Smart plans 2025 Europe launch for #5 midsize electric SUV

Smart is moving into the midsize segment for the first time with the #5, a full-electric SUV with 800-volt electric architecture that will compete in the same segment as the Tesla Model Y.

The Chinese-built #5 (hashtag 5) will go on sale in Asia this autumn, then launch in Europe in spring 2025, with deliveries set for the summer, the brand said. The #5 was first shown as a concept at the Beijing auto show in April.

It will debut in two trims -- the off-road focused Summit edition with all-wheel drive, and the Premium+ with rear-wheel drive. The future #5 lineup will include a high-performance Brabus edition and a less-expensive base model with less range.

One key uncertainty for the model's European launch is the European Union's tariffs on EVs made in China, Smart said.

The EU is expected to decide in early November on whether to make permanent its high new tariffs on Chinese EV exports to Europe. Under the provisional regulations, Smart's EVs are subject to an additional tariff of 19.9 percent on top of the existing 10 percent duties on Chinese imports.

The #5's pricing and the countries where it will be sold may depend on the final tariff regulations, Smart said. 

The #5 is the third new model from Smart after it became a 50-50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Group and Geely in 2020. Formerly focused on city cars under Mercedes' sole ownership, the brand will have three EVs in its portfolio, the small #1, the compact #3 and the #5.

Smart says the #5 will appeal to owners of the brand's city cars, many of whom have a midsize SUV as a second car.

Geely architecture

Like the #1 and #3, the #5 is based on the Geely SEA platform and built in China, but designed in Germany by Mercedes.

It will have an 800-volt electrical architecture and, initially, a 100-kilowatt-hour battery, Smart said. The battery takes 15 minutes to charge to 80 percent from 10 percent.

Chinese homologation gives the #5 a top range of 740 km (460 miles). Smart has not said what the range for Europe could be.

Smart released limited specifications for the #5 on Aug. 28, with more details due later this year. It will be 4705 mm long, similar to midsize SUVs such as the Renault Espace. The wheelbase will be 2900 mm long, with the wheels pushed out toward the corners to optimize interior space.

Cargo space includes a 72-liter front trunk and rear storage of up to 1,530 liters.

Inside, the #5 will have three screens on the dashboard: A 10.3-inch instrument panel, and two 13-inch displays arranged side-by-side. It will also have a 25.6-inch augmented reality head-up display.

As with the #1 and #3, the #5’s user interface will have a digital animal avatar as an assistant to guide users around the infotainment system. A lion will be standard – the #1 featured a fox and the #3 had a leopard – but users can choose their own avatar, or none at all, Smart said.

The #5 will have a varied slate of rivals in the midsize SUV segment, Smart said. In addition to the Tesla Model Y, Europe's best-selling car last year, other competitors include mainstream models such as the Skoda Enyaq, Kia EV6, Toyota bZ4X and lower-end versions of premium models such as the Audi Q3 E-Tron.

Future Smart models could include a replacement for the ForTwo. Smart Europe CEO Dirk Adelman said earlier this year that the company was looking for partners to share the costs.

Smart's sales in Europe have been relatively modest this year. The brand sold 8,485 units of the #1 and 2,984 units of the #3 in the first seven months, according to figures from Dataforce. Sales of the ForTwo city car, which is no longer being produced, were 5,559. The brand's annual sales record was 134,000 in 2008.

Smart's newer models are being sold direct to consumers under the so-called agency distribution model, with dealers receiving a fixed commission for every car they deliver.