The reinvention of 28-year old Smart as a style-led electric mobility brand is officially under way, with the production version of the #1 (pronounced 'hashtag one') arriving to challenge a host of electric compact crossovers.
This is the first new Smart car since Chinese group Geely became a 50% stakeholder, taking half of the company from Mercedes-Benz in 2019.
It is also the first all-new car to wear a Smart badge since 2014 and described by the firm's European CEO, Dirk Adelmann, as "the nucleus of all things to come".
The #1 is positioned as a premium-oriented crossover with dimensions and technical figures that line it up as a rival to the Renault Mégane E-Tech and Kia Niro EV. Importantly, however, Smart emphasises that a focus on maximising interior space results in a cabin comparable in size to that of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Esta historia es de la edición April 13, 2022 de Autocar UK.
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