Highly awaited SUV goes hybrid!

Smart has launched a plug-in hybrid version of its #5 mid-size SUV in China ahead of its Australian arrival.

The electric version of the 2026 Smart #5 is due either before the end of 2025 or in early 2026 in Australia, but the new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version just launched in China could be worth the wait for many buyers.

Offering up to 252km of purely electric driving range (tested on the lenient CTLC cycle), and up to 320kW of total power from its drivetrain - a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a three-speed hybrid transaxle motor - the Smart #5 ‘EHD’ can also consume as low as 4.4L/100km when its battery is depleted.

Add CarsGuide as a preferred source in Google Search

Add CarsGuide as a preferred source in Google Search

It has the option of either a 20kWh or a 41.46kWh battery pack from manufacturer CATL, which offer either 120km or 252km of electric driving range respectively. The brand claims a total driving range for the long-range battery option of 1615km on a single tank of fuel and full charge.

Outside, the Smart #5 EHD is nearly identical to the electric version, featuring 20-inch alloys and the same contemporary LED light clusters, while on the inside it features dual 13.0-inch multimedia screens for the driver and passenger, with a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and huge 25.6-inch head-up display.

There are two Nappa leather interior trim options, either brown or black, while the seats folding fully flat for an expansive interior space.

The starting price for the Smart #5 EHD in China is around the equivalent of A$41,000, although Chinese-built vehicles generally attract a 15 - 20 per cent premium by the time they arrive in Australia.

It is as yet unclear if this PHEV version of the #5 will land in Australia, but it would make sense for the brand given the explosion in popularity for the technology in the last 12 months, helped along by the affordability of plug-in models from brands like BYD, GWM and Chery.

As a joint-venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz, Smart says the #5 EHD brings the “globally forward-looking design” of Mercedes Benz, and the “globally leading technology” of Geely.

Expect to learn more about the #5 when the fully electric version launches in Australia.

Thus far the brand doesn’t report its sales numbers to the FCAI to appear in VFACTs, so it is difficult to tell the impact its two-range model is having on the market.

The existing fully electric duo of the #1 hatch and #3 SUV play in a heavily contested space, which includes cars ranging from the BYD Dolphin to Volvo’s EX30, which is related to the Smart models. The #1 currently starts from $54,900, while the #3 starts from $57,900.