Well, it's not quite a fully Chinese car. Rather it’s a result of a collaboration between Mercedes and the Geely Car Company, with Mercedes providing the design and styling details and Geely supplying the electric elements.
It’s intended to create a new and smaller premium brand, using the original smart brand name.
The car does look a tad unusual though - the Mercedes styling cues such as the Y-shaped front and rear light bars look a little lost and odd on the smart#1 compared to the way they look on the new electric models from Mercedes, where the bigger profile tends to absorb the bars rather that accentuate them.
It comes on to the Irish market in three versions, starting with the Pro at €37,479 and moving on the Pro + at €41,894 and then the Premium at €48,332. The prices are not exactly cheap but now you understand the emphasis on a smaller premium brand offering. The cars are all produced in China.
The entry level battery is a 66kW unit that smart says will provide a range of over 400 km’s, but the usual caveat on claimed ranges applies here again. They’re not usually reflected in real world conditions.
As is normally the case with new Chinese cars, the smart comes well-equipped. Included are two-tone paint, concealed door handles, a panoramic roof and a 360 degree camera. There’s a 9.2" digital instrument display, a 10" head up display over the dash and a 10.8" infotainment screen.
There’s a floating centre console straight from the Mercedes playbook (some of the plastics are decidedly less impressive than you’ll find in a Mercedes though). 13 separate speakers and a choice of 64 ambient light colours - they could account for a good part of your weekend being taken up as you search for your preferred colour mood. You also get AI-based voice control.
It is intended to be a roomy car and it is, with good front and rear space. The boot, however, is on the small side with just 323 litres without folding down the back seats.
The car is 4.2 m long, 1.8 m wide and 1.6 m high and it already has a EuroNCAP 5 star safety rating.
The smart#1 is the first for a range of smart cars coming to Ireland. A 49 kW battery is planned, along with a large SUV, for example.
The car itself has a three year warranty and the battery is covered for eight.
