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By Jonathan Crouch

The smart brand gets serious with this small electrically-powered SUV, the smart #1. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 58

The smart #1 reinvents the smart brand for a new era, a compact full-electric small hatch for style-conscious folk who'll enjoy a rather unique Sino-Teutonic blend of EV engineering. The car 'retains the smart spirit' but offers it in a car family fashionistas could realistically justify, with space for five and a range of up to 273 miles.

Backgroundword count: 176

Think of smart and you picture a tiny city car. But things are changing. The company is reinventing its profile as a style-led electric mobility brand and that will start with this car, the smart #1. It is, according to its maker, 'the nucleus of all things to come'. Which means several things. First, that in the future, we'll see bigger smart models than we've been used to - this #1 is a small SUV about the size of a Kia Niro or a MINI Countryman. And second that while the design of future smart models will still be over-seen by parent company Mercedes (hence, for instance, the #1's EQ-style rear light cluster), platforms for the company's cars will in future be provided by the Chinese automotive group Geely, who now hold 50% shareholding in smart. In this case, that means Geely's 'SEA' 'Sustainable Experience Architecture' platform, a chassis also earmarked for a forthcoming compact crossover from Volvo. Big departures then. The smart brand's first SUV, its first five-seater, it's first larger car. What's in store?

Driving Experienceword count: 191

The electric powertrain here sees a 66kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery power a rear-mounted motor putting out 268hp and 343Nm of pulling power, which should be enough for agile performance, despite the hefty 1,820kg kerb weight; expect rest to 62mph to take just 6.7s and smart has limited top speed to 112mph. Driving range is rated at 260 miles for the 'Pro+', 273 miles for the 'Premium' and 248 miles for the 'BRABUS'. Larger battery sizes are being considered - and smaller ones too - in a bid to make future entry-level variants more affordable. At the top of the range is a 4WD Dual Motor BRABUS version with 422hp and 543Nm of torque. Paired with a specifically calibrated BRABUS driving mode, this results in a rapid 0-62mph performance of just 3.9 seconds. For most customers though, the smart #1 will be 2WD and, as usual with an EV, whisper-quiet. The advanced 'SEA' Geely-sourced platform should provide for taut handling and a supple ride. And smart is providing a range of autonomous driving tools, including Adaptive Cruise Control with stop and go, Lane keep assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Highway and Traffic Jam Assist.

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