The smart electric car brand has made an impact with Malaysians wanting to drive an EV
So, did this smart #1 premium variant make an impact with us after a weekend of living with this electric car in Klang Valley?
We have already test driven the all wheel drive RM249,000 BRABUS edition of this smart #1 and it was a load of fun. The standstill to 100km/h acceleration time of 3.9 seconds was simply insane and still it could deliver a possible 400 km of battery driving range if you keep the accelerator less agitated. Yes, driving it without pushing it and this spacious emissions free vehicle will delivery of decent driving range.
So, this time around we are test driving the next smart #1 variant which is the ‘Premium’ variant. At an asking price of RM219,000 it comes with with enough cabin technology and a possible 440 km of driving range. This is 40 km more over the BRABUS variant.
Now, the rear mounted, single motor variant has 272 horsepower and 343Nm of torque is ready to deliver a standstill to 100km/h acceleration time of 6.7 seconds. Yes, this is almost 3 seconds less than the BRABUS version, but do you really need that much power?
We believe the whole ides of driving an electric car is to save the earth and get around totally emissions free. Having the acceleration time of a supercar, 3.9 seconds is just bragging rights and unnecessary in day to day commuting.
Well, this is just our humble opinion.
Meanwhile, living with this Premium variant was like living with any petrol powered Crossover of the same size. This is a large vehicle with a length of 4,270 mm, a width of 1,822 mm and a height of 1,636 mm. Then there is a wheelbase of 2,750 mm which means good legroom for all.
5 adults fit very nicely and with its tall roof, headroom is great. Boot space was average at 411 litres with rear seats in use.
When it comes to providing juice for the battery, this electric car has a 66 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) that can be charged using AC charging: 22 kW; 10-80 percent in three hours or DC charging: 150 kW; 10-80 percent in 29 minutes or so.
Now, AC charging is best done at home, which is on the weekends before going out or on a week day evening after work when asleep.
DC charging is best only when on long interstate drives. Today, with the many public charging station partnerships in hand and their continued expansion, a drive to any west coast state is easy. East coast travel can be a little tricky and you need good planning for route and battery charging and best to avoid peak season travel for the next year or so.
As a product, the smart #1 is well built with good fit and finish and the in-car features and safety equipment is on par or better than rivals.
Yes, the asking price is somewhere in between the European electric cars and the newly launched Chinese made electric vehicle brands that have been very aggressive with their pricing and also discounts.
This smart EV brand resides right in the middle and they are happy to say they don’t need to use aggressive discounts or freebies to keep sales moving.
This way resale values will hold and with the backing of Pro-Net (the parent company) to ensure that customers are well looked after in after sales and software updates when it is needed.
Fact! Why buy a used private import electric car with no back up service, recall notices and after sales when you can buy a brand new smart #1 with full after sales and warranty.
