Test Drive Report Smart #5: SUV Instead of City Runabout

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Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

Yesterday David, today Goliath—at 4.70 meters (approx. 15 ft), the #5 becomes the largest Smart of all time. But is the SUV a big hit?

Smart is rising to a new size. When the Mercedes subsidiary adopted by Geely brings the #5 to market this summer at prices starting from 46,000 euros (52,274.40 USD), it will leave the world of small cars behind and compete at the upper end of the compact class against electric SUVs like the VW ID 4, the Renault Scénic, the Ford Explorer, or the Mercedes EQB.

And the Chinese want to break out of the city walls with it. Gone are the days when Smart still built city coupes and every trip to the neighboring town was a nerve-wracking experience. After all, with batteries of up to 100 kWh for 590 standard kilometers (approx. 367 miles) and impressive charging capabilities of ideally 480 kW in China or 400 kW here, the #5 is not only absolutely long-distance capable. Because it also has all-wheel drive and comes with rustic plastic cladding, it even sparks a bit of adventure.

Impressive in City Traffic

Here and now, however, the adventure is not the wilderness, but the city traffic of Beijing, which puts the Smart to its first test. After all, it has already been sold "at home" in China for a few weeks. Even amidst the hustle and bustle with the seven million other cars that scurry through the Chinese capital daily, the #5 performs well—even if its wheelbase is larger than the erstwhile Fortwo from bumper to bumper.

But after all, the streets here are wide, the lanes numerous, and parking is left to the staff—or to a host of assistance systems that can do more in China than almost anywhere else in the world. Time and again, cars here whir into the tightest spots driverless.

High Seating Comfort—Like a Long E-Class

Instead, you enjoy endless space more than in the #1 and #3: Unlike many classic SUVs, the size of the Smart is also evident on the inside. Built on a skateboard platform with a 2.90-meter (approx. 9.5 ft) wheelbase, it offers not only first-class seating comfort in the front row but also outshines a long-wheelbase Chinese E-Class in the second row. For good reason, they have installed a switch in the rear right, allowing the front passenger seat to be moved forward like in a chauffeur limousine. Then the footwell in the rear provides enough room for a little dance with proper distance.

Finally, you no longer have to limit yourself when shopping: The trunk alone holds 610 liters and can be expanded to 1,530 liters. There is also a pleasantly full-fledged frunk with up to 72 liters.

Acceleration Like in a Sports Car

As long as the roads are clear, the Smart is an eternal temptation, which also makes it a TV star with the police in China. Where you were once grateful for every traffic jam because someone else finally got to be the brake, you now enjoy acceleration like in a sports car—and drive with correspondingly high risk.

Because when even the base model delivers 340 hp and accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (approx. 62 mph) in 6.9 seconds, one of the ubiquitous speed cameras is almost always triggered. Especially as it continues to climb rapidly: Smart also offers the #5 with 363 or 588 hp, and Brabus takes it up a notch: Then, 646 hp and 710 Nm are listed in the vehicle registration, and the speeding only stops at 210 km/h (approx. 130 mph). Or at least it would if the limit in China wasn't 120 km/h (approx. 74 mph), and if only the suspension were a bit more communicative, the brakes had more bite, and the steering were more precise. But that's how the Chinese apparently like it, and they still have a few engineers in Europe to get the #5 on course.

Advantages in the Interior

When traffic starts to thicken within the Third Ring Road, other advantages of the #5 come to the fore. Its infotainment system, for example, which feels more mature than Mini's and doesn't aim to be as overly modern as Mercedes'. With the combination of a head-up display, a small screen behind the steering wheel, a large touchscreen over the center console, and a dedicated screen for the front passenger, it just feels coherent. The sound system, featuring illuminated speakers in the doors and a central box that springs up from the dashboard like a mushroom when turned on, boasts as much as in the S-Class. And if it's all too much, you can simply gaze through the large glass roof at the skyline, which shines in neon light after sunset.

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Is the Fortwo Coming in the Wake of the Smart #5?

While they at Smart know that they are literally putting their regular customers to a big test with the #5, the consideration is limited, as the number of regular customers has never been sufficient for a healthy profit base. To everyone else, they offer the #5, an electric SUV that is not only cheaper than many competitors and especially the models from the now-distant sister in Stuttgart but is also better—and thus could indeed become a major success.

Moreover, they have not forgotten where they come from—they continue to bravely calculate a successor for the Fortwo. And the better the large model sells, the greater the chances for the small one should be.

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