Smart 1 vs Toyota Corolla Cross

What's the difference?

Another day, another China-backed EV brand launches in Australia. This one, though, should be at least be vaguely familiar, with Smart having previously operated in Australia about 15 years ago, back when it was a Mercedes-Benz sub-brand rocking the tiny and clever Smart ForTwo and ForFour.

Mercedes is still involved, though now as a 50/50 joint venture partner with Chinese giant Geely, though the new Smart family is not being delivered by either company, and are actually being distributed by Mercedes’ biggest global dealer group, LSH Auto.

All of which is a load of information you don’t really need. But you should know, as a result of all that, the brand is promising a fleet of semi-premium EVs designed in Germany and built in China, with the Smart #1 the first to touch down in Australia.

Oh, and they pronounce the “hashtag” part of the model name, but I just can’t see that strategy becoming part of the Australian lexicon.

Anyway, part-Chinese, part-German and all electric. So should the #1 be on your EV shopping list?

The Toyota Corolla Cross launched back in 2022 as a lifted crossover SUV version of one of the most iconic cars ever. It helped bridge the gap between the Corolla and the RAV4.

Three years on and it’s now mid-life facelift time. There are new looks inside and out, as well as some new tech and bling to catch your attention.

Competition is continually heating up in the small SUV segment, especially for those with hybrid engines, but is the updated Corolla Cross the pick of the bunch?