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Electric Smart #3 SUV is the biggest Smart ever

Smart’s Tesla Model Y rival has made its debut, sharing many design and mechanical elements with the smaller Smart #1

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17 Apr 2023

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Smart has become famous for making some of the smallest cars on the road, but the brand – part-owned by Mercedes-Benz and Chinese giant Geely – has now unveiled its largest model ever: an electric coupe-SUV called the #3.

Making its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show, the Smart #3 sits above the #1 in the lineup and is set to enter a fiercely competitive segment alongside the likes of the Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV, Volkswagen ID.5, Kia EV6 and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron.

As you can see, the #3’s design language is a subtle evolution of the smaller Smart #1 electric crossover that launched last year. Like that car, the #3 features a smooth, swooping design with full-width light bars at the front and rear, plus a sloping roofline. The interior layout is also pretty similar, too, with a 12.8-inch central touchscreen, cocoon-like centre console and optional large panoramic glass roof.

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However, at 4.4 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.6 metres tall, the Smart #3 is smaller than many of its coupe-SUV rivals, such as the Tesla Model Y. It’s still longer than the #1, though, which measures in at just under 4.3 metres in length.

The Smart #3 sits on the same SEA platform that underpins the Smart #1, as well as Volvo’s upcoming baby electric SUV. Although Smart is yet to publicly reveal the #3’s specifications, thanks to filings to the Chinese government we know it will get a single (likely rear-mounted) 268bhp electric motor. An even faster Brabus model will also be offered, with a muscular 422bhp dual-motor powertrain. Both will likely share the same 62kWh (usable) battery as the Smart #1, too.

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Range figures are yet to be confirmed, but a figure of just under 300 miles would put the Smart #3 in close competition with its main rivals. The Smart #1 is able to charge at speeds of up to 150kW and we expect the #3 to match this.

We expect the #3 to arrive in showrooms towards the end of 2023/early 2024. Exact pricing is yet to be determined, but a starting price of just over £40,000 seems realistic.