SMART HASHTAG FIVE: THE 348-MILE ALL-ELECTRIC OFF-ROADER HAS ARRIVED
Smart has unveiled the official #5 production car, and the mid-sized electric SUV’s 348-mile range matches that of the rangiest Tesla Model X, while sporting an adventure-ready cabin crammed with tech.
Initially, there are two versions available: Summit Edition and Premium. Both get a panoramic roof, frameless doors and stubby overhangs, typical of Smart design language. The wheelbase is just shy of three metres, in this 4.7m-long motor – that's Honda CR-V territory, and at the biggest end of 'mid-sized'.
Impressively, Smart has kept some of the cooler styling features of the concept. It gets a roof light bar and electric trailer hitch. Meanwhile, an exclusive Adventurers’ Collection package offers front and rear skid plates, a roof carrier, a side bag, a ladder and side steps.
As with the Smart #1 and #3, the all-electric powertrain sits on a familiar 800-volt architecture, meaning the 100kWh battery recharges 10-80 per cent in half an episode of Colin From Accounts. We’re told there are five on- and off-roading driving modes, including snow, mud and rocks. At this point, Smart hasn't released any key performance figures though.
Inside, there’s space. Not just physical room, but a NASA-inspired theme we’re impatient to try. The ‘zero-gravity’ front seats (covered in real cow) recline up to 121 degrees, plus all the seats can be adjusted to create a single, king- or queen-size, er, 'sleeping space' (that's 'put-me-up' to you and us) in the cockpit. Sounds like a lesson in levitation.
Then there’s the screens: a 25.6in augmented reality head-up display, a 10.3in full-colour instrument cluster and two 13in super fancy dash screens – all powered by a meaty AMD V2000 computer chip and the gaming-graphics-centric Unreal Engine. There’s generative AI voice control support, internet connectivity and a lion mascot to guide you through the controls – basically, the 21st century’s answer to Mr PaperClip.
A choice of 256 colours for the ambient lighting, a built-in projector and 21-speaker Sennheiser Signature Sound System (peaking at 2,000W output) create the ‘Entertainment Suite’, which the ambient lightning can be programmed to respond to.
Finally, a 220V power socket in the boot gives some serious vehicle-to-load charging of your devices away from home. And if you’ll be away from home a fair bit - we're now thinking 'Cardrobe' - you’ll be able to make adequate use of the 34 storage compartments of the Smart #5, over and above the 72-litre front boot and 1,530 litres of luggage space.
The Smart #5 will be available in Europe from the beginning of 2026.