Smart #5 review

Starting as a company that only sold physical books, Amazon’s reinvention has to be one of the most successful in history. Smart is hoping for similar success with its own rebirth as a premium electric car brand, and the Smart #5 is the third model in its crusade. 

Following the Smart #1 and Smart #3, the #5 is certainly a statement. Indeed, at 4.7m long and 1.9m wide, this electric SUV is the complete opposite of what the brand was always known for – tiny city cars. 

The thing is, throwing your hat into the premium electric SUV ring isn’t something you do lightly. Not when it’ll have to go up against the likes of the Audi Q4 e-tron, Skoda Enyaq and Tesla Model Y.

To that end, the Smart #5 is packed with tech, standard equipment and luxury materials. Is that enough to take on the best electric SUVs? That’s what we’ll find out in this review.

If you go for the entry-level Smart #5 Pro, you’ll get a 74.4kWh (usable capacity) battery and a 335bhp electric motor.

That battery brings a 288-mile official range, beating the 260 miles of the similarly priced Skoda Enyaq 60. If that’s not enough, the Pro+ and all higher trim levels have a larger 94kWh (usable capacity) battery, increasing the range to 366 miles if you stick to the rear-wheel drive versions. That edges the Enyaq 85 (360 miles) and beats the entry-level Tesla Model Y RWD (311 miles), while undercutting that rival on price. Range drops to 335 miles if you go for a #5 with all-wheel drive. The smaller battery can accept a charge at rates of up to 150kW; the bigger one can handle up to 400kW, so a 10-80% charge takes 30 minutes and 18 minutes respectively. 

Put your foot down and the #5 Pro will officially get you from 0-62mph in 6.9sec (6.5sec for the Pro+). That’s not quite as quick as the Tesla Model Y RWD, but it’s still more than fast enough to make overtaking and getting up to motorway speeds a doddle. The Pulse adds a second motor for rear-wheel drive and a total of 579hp, bringing the 0-62mph time down to 4.9sec. The #5 Brabus, meanwhile, gets 637bhp and is rapid in a straight line. Officially, it’ll sprint from 0-62mph in just 3.8sec, and we don’t doubt that at all. Planting your foot engages both motors and the instant torque pushes you into your seat with some force.

As with other Smart models, the #5’s front motor has a clutch in it, allowing the car to disengage it for greater efficiency. To that end, if you’re driving normally in Eco or Comfort mode, you’ll only be using the rear motor until you put your foot down. Sport and Brabus modes use both motors constantly. 

Every #5 offers a comfy ride, but the Pro and Pro+ are the cushiest of all, thanks to their 19in alloy wheels being surrounded by deeper tyre sidewalls than the bigger wheels of other trims. That means potholes are smoothed out even better. The suspension isn’t so soft that you end up bouncing or floating with every undulation, though; everything feels very controlled, so you won’t be jostled in your seat. Overall, the #5 is comfier than the Model Y and a match for an Enyaq with that rival’s optional adaptive suspension. 

There’s not much fun to be found in hustling the #5 through corners, but it’s surprisingly tidy and the steering is reassuringly weighty, so you can thread your way down a country road with confidence. It’s not the sharpest, with more body lean than the Enyaq, but the #5 is no less satisfying to drive.

Other than its wicked turn of speed, the Brabus version is no more of an entertainer than the lesser models. It hasn’t received any specific tuning to make it sportier – its suspension only differs in the same way as with all other four-wheel-drive #5s, being tweaked to handle the extra weight of a second electric motor.

When it comes to refinement, the #5 is impressive, with little wind and road noise, even at motorway speeds. The brakes are good too, thanks to predictable brake regeneration and a pedal that reacts naturally to your inputs. The brakes are certainly much easier to use than the Enyaq’s, which make it hard to slow gracefully to a halt.

"I find it a little bit disappointing that the Brabus version of the #5 is little more than an all-wheel-drive version with shed-loads of power. True, it’s rapid in a straight line, but that’s all." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

If you're a fan of the lofty driving position offered by SUVs, you'll be happy to know that the Smart #5 places you high above the road. 

Meanwhile, the driving position itself lines you up well with the steering wheel and pedals. It’s easy to get comfortable too, thanks to every #5 getting standard-fit electrically adjustable seats with a memory feature and adjustable lumbar support.

Thanks to the #5’s high driving position, visibility is good all around. That’s helped by slim front windscreen pillars that don’t hinder your view at junctions, and large rear windows. To make parking easier, every #5 comes with front and rear parking sensors, a system that allows the car to drive itself and a 360-degree parking camera.

The feed from that camera is displayed on a 13.0in infotainment touchscreen that sits within a fascia along the centre of the dashboard. It’s a pretty impressive system, with sharp graphics and a really quick reaction to all your prods and presses.

Our only real demerit is that everything in the #5 is controlled through touch. True, you do get some customisable shortcuts along the bottom of the screen, but even adjusting your mirrors is done through a menu on the touchscreen and physical buttons on the steering wheel.

The same can be said for the Tesla Model Y, but it’s far from ideal and makes even small changes very distracting while you’re driving along.

The #5 does come with plenty of standard features though, including DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. 

If you go for Pulse trim or above you get a second 13.0in touchscreen that sits in front of the passenger. It’s a great way to keep them entertained on a long drive or while the car is charging, with access to games, apps and films. As with the main screen, the software is quick and has sharp graphics. Smart assures us that it will turn off if the car senses the driver is distracted. There’s also the option of connecting the passenger screen to a separate pair of Bluetooth headphones, to save the driver listening to a film and becoming distracted.

