Smart Roadster Reviews

Smart is part-owned by Germany's Mercedes-Benz and China's Geely, and is promising quality premium-feeling EVs at affordable(ish) prices as a result. We put the #3 to the local test to find out if it lives up to that promise.

The Smart #1 Premium is the middle model in the #1’s three-trim line-up, sitting above the Pro+ ($54,900) and below the performance-focused Brabus ($67,900), all before on-road costs.The Premium will set you back $58,900, and it builds on the Pro+’s 19-inch alloys, panoramic roof, powered tailgate 12.8-inch central screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and 9.2-inch digital dashboard with matrix LED headlights, leather trim, a huge head-up display and a better Beats stereo.It shares it battery and powertrain with the Pro+ below it, which mean it’s fitted with 66kWh battery, unlocking a driving range of up to 420kms, and scores a rear-mounted electric motor producing 200kW and 343Nm — enough to push you from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds. When it comes time to plug in, all models are equipped with 150kW DC fast-charging capability, and when plugged into said charger, you can expect to go from zero to 80 per cent charged in less than 30 minutes.The #1 also wears a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, and comes with a pretty stacked active safety list, and though our test drive was far from exhaustive, only the speed limit warning (which you can switch off) felt overly intrusive, with the rest just sort of humming away in the background.

The Smart #1 Pro+ is the cheapest way into this all-electric SUV family, though to the brand’s credit, it doesn’t feel like an entry-level model.

Smart is back in Australia, but gone are the clever petrol-powered city cars, replaced by a small electric SUV, the #1, the brand says will sit between mainstream players and traditional premium marques. Which makes sense given Smart is part-owned by Chinese giant Geely and German premium brand Mercedes-Benz. So is this #1 the best of both those worlds? We put it to the test to find out.

The Smart #5 is a boxy, adventure-ready electric 4WD that will deliver "true off-road capability" and an all-electric drive experience, with the back-in-Australia brand ripping the covers off its most expensive model to date.Likely more of a "light off-ro

Smart might be the latest Chinese brand to launch in Australia, but its one that arrives with a significant difference, with the marque jointly owned by Chinese giant Geely and German heavyweight Mercedes-Benz.

Smart will unveil its largest and most powerful SUV to date – the Smart #5 – at a global launch event in Australia later this month. It will be the first time the electric car has been officially shown to the public and follows the reveal of a concept version in April at the Beijing motor show. The launch event will take place on August 28 in Byron Bay where Smart has planned its domestic launch of the smaller Smart #1 SUV and Smart #3 coupe SUV models, both of which debuted in China last year.Smart has referred to the #5 as a “contemporary adventurer” that combines premium SUV comfort and style. The #5 is designed by Mercedes-Benz and will have off-road capability. Smart says the #5 has only slight variations from the concept model, which showed it as a fully-equipped off-roader. Patent filings earlier this year revealed the the top-spec dual-motor variant of the Smart #5 will have a staggering output of 474kW, blowing away the most powerful versions of the Smart #1 and Smart #3 by at least 150kW.For comparison, the Smart #5 will pack 44kW more than the red hot Kia EV6 GT and nearly as much as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N performance EV.The #5 doesn’t appear to get the same Brabus treatment – via Smart’s part-owner Mercedes-Benz – as the #1 and #3 receive. Full performance figures are expected closer to the vehicle’s official launch date, and it is likely the top-spec variant will be able to hit 0-100km/h in less than three seconds.There will also be a slightly less performance oriented dual-motor variant, which still outputs a hefty 431kW. Two rear-wheel drive variants with outputs of 250kW and 267kW will also join the line-up.Smart says its most efficient #5 will have a range of up to 700km.Exact details regarding the battery capacities for each model are yet to be disclosed, though Smart has stated that the model’s most efficient variant has a battery capacity of more than 100kWh, along with 800-volt fast-charging capacity.Measuring at 4705 mm long, 1920mm wide and 1705 mm tall, the Smart #5 is a similar size to the Tesla Model Y. Details on the vehicle's interior design are yet to be released, though given the vehicle’s exterior design is only likely to differ marginally from the April 2024 concept, it could be safe to assume the interior will remain largely the same.If so, you can expect two central OLED screens, a digital driver’s display, ambient lighting, a portable speaker integrated into the vehicle’s central console, a striking ‘X’-shaped glass roof, as well as heated, ventilated and massage seats. Pricing is expected once the vehicle is officially launched.The global launch will involve a drive program from Brisbane to Byron Bay, which Smart will live-stream to a global audience. It’s very rare for a car company to stage its global launch in Australia, though Smart says its decision was made based Australia’s proximity to China – where the cars are built and where the Smart team is based – and the company's commitment to the Australian market, having announced its return earlier this year. Smart is a jointly owned venture between Mercedes-Benz and Chinese automotive conglomerate Geely, the latter owns car brands such as Polestar, Volvo and Zeekr among others. 

We know the Smart brand is returning to the local new car market with a pure-EV line-up headlined by the Smart #1 compact SUV and #3 compact coupe-style SUV (pronounced 'hashtag one' and 'hashtag three') set to arrive in September.

It’s like playing Whac-A-Mole. Almost weekly there are announcements from new brands promising better technology, longer driving ranges and cheaper prices coming to Australia and a great deal of them hail from China.

Smart has locked in pricing and release timing for the #1 and #3 – pronounced 'hashtag one' and 'hashtag three' – electric small SUVs for late 2024.Starting at $54,900, before on-road costs, and topping out at $67,900 for the flagship 315kW Brabus. The Smart models will be available to buy from select LSH Auto dealerships in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.The new Smart brand is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Chinese automotive giant Geely which also owns Volvo and Polestar.It is not imported by Mercedes-Benz, however. Rather LSH auto, an owner of many 'Benz dealer franchises.While the two Smarts aren't identical in dimensions, the wagon-styled #1 has only a 35mm shorter wheelbase than the coupe-like #3.Both are available in three trim levels – Pro+, Premium and Brabus – with a 66kWh battery. The #1's driving range varies between 400-440km (WLTP) and the #3 peaks at 455km in Premium trim.The Pro+ trim is equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, wireless smartphone mirroring, a power tailgate and panoramic sunroof.A single rear-mounted 200kW/343Nm electric motor shared with the Premium sees the #1 hit 100km/h in 6.7 seconds, while the slipperier #3 completes the dash in 5.8 seconds.Moving up to the Premium ($58,900 or $61,900 for #3) adds a 640-watt Beats sound system, synthetic leather upholstery and a heat pump, gaining an extra 20km of WLTP driving range.Brabus variants get a second motor for 315kW and 543Nm with the #3 hitting 100km/h in 3.7 seconds.The Brabus does not have major chassis upgrades or adaptive dampers but adds red brake calipers, synthetic suede upholstery with red accents, different body styling and Brabus drive mode. For the #3, the Brabus gets 20-inch alloy wheels.The #1 and #3 are based on the same 'SEA2' underpinnings as the Volvo EX30 but share rather different dimensions, such as the Smart's 100mm longer wheelbase.“We are certain that the extensive and highly appealing smart range will build a unique position in the Australian market for those wishing to add electric mobility to their lifestyle," said LSH Auto Australia MD John Good.When the premium-pitched electric Smarts arrive, they will do battle with the BYD Atto 3, Hyundai Kona electric and Renault Megane E-Tech.2024 Smart range pricingAll prices are before on-road costs