Is the smart#3 a crossover or a sports fastback with its low slung sporty stance
Car manufacturers in the last decade have tried very hard to confuse us motoring media (influencers will just accept what ever is ‘fed’ to them) and also their customers by tagging their new models as SUV, compact SUV and or just Crossover.
Even ‘sedans’ and ‘sportback’ vehicles are tagged as SUV’s and Crossovers because most in-informed buyers want to ‘tell’ their friends and family that they have bought a SUV or Crossover as this is a running Malaysian and also global trend.
Meanwhile, we believe that some Crossovers and SUV’s, like this latest smart electric car should be tagged as we see it. A 4-door sports coupe. Yes, park this smart#3 next to an imported Honda Civic hatchback and you will understand what we are saying here.
The sleek curvaceous lines (height is just 1,556mm) reminds us of that this design comes from Mercedes-Benz (Yes, Mercedes is in partnership with Geely for all smart models) and delivers a very European look. One could even have mistaken this smart#3 for a slimmer Mercedes EQS or even a slightly flattened Mercedes GLC Coupe. You have 19-inch FLUX wheels with low profile tires, frameless doors and flushed door handles that flip out when you need them.
Get inside and the front seats remind us of the Mercedes AMG A-Class torso hugging seats. The smart logo on the top and the interesting set rivets gets attention. Rear space is good as 3 adults will fit in this wide 1,844mm wide vehicle and there A/C vents with Type C and USB ports as well.
In front you get 2 USB ports and a smartphone charging pad in front. You also get a deep center storage with air ventilation system and a slot for your EV battery charging card to be positioned.
We liked the shelf under the center stack which is great for women drivers to place their handbags and ‘tau-pau’ food packets.
Like in the smart#1, there is a large 12.8-inch central touchscreen which has a cheetah icon ready to take your voice commands (Hello! smart!) and the driver gets a sleek 9.2-inch LCD instrument cluster.
There is a new operating system, an upgrade and you have almost every ‘App’ you want. Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto provided together with detailed navigation which works to provide you with possible charging stations to get juice when needed.
There is also a full length glass roof which is well tinted to keep the heat out of the cabin during the midday heat.
We liked the flat-bottom steering wheel that had multi-function ‘real’ physical buttons and not soft touch which makes it sassier to use and ‘feel’.
The #3 PRO (and Premium variant) have a rear-mounted electric motor producing 272PS and 343Nm of torque, which is said to be good for a 0-100 km/h time of 5.8 seconds and a top speed is 180km/h.
Thanks to its sleek body-style (Sports Coupe right?) (with a Cd factor of just 0.27 vs 0.29 for the #1) however, the 49 kWh LFP battery will extract out slightly more range at 325km (+ 10 km).
As for charging, this smart#3 PRO is one of the few new electric cars available on the local market that can accept 22 kW AC charging, on top of its 150 kW DC peak input (the PRO only nets 7 kW AC and 130 kW DC).
This therefore sees this smart#3 to claim for a 10 percent to 80 percent battery pack top up taking only just 3 hours when connected to the peak AC supply (home wallbox), with it then taking only 30 minutes for the same charge when connected to the peak DC charger point when on a long interstate drive.
Driving the smart#3
We liked the driving position and the steering feel was very comfortable. This car has a weighted steering which means it is not feather light. Real drivers will like this weighty feel and we do. It provided better feedback and handling at the palms.
Power delivery even in Comfort mode is very good and city driving handling is comfortable despite its weight (EV’s are heavy). It is a good looking car and there will be people admiring it as you cruise along. On the highway and as you build up speed, there is very little noise that enters the cabin.
Meanwhile, the ‘BEATS’ sound system with 13 speakers around the cabin entertains passengers very well.
Take your speed up to illegal speeds and there will still be a quiet enough cabin as little wind and road noise travels into the cabin.
Question on its purchase viability gets debatable as the rivals from China are either priced lower and or offer better driving distance.
smart#3 PRO Specifications
Battery Capacity: 49 kWh
Range (WLTP): 325 km
Estimated Charging Time: 3.0 hours from 10% to 80% @ AC & 30 minutes 10% – 80% @ DC
Power: 272PS
Torque: 343Nm
Acceleration 0 – 100km/h: 5.8 seconds
Top Speed: 180km/h