Interior quality is a real #5 strong suit. Nothing feels cheap; even the hard plastics around the infotainment screen have a substantial, machined feel to them, and there are soft materials and faux-leather finishes virtually everywhere else. The #5 Brabus is enlivened further by carbonfibre trims, while Premium gets a swish deep-grained wood. Even so, the satin surfaces of entry-level Pro and Pro+ are classy enough. 

And while the default black interior colour scheme is smart on its own, the Cosmic Blue alternative costs no extra and brings much more visual contrast inside, helped by the neat yellow highlights thrown in. The Brabus adds very tactile Alcantara suede for the steering wheel and centre console.

Build quality is good too. Everything feels like it should stand the test of time, and there’s more of an upmarket vibe than in the Skoda Enyaq or Volkswagen ID 5. It’s more of a match for the Audi Q4 e-tron.

"I'm a big fan of the #5's digital driver's display because the clarity of the screen is excellent and it's easy to read. It’s handy that it can show you directions and such, but a full-screen map would be even better." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

We doubt anyone will have complaints when it comes to space in the front, with the Smart #5 offering loads of head and leg room for even those over 6ft tall. Thanks to the width of the interior, there’s loads of shoulder room so no risk of adults feeling cramped.

You won’t struggle for storage spaces in the front, with a large area underneath the centre console, a decent-sized cubby inside the central armrest, two cupholders, two wireless phone-charging slots, door bins that’ll hold a large water bottle and a decent glove box.

Rear space is very generous, too, with limo-like rear leg room that’s longer than in the Skoda Enyaq and Tesla Model Y. The #5 also comes with sliding rear seats, allowing you to prioritise rear leg room or boot space. That’s something that you can’t do in either the Enyaq or Model Y.

There’s plenty of head room, despite every #5 coming with a panoramic glass roof as standard. Reclining rear seats help to increase head room even further, so even those well over 6ft tall won’t feel cramped. 

Talking of the rear seats, they can be split in a 60/40 configuration and folded flat to give you more boot space. That's not as versatile as the 40/20/40 split you’ll find in the Model Y, but you do at least get a small ski hatch, allowing you to poke long items through from the boot without sacrificing one of the outer rear seats.

Whether you go for the rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive #5, the boot gives you 630 litres of space, which is more than the Enyaq offers. In more relatable terms, that’s more than enough space for bags from a big shopping trip or a family’s holiday luggage.

Helpfully, you also get a large underfloor space to store your charging cables plus a frunk (front boot) under the #5’s bonnet. The frunk's size varies depending on which version you go for, with rear-wheel-drive models getting 72 litres of storage and the all-wheel-drive versions 47 litres. That's not as big as the Model Y’s frunk but still a decent amount of space.

"I quite like that the #5 comes with a ‘camping mode’. It lays all the seats completely flat and gives you an open area from the boot to the dashboard." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The entry-level #5 Pro costs slightly more than an entry-level Skoda Enyaq, while the longer-range Pro+ ups the price a bit but still undercuts the Tesla Model Y RWD. The top-spec Brabus, meanwhile, starts at around the same price as the Skoda Enyaq VRS and Model Y Long Range AWD. 

Instead of offering various options packs with the #5, Smart has instead opted to offer six trim levels with varying levels of equipment, power and range, starting with the entry-level Pro model.

That version comes with the smaller, 74.4kWh (usable capacity) battery and plenty of equipment, including 19in alloy wheels, two-zone climate control, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, a powered tailgate and a panoramic glass sunroof. Pro+ gets the same equipment but with the bigger 96kWh battery.

Mid-spec Premium, which is expected to be the biggest seller, gives you even more equipment, including 20in wheels, adaptive high-beam headlights, a head-up display, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and an excellent 20-speaker Sennheiser stereo system.

Pulse and Summit Edition versions add all-wheel drive, off-road driving modes, an EV heat pump and bespoke styling, while the Brabus adds sportier styling, 21in alloys and launch control.

Charging times vary depending on which version you go for, but the bigger battery comes with the promise of up to 400kW fast charging and 10-80% in just 18 minutes. You’ll struggle to find a charger that fast in the UK, but at least you know you should get fast charging rates on any CCS charger. With a 7kW home EV charger the battery should go from 0-100% in around 13 hours. The smaller battery can charge at speeds of up to 150kW, taking it from 10-80% in 30 minutes. Smart has yet to confirm its rates on a 7kW home charger. 

The #5 scored very well for safety when Euro NCAP tested it in 2025. It performed strongly across the four main assessment areas, scoring 93% in Child Occupant protection, 92% in Safety Assist, 84% in Vulnerable Road User protection, and 88% in Adult Occupant protection. Every version comes with plenty of standard safety equipment. The list includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assist, blind-spot detection and lane-change assist. 

We don’t have reliability data for Smart or the #5 but every #5 comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty while the battery is covered by a separate eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.  

"I think it's good news that Smart has opted for lots of versions of the #5 with set equipment lists instead of adding loads of different option packs." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buy one if…

- You need an SUV with plenty of passenger space

- You’d like an electric car with a comfortable ride

- A well-built interior is important to you

Don’t buy one if…

- You prefer physical controls

- You’re looking for an exciting drive

- You want Tesla Model Y levels of boot space

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