your next new car

There’s a discernible difference in interior trims and finishes as you step up through the grades, with the materials used looking and feeling incrementally better, starting with an unusual fabric dash finish on the Pro+ and working up to artificial leather and ultimately full Nappa leather on the Brabus.

As is the current trend in automotive interior design most of the traditional switches and switchgear has been eliminated, with the physical switches replaced by digital controls in the central touchscreen.

That includes adjustments for things you might want to adjust on the move, such as regenerative braking and power steering weighting, as well as frequently used features like wing-mirror and air-con adjustments.

Despite Smart’s claims to have worked with leading HMI specialists on the interface, the frustrations experienced in trying to adjust various settings while driving only served to highlight that such systems are often more distracting and less intuitive than physical switches.

Another example of this form-over-function approach is the main instrument panel which is a narrow and wide horizontal screen that’s set low and is not as easy to see or read as a conventional instrument pod. This issue is mitigated to some extent on the Premium and Brabus variants which have a HUD as standard.

Naturally, the Brabus variants feel significantly quicker than their Pro+ and Premium stablemates, delivering gut-shifting acceleration on demand, and they offer suitable visual differentiation in terms of exterior styling and interior trims.

These models also ride on lower-profile 245/40R20 tyres and rims, versus the slightly more forgiving 245/45R19 tyres of the Pro+ and Premium models, so the ride is firmer and steering responses quicker.

The final verdict

As the latest in a wave of new EV arrivals the Smart #1 and #3 drive straight into fiercely contested waters against the likes of the Volvo EX30, BYD Atto 3, MG4 and forthcoming Zeekr X, to name just a few.

As such, it’s unlikely to find the going easy.

However, with its sophisticated design, the established brand recognition of Smart, and the powerful connection to the revered Merecedes-Benz brand, it can arguably hit the ground harder and faster than some lesser-known Chinese brands which need to start from scratch in terms of building a brand identity.

The fact Smart is backed by the giant LSH organisation also may give it an edge over rival EV startups using less traditional distribution methods.

LSH is a multibillion-dollar global giant specialising in prestige vehicle sales, service and distribution and looks to have the requisite experience, facilities and capital to properly position and market the Smart brand locally.

Certainly, the Smart #1 and Smart #3 did not look at all out of place in the company’s glistening Breakfast Creek facility, sitting alongside an array of pricey Mercedes-Benz and AMG vehicles.

No doubt part of Smart’s strategy will be to appeal to existing customers of these brands looking for a second of third car as a city runabout.

It is capital city residents on the east coast who will be the focus of Smart’s initial marketing push, with individual Smart dealerships in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

A spokesperson for LSH Auto acknowledged that for buyers outside of these locations there won’t be adequate servicing support initially.

The new vehicle warranty of five years or 150,000km is on the short side by current best practice standards, with a separate eight years or 150,000km warranty covering the electric-drive motor, controller, and vehicle control, plus a battery ‘state of health’ equal to 70% of capacity when new.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 20,000km and the company is working on extended interval service plans, the details of which have not yet been announced.

The first Smart cars are due to begin deliveries to customers in September with LSH stating it has enough stock on hand to satisfy initial demand projections, and plenty of additional supply from Geely’s Chinese factory to avoid delays with future orders.

Given that the individual variants of each model are basically identically equipped and specified, the decision about which Smart is right for you will come down to a question of styling.

Some buyers will prefer the higher seating position and extra roof height of the Smart #1, while others will gravitate to the lower, sportier looks and slightly better range and performance of the #3. In either case, if performance is a primary focus, and the extra bucks don’t deter you, then the Brabus variants will happily scratch that itch.

Key stats

• PRICE (MRLP): Smart #1 Pro+ $54,900, Premium $58,900, Brabus $67,900; Smart #3 Pro+ $57,900, Premium $61,900, Brabus $70,900 (MRLP)
• WARRANTY: Fiveyears or 150,000km (vehicle); eight years or 150,000km (high-voltage battery)
• POWERTRAIN: Smart #1 and #3 Pro+ and Premium 66kWh battery, single electric motor, rear wheel drive (200kW/343Nm); Smart #1 and #3 Brabus 66kWh battery, dual electric motors, all-wheel drive (315kW/543Nm)
• RANGE (WLTP): Smart #1 Pro+ 420km, Premium 440km, Brabus 400km; Smart #3 Pro+ 435km , Premium 455km, Brabus 415km
• ANCAP CRASH RATING: Five stars
• ENERGY CONSUMPTION (WLTP): Smart #1 Pro+ 17kWh/100km, Premium 16.7kWh/100km, Brabus 17.9kWh/100km; Smart #3 Pro+ 16.8kWh/100km, Premium 16.3kWh/100km, Brabus 17.6kWh/100km
• FOR: Sophisticated design, strong performance, quality materials and finishes, decent range.
• AGAINST: No spare wheel (tyre repair kit); price versus ICE and some EV rivals; distracting touchscreen system.