Smart #1 review

The Smart #1 represents the start of a radical new era for a company best known for those tiny two-seat city cars you see taking advantage of impossibly small parking spaces.

A few years ago, Smart’s original owner, Mercedes, signed a 50/50 partnership with Chinese car maker Geely to reinvent the brand as an electric car specialist with an entirely new line-up of models.

The Smart #1 – which you're supposed to call the “Smart Hashtag One” – is the first product of the joint venture. As you can probably tell from the photos, it's not another tiny city car. In fact, this small electric SUV is a similar size to the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia EV3 and Jeep Avenger Electric.

Smart #1 video review

Does the Smart #1 deserve to become as popular as a viral tweet? Or is it as bang on trend as MySpace? That's what we'll tell you in this review.

Read on as we find out how it stacks up against the best electric car rivals in all the important areas. Or, if you're interested in a sleeker, coupé version of the model, see our Smart #3 review.

The entry-level Smart #1 has a 268bhp electric motor driving its rear wheels and is quicker than direct rivals. In our tests it sprinted from 0-60mph in just 5.8 seconds.

For context, the similarly priced BYD Atto 3, Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV3 Long Range managed the sprint in about 7.5 seconds, while the Jeep Avenger Electric and Alfa Romeo Junior took around 8.5.

The performance-focused #1 Brabus adds a second electric motor driving the front wheels. That gives it four-wheel drive and a big jump in power to 422bhp. The 0-62mph time drops dramatically to 3.9 seconds, so it's as fast as an Audi RS3. It feels brutally quick and builds speed so effortlessly it's hilarious.

For similar pace among electric SUVs you’ll need to look at the GT version of the Kia EV6 or the Tesla Model Y Performance – and both are much more expensive.

Whichever version you go for, the #1 gets a 62kWh (usable capacity) battery. That gives the Pro+ model an official range of 260 miles, while the Premium – which has a slightly more efficient motor – can officially manage 273 miles. That’s respectable, but nowhere near as impressive as the EV3 Long Range, which can manage up to 375 miles (depending on trim level).

In our summer real range test, a #1 Premium travelled 245 miles before running out of juice – that’s 30 miles further than the Atto 3 went on the same day. The #1 Brabus, which is heavier, has an official range of 248 miles, but we suspect you’ll see more like 170 to 210 miles in normal driving.

Impressively, the #1 can tow up to 1600kg, the same as our electric Tow Car of the Year – the Kia EV6.

Around town the #1 exhibits a slightly choppy low-speed ride, but on faster A-roads and motorways it settles down. True, it's never as serenely smooth as an EV3, but comfort is roughly on a par with a Kona Electric and Avenger Electric, and way better than you’ll find in an Atto 3.

The exception is the #1 Brabus, which gets stiffer suspension and grippier tyres to help it deal with all that extra power and improve agility. The upside is fractionally better body control, but the trade-off is a busy low-speed ride that struggles to completely settle down, even at higher speeds.

The lighter and sharper Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce is a lot more fun on a country road, and sportier petrol-powered SUVs – such as the VW T-Roc R – handle with far more finesse. Indeed, we'd swerve the Brabus completely and stick with one of the non-performance models.

All #1s have precise steering with a reassuring weighting if you select the heaviest setting on the infotainment touchscreen (the other settings are a bit light for anything other than town driving). You have to push hard through a series of bends to make the #1 lose any of its composure.

Refinement is good. There's a touch more road noise on motorways than in an EV3 or Kona Electric, but wind noise is just as well contained. The occasional suspension thump at low speeds disturbs the peace inside but there’s no electric motor whine.

The braking is the only real weak spot, with the sharp brake pedal causing it to slow quickly with even a light touch.

You can also slow down through regenerative braking, with the stronger of the two settings able to bring the car to a halt, allowing for one-pedal driving. However, the delayed and inconsistent response takes some getting used to when you lift off the accelerator pedal, making for jerky progress.

“The #1 Brabus is fractionally sharper than the regular version, but because it has so much more power it struggles to retain its body movements when you really start pressing on.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

By SUV standards, you don't sit far from the road in the Smart #1, but otherwise the driving position is tough to fault. There’s plenty of steering and electric seat adjustment (including adjustable lumbar support) to help you get comfortable, and the seat supports you in all the right places.

Visibility is good, thanks to upright, slender windscreen pillars and a low dashboard. You get a clearer view over your shoulder and out of the back than in a Kia EV3 or Peugeot e-2008 thanks to larger side windows and a taller rear windscreen.

Impressively, all versions of the #1 come with front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree bird's eye view camera to help with parking.

