After months of teasers and endless press announcements, smart Malaysia finally launched the smart #1 today, and as announced before, there will be three variants which are priced at:
- smart #1 BRABUS – RM249,000
- smart #1 Premium – RM219,000
- smart #1 Pro – RM189,000
While Mercedes-Benz was in charge of designing the smart #1, the powertrain technology and all the engineering was done by Geely. In fact, the #1 is underpinned by the same platform as the Volvo EX30 which is also expected to make its Malaysian debut later this year.
Propelling the smart #1 is an electric motor that delivers 268 hp and 343 Nm exclusively to the rear wheels, enabling the EV to accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 180 km/h. Also part of the powertrain package is a 66 kWh battery that takes the #1 up to 440 km before running out of juice.
As far as charging is concerned, the smart #1 is only the third model in Malaysia after the Porsche Taycan and the Audi Q8 e-tron to come with a 22kW AC charger that can charge the battery from 10% to 80% in three hours.
Capable of receiving up to 150kW of DC fast charging, it can also be charged from 10% to 80% in just 30 minutes. This is a big plus point compared to most EVs in Malaysia which only get a 11kW charger.
Firstly, we have the smart #1 Pro variant which features low drag 19″ Alloy Wheels for stability and a Panoramic Halo Roof for natural light and views. It is powered by a 49kWh LFP Battery, providing a WLTP Range of 315km.
And then, we have the smart #1 Premium variant which offers additional features including CyberSparksLED + Matrix Headlamps, an Illuminated Front Grille, and a 66kWh NMC Battery. It is equipped with a 200kW/343Nm single motor driving the rear wheels, delivering a WLTP Range of 440km.
Last but not least, the smart #1 Brabus Edition comes with a dual-motor AWD setup producing 422 hp and 584 Nm of torque, sending the EV from standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds which is equivalent to a supercar. The maximum range however, is rated at 400km.
The Brabus version will also feature unique exterior colours, a more aggressive looking interior with Brabus goodies such as alcantara upholstery with contrasting stitching, sportier seats, and features like artificial engine noises among others which will be revealed at its launch.
Measuring 4,270mm in length, 1,822mm in width and 1,636mm in height with a wheelbase length of 2,750mm, the smart #1 is very similar in size with cars like the MINI Countryman, just to put things into perspective. It is actually significantly larger than how it looks in the pictures here.
On the exterior, key features include a two-tone paintjob, an illuminated front grille with embedded LED light beads, CyberSparks LED+ Adaptive Matrix Headlights, sleek LED rear light bar that runs across the rear, flush door handles, frameless doors, a funky floating panoramic halo roof, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels.
The interior on the other hand, features a very minimalist theme with a 12.8-inch central touch screen display taking centre-stage. This screen is where you control all the car’s settings including the side mirrors. Additionally, there is also a slim 9.2-inch display for the driver instead of a traditional speedometer, and a 10-inch head-up display.
It is also worth mentioning here that the infotainment system comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Moving on, below the central display is a T-shaped centre-console with multiple storage compartments, a wireless charging dock.
Also part of the standard equipment list is a 64-colour ambient lighting system just like what we see in Mercedes-Benz cars, a huge panoramic glass roof with a powered sunshade, 60:40 split-folding rear seats, ventilated front seats with a 10-way power adjustment, up to 986-litres of boot space with the rear seats folded, and most importantly, a 13-speaker Beats by Dre audio system which is not available in any other car in the market.
