Smart #1 (2022-2023)-Details and Release Date
The curtain is raised on a new German-Chinese crossover project: the Smart #1, which will celebrate its market launch in 2022. Just how much range the electric drive will provide is still unclear, as is the price.
As consistent as the 2695 millimeter short Smart Fortwo may be in the city, in the long run the brand needs new models - for example the Smart #1 (2022) - to survive. And that's exactly what Smart is working on right now, as evidenced by official photos from the deep snow-covered test site in China. At the top of the specifications is, among other things, aerodynamics. Because Smart does not translate as "small" but rather as "chic" or "crafty," it boils down to the currently most popular design: a crossover-style electric SUV. European and Chinese customers are just as enthusiastic about it as U.S. customers. Larger than the Forfour and with a far greater range (Forfour: max. 153 kilometers), the Smart #1 (2022) is intended to attract customers where the higher-positioned Mercedes brand cannot reach - in the segment of handy compact SUVs like the Polo-based VW T-Cross. Geely is providing support for this. The Chinese group is the largest single shareholder in Mercedes with just under ten percent and holds a 50 percent stake in a new Smart joint venture. It will develop and build the successor to the current Smarts, while Mercedes will contribute the design.
This is also the case with Smart #1 (2022) and its forerunner Smart Concept #1. The developers can draw on a wide range of resources because a suitable technology basis already exists. We're talking about the SEA platform (Sustainable Experience Architecture), which was developed specifically for electric vehicles. It will also soon be used by the Group's subsidiary Volvo. The smart newcomer is not a distant dream: The market launch of the electric SUV is planned for 2022. Some details have already been confirmed, such as retractable door handles with icebreaker function, illuminated elements, and a large panoramic roof. In addition, Smart #1 (2022) will get voice control and a digital key as standard equipment. As Smart emphasizes the upscale technology level of its latest offspring, the pricing question also promises to be exciting. For comparison, the now discontinued EQ forfour last had a price tag of at least 22,600 euros. More on this topic: The Smart EQ Fortwo facelift in a driving report.