Company Car & Van attended Fully Charged North back in May, ostensibly to get a look at a number of the new electric cars coming to market in 202 & 2024. One of those was the smart #1, a new electric car being sold at selected Mercedes-Benz car dealerships. We popped along to our local smart dealership LSH in Stockport to drive one.
What is it
The #1 is the first of several smart models due in the next few years, all of which will be full electric models. The new venture is a 50:50 split between Mercedes-Benz & Geely, with the #1 built in China, where battery technology & manufacture is currently ahead of Europe. The #1 is the same size as the Mini Countryman & shares its scalable electric architecture with the likes of the new Volvo EX30. Battery size across the range is 66kWh.
Model range
From launch you can choose from four models. These are the RWD Pro + with a 260 mile range, Premium & Launch Edition with 273 mile ranges & 272hp, plus range topping AWD Brabus with a massive 428hp & a range of 248 miles.
Exterior
Whilst the #1 tips it’s hat to smart cars of old with cute looks & a curved shape, both the front & rear ends feature similar designs to the Mercedes-Benz EQA, B & C models with a a full width LED light bar. There’s also a single light across the rear as well. Overall shape is reminiscent of the current Mini Countryman.
Inside & goodies
This is where the #1 makes the boldest statement. Up front driver & passenger sit cocooned between a floating centre console with storage space underneath. The dash is dominated by the 12.8″ central touchscreen, which sits dead centre above two slim air vents. Short cut buttons for driving mode, hazards read window heater & fan are located underneath, otherwise the touchscreen controls the majority of the cars functions.
In common with many Mercedes-Benz models, you change gear using the right hand steering wheel stalk. Steering wheel controls get you access to the cars driver safety features such as cruise control & automatic self parking, as well as short cuts to the infotainment & cars phone & trip information.
In front of the driver sits a narrow 9.2″ full LCD HD instrument cluster & on our Premium model you get a Heads Up display too as well as an array of ambient lighting choices to customise the cabin.
The quality is pretty good, in a mix of black, white & chrome plastics with just a hint of some cheaper stuff adorning the door pockets & lower down surfaces. Up front, all versions feature a 12v socket with twin USB’s with two more USB’s located in the rear. All models also connect you to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto & come with Bluetooth & DAB radio. Premium & above all come with a wireless phone charger & a 13 speaker Beats sound system. All versions bar Pro+ also get a heat pump.
Charging
The #1 will accept up to 150kW from a CCS-plugged rapid charger to give a sub-30 minute 10%-80% charging time. On our Rolec home 7.4kWh charger, this will take about 7.5 hours. Premium, Launch & Brabus benefit from three-phase 22kW AC charging using a Type 2 plug, dropping the time to charge to less than three hours.
Performance & driving modes
The Brabus will hit 62mph from standing start in just 3.9 seconds, whilst the RWD models take 6.9 seconds, which is still fast !
Choose from Eco, Comfort or Sport driving mods with the addition of Brabus on the Brabus for some serious fun !
Safety
All #1’s come with EBD, Hill assist, HDC, ESC, Trailer Stability Assist (TSA), Electronic Traction Control, an E-Pedal & a Tyre pressure monitoring system. Every #1 also get’s a raft of safety features including Front & Rear Collision Mitigation, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, front & rear parking sensors, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control & Intelligent Speed Assist.
Practicality
Smart’s David Browne told CC&V that the #1 is comparable for inside space to an E-Class. In the front we’d agree but when I sat in the rear there’s only enough room for two adults to fit comfortably behind driver & front passenger. On the plus side, the #1 is quite wide & you can increase rear space by utilising the sliding & reclining rear bench which also features a ski flap.
Interior storage comes in the form of large front & rear door pockets, two central drinks holders, a large area under the floating centre binnacle, under armrest space, a decent sized glove box & a fold down rear armrest with twin cup holders within.
The boot isn’t massive at just 323 litres on the Pro+ model, 10 litres less on all other models thanks to the Beats sound systems sub-woofer. The floor is adjustable with removable shelf, so you can hide your charging cables underneath. And upfront you get a ‘frunk’ with another 15 litres offered.
Driving
First up was the motorway. The Premium model feels quick & joining the motorway at a decent speed is a cinch. Setting up the adaptive cruise control is straightforward & adjusting it in 1mph or 5mph segments works well. On motorway tarmac the #1 is quiet with little in the way off wind or road noise entering the cabin. We took the liberty of connecting an iPhone hands-free & this was quick & easy to perform as well. A long journey would be aided by the suite of safety functions fitted to all versions, although we chose to turn off lane centring & lane change assist.
You can select the cars energy recuperation from either Standard or Strong from the touchscreen In town, you can take advantage of the cars single pedal mode meaning little or no braking is required. The steering is light & precise. Passengers won’t notice the battery weight as the cars shape & size hide this well. The suspension is set up for comfort & that’s exactly what you get. If you want a bit of power, press down on the accelerator pedal & its arrives instantly, perfect as you battle through early morning traffic.
Over some poor road surfaces – it does weigh 1800kg’s after all – you do notice a bit of vibration & shake, a common fault with EV’s thanks to the battery weight. In truth, we’re being fussy as this is not significant in the smart.
We tried the driving modes & as per usual, opted for the one that saves your battery range the longest for most driving tasks, therefore we chose Eco. To be fair, Comfort & Sport don’t offer anything that feels significantly different to Eco, save a little more power in Sport.
Infotainment
Whilst the touchscreen looks brilliant & the graphics are super clear, the fact that you need to enter the menus to adjust the climate for example is a little frustrating. Over time this will get easier, but there’s so much info contained in the modern touchscreen menu, that you do find your eyes leaving the road to check exactly what you want.
That aside, the Apple CarPlay worked seamlessly, the Smart SatNav’s quite good & once you’ve acclimatised to the system – the functions you want are clearly legible under Quick Controls & quite large – it get’s easier to use. The #1 uses an animated Fox avatar as your personal assistant which is a nice touch, reminding me of Sonic the Hedgehog with the overall graphics looking computer game influenced, which we liked.
Pros
Looks modern & funky. Excellent interior & on trend infotainment will excite the kid in you. All versions come incredibly well equipped with a host of active safety as standard. Entry level Pro+ is well priced at £36,950 although we would opt for the Premium version an extra £2000 primarily to gain access to the 22kW on board charger.
Cons
Fiddly infotainment takes time to acclimatise too. On 19″ wheels the rides a little fidgety over poor road surfaces. The cars exterior is safer than the interior
Conclusion
We really liked the #1. It’s a small electric car that offers customers an awful lot for their money, especially when you compare its price tag to a Mercedes-Benz EQ. For company car drivers a 200 mile driving range is good as is the 2% BIK.
Currently, 22 Mercedes-Benz sites are selling it & I’m sure they are hoping that smart is as successful as Mini has been in the past 20 years. With new models arriving next year, it could be & the #1 is a very good start.
The best smart car yet 4.25/5
