Smart #5 promises big adventures in brand’s biggest car
Smart has finally fully unveiled its #5 SUV, promising its most versatile model yet, with everything from off-road driving modes to a king-sized bed.
At 4.7 metres long, the #5 is by far the largest model yet from Smart and is set to go up against the likes of the Ford Explorer, Skoda Enyaq and Peugeot E-3008 in the mid-size family SUV segment.
After months of thinly veiled concepts and teaser images, the production ready car was revealed at an event in Byron Bay, Australia and, as expected, sticks closely to the previewed design. The #5 has a deliberately boxy style with a flat, upright front end, vertical tailgate and black cladding around the wheel arches to emphasise Smart’s positioning of it as a rugged lifestyle vehicle.
Driving home this image are driving modes that include sand, snow, mud and rocks, and a host of exterior options and packages. These include the Adventurers’ Collection, which adds a roof-mounted lightbar, powered towbar, underbody protection, roof carrier, side steps, side bag, and a ladder for that proper overlanding look.
Smart has even teamed up with mountain maker brand Trek and outdoors brand Heimplanet to produce a partner bike and tent to match the #5.
Inside, the #5 goes all-out with new high-tech features. Most notable of these are the massive array of screens. Drivers get a 10.3-inch instrument panel, supplemented with a 25.6-inch augmented reality head-up display. Across the rest of the dashboard, two 13-inch AMOLED screens take up most of the real estate, managing media, navigation and vehicle functions all with the ‘help’ of generative AI and a new digital avatar in the shape of a lion called Leo.
There’s also a built-in projector paired with a 21-speaker Sennheiser sound system which syncs with the car’s ambient lighting for what Smart calls a ‘complete audio-visual’ experience. Just what you want when you’re driving.
The leather-clad front seats feature up to 121 degrees of recline and can be adjusted to create a king-size, queen-size or single bed inside the car. When in normal seating mode, rear passengers can enjoy reclining heated seats and electric sunshades.
Smart is still keeping full powertrain details under wraps but we know that the #5 will have a two-motor all-wheel-drive setup and will come with a 100kWh battery that will charge from 10-80% in just 15 minutes. There’s no WLTP range yet but reports suggest it will be closer to 350 miles than the 460 quoted under the very different Chinese Light-duty vehicle Test Cycle.
The Smart #5 will go on sale early next year in Summit Edition and Premium+ variants, with lower-spec models featuring two-wheel-drive expected to join the line-up at a later date.
