LISBON -- Smart's #1, the first car from the brand's new status as an electric-only joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz, will have few competitors as a small premium crossover when it reaches showrooms in early 2023, including a high-performance Brabus edition with all-wheel drive and two motors.
The #1 marks the first appearance of Geely's SEA electric vehicle architecture in Europe. The scalable platform can be adapted for nearly every segment size. Eventually, it will underpin vehicles from six or seven Geely brands, the automaker says.
The #1 is built in Smart's factory in Xi'an, China, and will be exported to Europe. Sales will start first in Germany, then in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, with other countries such as Norway to follow.
Prices start at 39,990 euros in France for the base model, called Pro, and increase to 43,490 euros for the Premium edition and 47,490 for the Brabus edition. A Launch edition with a production run of 1,000 units is 44,790 euros. Prices will vary by country depending on incentives, Smart says.
Smart Europe CEO: "We are no longer just a niche"
There are no plans as of yet for a return to North America due to homologation issues, Smart executives said at a test drive event here last week.
The #1 stands out from other small battery-electric cars with up to 440 km (273 miles) of range, 150-kilowatt charging capacity, and a 12.8-inch landscape central touch screen with an infotainment system developed by ECARX, Geely's automotive technology arm that is now a stand-alone company.
However, neither Android Auto nor Apple Car Play are available yet. Smart executives say that is because they want buyers to experience the ECARX interface, which includes a video-game inspired fox avatar that responds to voice commands and flits around the screen.