"True off-road capability" and a party trick you won't believe: The all-new Smart #5 is coming to Australia to tempt to you from your Tesla Model Y, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and Jeep Avenger

The Smart #5 is a boxy, adventure-ready SUV that will deliver “true off-road capability” and an all-electric drive experience, with the back-in-Australia brand ripping the covers off what will be its most expensive model to date.

Likely more of a “light off-roader” rather than a hardcore LandCruiser rival, the brand still insists the #5 shines off the road, and is equipped with mud, rock, gravel and sand driving modes.

The brand’s Senior Director of Global Marketing and Product, Rouven Remp, suggests the twin-motor 4WD has already impressed across deserts and sand dunes in its pre-production testing.

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"It's probably more in the direction of a light off-roader, but I have seen the car performing – we've just had it on summer testing, and if you see what it is doing on the sand and on the climbs, it is a real, proper off-roader with capabilities that not all of the customers will use," he says.

But that’s not the only trick the #5 is hiding up its sleeve.

The model was revealed for the first time globally tonight in Byron Bay, and the regular model was parked alongside a special Summit Edition that the brand refers to as its Smart Glamper.

Not only is the model equipped with roof racks, a ladder and side storage, but it also arrives with what Smart claims is an industry first — a built-in movie projector that shines from its grille, producing an image that can be expanded to 233 inches, and can be projected from between two and seven metres from the the bonnet of the #5.

The tech-filled Smart cabin

Giving new meaning to the term “drive-in theatre”, the Summit also includes a removable Sennheiser Bluetooth speaker. And when it’s time to turn in, the backseats of the #5 can be converted into a single, queen or king-sized sleeping space.

We don’t know yet how much grunt the #5 dual-motor setup will produce, though expect it to comfortably out-power the brand’s most potent model to date, the #3 Brabus, which makes 315kW and 543Nm.

The #5 is fitted with a 100kWh battery, which the brand says delivers a 740km driving range, using the more lenient CLTC testing procedure. That should translate to a WLTP range of around 600kms.

It also utilises a 800v architecture, unlocking super-fast charging, with the brand promising it will take just 15mins to go from 10-80 percent when plugged into an appropriate DC charger.

The Smart #5 Summit's projector

Dimensions are still a mystery, though the #5 will compete in the mid-size SUV space, and it stretches 4705mm in length, and it rides on a sizeable 2900mm wheelbase. The latter is a boon for interior space, with Smart claiming best-in-class space for backseat passengers, and a 1530L boot space.

Up front, dual 13.0-inch AMOLED displays control the multimedia and driving information, while a 25.6-inch head-up display gets augmented reality for its navigation.

The Smart #5 will be launched in Australia around the middle of next year, with pricing and full specification details yet to be revealed.