The 9.2in digital driver's display looks quite narrow, but it’s bright, crisp and easy to read with all the information you need. Premium and Brabus versions have a head-up display that projects your speed and other information on to the windscreen in your line of sight.

A big 12.8in infotainment touchscreen sits in the middle of the dashboard. On the plus side, the screen is very responsive to touch inputs, you can play games on it, and there's a pet mode so you can leave an animal in the car without it getting dangerously hot (Tesla car models offer the same function).

However, you have to use the touchscreen (or the hit-and-miss voice control) to adjust the air-con. We'd prefer physical controls, like the ones you get in the EV3, the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Jeep Avenger Electric, and it's also a faff that you have to use the screen to adjust the door mirrors. As a result, it can be more distracting to use while you're driving.

A fox avatar on the screen that follows you around from menu to menu could prove annoying but you can avoid it for the most part by using the Android Auto or Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. A punchier Beats sound system is standard on Premium and Brabus models.

The #1's interior quality impresses. There are plenty of soft-touch materials, and while there's also a lot of hard plastic, it's of a good quality and feels upmarket – like the kind you might find on a high-end Apple product. Meanwhile, ambient lighting in the air vents and around the dashboard brighten up the interior at night. 

The entry-level Pro model has artificial leather seats, while the Premium gets genuine leather. The #1 Brabus has grippy faux-suede upholstery. If you’re after the most luxurious interior in the small electric SUV class, look no further.

“The infotainment screen's lay-out is not particularly intuitive. For example, turning off the speed-limit warning bong is a multi-step process. Please Smart, just give us a physical button.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

There’s lots of head and leg room up front for 6ft adults, and despite the Smart #1's minimalist interior look, there are plenty of storage compartments. In the back you’ll find a surprisingly decent amount of head room (enough for six-footers), and leg room is good too.

It edges the BYD Atto 3, Hyundai Kona Electric and Jeep Avenger Electric in that respect, but a Kia EV3 is more accommodating for three passengers in the back because it has a wider interior. The flat floor (common to most electric SUVs) makes life relatively comfy for someone sitting in the middle seat.

The rear seatback splits and folds down in a 60/40 split, rather than the more versatile 40/20/40 layout of the Kona Electric seats. At least there's a ski hatch in the middle so you can poke long items through between two passengers.

Unusually at this price point, the #1 has sliding and reclining rear seats so you can juggle between boot space and rear-seat comfort.

Rather less impressive is the boot. We managed to fit in just three carry-on suitcases below the load cover – or four with the back seats slid forwards – compared with five in the Avenger Electric and the Peugeot e-2008, six in the EV3, Atto 3 and Kona Electric, and seven in the Kia Niro EV.

That doesn't tell the whole story though. The #1 also has a useful amount of underfloor boot storage (plenty for the charging cables), plus a small front boot, although it's roughly the size of a lunchbox. A powered tailgate is standard.

“If you’ve got your heart set on a #1 but the boot is simply too small for your needs, take a look at its coupé cousin, the #3. It has a longer load bay and is easier to access thanks to a longer and broader opening.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The Smart #1 isn't as cheap as a Jeep Avenger Electric or MG ZS EV but it does undercut some key rivals, including the BYD Atto 3, Kia EV3 and Hyundai Kona Electric. It's predicted to hang on to its value fairly well too, faring much better than an Avenger or ZS EV, although expect slightly faster depreciation than with an EV3 or Kona Electric.

There are two main trims for the regular #1 – called Pro+ and Premium. Entry-level Pro+ is really well equipped, with dual-zone climate control, heated seats, adaptive cruise control, a sunroof and keyless entry.

However, we reckon our preferred Premium trim is worth paying extra for because it adds an EV heat pump (for more efficient warming of the interior), matrix LED headlights and a head-up display.

The Brabus version gets some sporty styling touches, including bonnet vents, red brake calipers and seatbelts, and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel.

The #1 was awarded the full five-star rating by safety experts at Euro NCAP when they tested it in 2022, and it comes packed with safety kit. 

A 150kW maximum charging speed means the #1 can get a 10-80% top-up in as little as 27 minutes. You'd be waiting just over half an hour for the same charge in an EV3 and about 45 minutes in an Atto 3 or Kona Electric.

Every #1 comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, while the battery has its own eight years, 125,000 miles warranty. To help minimise running costs, a service package covers the initial three years or 30,000 miles and includes wear-and-tear items such as brake pads and windscreen wipers (but not tyres).

“Some brands save their best safety equipment for the range-topping trim. Not Smart. All models get automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and front and rear cross-traffic alert. I think that's impressive.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

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