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"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

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The Smart #5 is coming to Australia
Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
28 Aug 2024
3 min read

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.

"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
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
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.

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold. But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul. And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard. When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House. But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others. More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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