Smart introduced the first crossover jointly developed by Mercedes and Geely

The European brand has launched a crossover called Smart #1, which will compete with the MINI Countryman, Kia Niro EV and Renault Megane E-Tech

Smart introduced a model called #1, which became the first serial crossover of the European brand, as well as the first car jointly developed by the Mercedes-Benz Group (formerly Daimler AG) and Geely. In 2019, the Germans sold a 50 percent stake in Smart to the Chinese, agreeing with them on the joint production of cars in China.

Smart #1 is based on Geely’s brand new SEA platform, designed specifically for electric vehicles. In terms of its dimensions and concept, the crossover with a length of about 4.3 m turned out to be close to the MINI Countryman, Kia Niro EV and Renault Megane E-Tech. At the same time, as noted in Smart, the novelty differs from its competitors in a very spacious interior, comparable in free space to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class premium sedan.

The crossover is equipped with an electric motor on the rear axle, developing 268 hp. and 343 Nm of torque. A set of 66 kWh batteries allows you to drive up to 440 kilometers without recharging. It will take from 30 minutes to replenish the stock of batteries from 10 to 80%. up to 3.5 hours depending on the power of the charger.

The SEA architecture provides for various options using from one to three power units, so it is possible that in the future the crossover will have other modifications.

The list of crossover equipment includes a 12.8-inch digital instrument panel, an infotainment system with a 9.2-inch touch screen, a projection screen, a blind spot monitoring system, adaptive cruise control, automatic headlights and other modern electronic “assistants”.

Serial production of Smart #1 will be established in China by the beginning of 2023. Cars will be sold both in Asian countries and in Europe. Prices for the novelty will be announced later.