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Smart #5 long-term test: report 1

Our subeditor needs a practical, comfortable electric SUV with enough range to cope with a long motorway commute and an active lifestyle

Smart #5 2026 long-term test exterior pic of original

The car Smart #5 Premium Run by Chris Haining, Subeditor

Why it’s here To find out if Smart's flagship makes sense as a do-everything electric family SUV

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Needs to Be relaxing on the commute, fun at the weekend, and effortlessly practical – with a good range

Mileage 116 List price £47,300 Best Price £45,300 Price as tested £47,300 Official range 366 miles Test range 300 miles Options Laser Red paint (no-cost option)

6 August 2026 – A Smart move?

Smart and I go way back. In a previous life, when I worked in the service department at a Mercedes dealership, the branch had a pair of Smart Fortwos that the drivers would leave at customers’ houses when collecting cars for workshop appointments.

Every now and again, I got to take one of them home, and it was always a welcome novelty. I wouldn’t have wanted to own a Fortwo, though; it had a near-rigid ride and made dual carriageway cruising noisy, while practicality was an alien concept. Fortunately, my new Smart #5 couldn't be more different from the putt-putting petrol-powered two-seat boneshakers of the brand's early days.

Chris Haining

Updated: 6 August 2026

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I've actually been looking forward to getting my hands on a #5 for rather a long time. I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to drive one on UK soil back in the autumn of last year, coming away seriously impressed. And, after further testing by the What Car? reviews team, it was agreed that the #5 merited the title of Family Electric SUV of the Year in our 2026 Car of the Year Awards.

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Smart #5 2026 long-term dashboard in brochure

As this – and its five-star rating confirms – the #5 is an extremely talented all-rounder. However, now I'm finding out if Smart's flagship model continues to dazzle when you live with it every day.

That said, my car isn't quite the same as our award winner; it's the next trim level up, and that's quite important. You see, in our recommended Pro+ form the #5 is priced to compete with the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Skoda Enyaq. But the #5 also has premium aspirations, and this is exemplified by my car's Premium trim level; the clue is in the name.

In this guise, it seeks to attract buyers from such classy conveyances as the Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX1 and Mercedes GLB Electric. So, to help, the alloy wheels grow an inch (to 20in), the front seats gain ventilation, the outer rear seats are heated, the regular sound system is swapped for a 1200watt one from Sennheiser, and the front passenger gains their own 13.0in infotainment screen. Plus, the already attractive plastic on the doors of the Pro+ is upgraded to a very fetching real oak finish. It’s all very posh.

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What doesn't change is the battery; the Pro+ already has the bigger of the two options, with a usable capacity of 96kWh. And even in my Premium car (with its bigger wheels) the official range is 366 miles – the same as for the Pro+.

That's terrific news, because my commute from the wilds of Essex to the What Car? office in Twickenham is 117 miles each way, and it's lovely to be able to complete the round trip with plenty in reserve.

I'm not wanting for power, either. The single electric motor, which drives my #5's rear wheels, spins out 358bhp, which is enough for a 6.5sec 0-62mph time. True, stepping up to Pulse trim would have added a second motor for four-wheel drive, and would have brought the 0-62mph time down to 4.9sec. However, I can’t imagine myself ever needing that much grunt, and it would have knocked the official range down by 30 miles.

The price? Well, finished in lustrous Laser Red paint (one of the two colour choices that doesn’t incur additional expense) it comes in at £47,300 – and I don’t think that’s bad value. A Q4, iX3 or GLB would be much pricier in anything like comparable spec.

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Smart #5 2025 long-term test next to BYD Sealion 5

A moment during the shoot for this story, when my car was side-by-side with the BYD Sealion 5 of our chief photographer, reinforced just how big my car is – and how much of a departure it is from Smarts of old. Indeed, the #5 seems almost as if it could carry a ForTwo in its boot, and that would be fun to attempt.

For now, though, I’m looking forward to subjecting my car to a varied regime of commuting, camping trips and outdoor adventures. All in the pursuit of finding out if it's where the smart money should go.

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