Love the intro, and I agree with you and Andy. We've got enough premium electric crossovers now, time for something different. (Hurry up with the small cars, saloons and estates already, I'm sick of '2025 concepts')
Where have all the good CAR designers gone. I'm hankering after designs from the 1970s and 1980s ! A Cd of 0.29 is nothing to show off about either these days. Most Teslas are 0.22 and that's what helps give them that extra range..
You know things have gone way too far when the Renault Megane AND THE FLIPPING MUSTANG are now badges applied to blobby SUVs. Someone will probably respond to this with something about marketing departments, as if marketing departments are great gods that must be appeased, not awful committees that ruin everything and should be pushed off a cliff.
Haha cameraman Andy is every one of us. I’m not calling this the Smart Hashtag One. It’s the Smart Number One, or ‘smartwiddle’ as it could also be called.
I really dislike that fox on the main screen. When you're driving a vehicle, the last thing you want is something constantly moving in your peripheral vision.
Jack doesnt know that the drag coeff (cw) is only for "form". You still have to multiply it by the area (seen from the front). So a SUV can have a much better cw than a compact car and still have a much higher wind resistance.
@@davebrooks69 Total drag - Cd MULTIPLIED BY frontal area (very important). A low roofline goes a long way to keeping it slippery. Not this car though.
@@johnsmith-cw3wo The drag of the section is included in Cd. "The drag coefficient is a number that aerodynamicists use to model all of the complex dependencies of shape, The drag coefficient Cd is equal to the drag D divided by the quantity: density r times half the velocity V squared times the reference area A. Cd = D / (A * .5 * r * V^2) This equation gives us a way to determine a value for the drag coefficient. In a controlled environment (wind tunnel) we can set the velocity, density, and area and measure the drag produced. So to compare relative drag you multiply Cd by frontal area. I misused the term 'total drag' which has this relationship with speed too. I should have said RELATIVE drag. Quoting Cd figures on their own is seriously misleading because a vehicle with 'high stance' will have greater drag/power and lower mileage than one with a low profile despite the same Cd figure.
Never before have I been more disappointed that Smart departed the US market. I'd love if they'd come back, I would definitely consider purchasing one of these if they did so.
Sadly most car manufacturers are pulling anything that isn’t luxury or huge from America since Americans have the caveman mindset of „bigger is better“
@@MaticTheProto Chinese has that mindset too...but more to the internal space. You can see luxury brands like Mercedes BMW and Audi are all selling long wheelbase versions to China market. But I highly doubt if the Smart#1 will ever enter the U.S. market since we have Huawei and TikTok been so targeted by the U.S. government. I just ordered a Brabus version of this, it's really fun to drive.
Really just looking for an affordable EV 🤷♂️ 35k is still too much for the average consumer. Let alone these days with prices going up. Great video thanks!
I'll bet you could do without electric power liftgates, picture window entertainment screens and super expensive 19" wheels (with their crazy expensive tyres) too.
@@grahamstevenson1740 totally agreed, just give me the basics, regenerative braking, car (battery) to house/grid usage and fast charging with a 200> mile range. hardly need the rest 🤷♂😅
I'd be happy with a small town car sized EV as a run around but they are too expensive. I was tempted to get an E up but with some spec they sell for around £30k which i think is way too much. Some of the small car models from the Chinese market over here would be sweet. I love EV's and want one but i don't need one.
It costs 41k-48k and comes fully equipped with many features otherwise not available in that price class. You can’t even get a bare bones Mercedes EQ model for that. It’s a great deal!
This. It's useless to me. Nothing about this is a Smart. People have been converting Smart Roadsters to electric but it's a nightmare from what I've seen. Probably not for the relatively normal among us. :D
Not small, and not usefully sized either. That 'boot' is more like a boot-box that I could keep my boots in! You might get two bags of groceries in it, if you don't buy too much at once. Let us have some more ESTATE cars that can challenge the MG5 for quality, price, and availability!
I always said I’d never buy another Smart after the Smart for two I had 20 years ago that had all sorts of electrical and CPU problems plus the engine blowing up. Might change my mind now with their collaboration with Geely and it also looks quite premium. Just hope it don’t turn out more expensive than we think. I quite like the Ora Cat but that was launched costing more than I expected and doesn’t have the range I thought it would have
I really don't like how car manufacturers have started referring to mid £35k cars as "affordable" and "economy", anything over £25k is a premium car, full stop.
Why are all cars getting so big. Surely we should be moving away from the idea of city cars in 2023 esp. crossovers. Car clubs and public transport are so much more use to me and a lot cheaper.
the platform Smart use is called SEA platform, same as my Zeekr 001. by using this platform you can expect a quite premium driving feeling, however the software is Geely's longtime weakness, so hope they support carplay...
They wrote the length wrong, it's not 4750mm long it's actually 4270mm long, i thought so, it doesn't look like a 4750mm long car, if it was it would be the same size as a Volvo xc60😂
The Chevrolet Bolt EUV has more back seat leg room than this car, but I'm not suprised the now most affordable electric car in North America is being overlooked by fully charged once again.
It's kind of understandable because the car isn't new and it's not being sold in the UK so it would only be on their radar if their American correspondent happened to bring it up.
@@AlRoderick @Alexander Roderick this is true, however the EUV model is sort of a revamp with the new design language from chevrolet, and it's a fully charged favorite in terms of SUV Hatchback blobs, plus it's quite popular in Canada, where they're holding a live event soon. I think its within the realm of relevance for them.
@@joechavez1761 fair enough, but by "not new" I mean general motors is not doing a big push on it and the usual sort of press launch events that they'd get invited to aren't happening, which would be the occasion on which they would probably do a video about it other than a little news blurb about the price cut. All that stuff happened before they shut down the factory because of the recall. I also think that probably the big price cut is because they're going to discontinue the entire Bolt line earlier than expected. Both of them use an entirely different pack design than the new Ultium platform, so they are only going to keep selling them until they have a new small car to replace it. Right now the only thing in the pipeline is an Ultium based electric Equinox which is bigger than an EUV so presumably there would have to be some other kind of small Chevy EV based on the new architecture but it won't be called a Bolt.
Unfortunately GM sold their European operations to Stellaris. All the new Vauxhall / Opel cars are just slightly restyled Peugeots. Their EVs have a range of about 217 miles which isn't appealing to me. I think GM missed a trick by never selling the Bolt here. We did get the Volt but they are a rare sight. Tesla Model 3s are getting really common here despite them being a saloon with a trunk (a body style went out of fashion in the 1980s here). However, now that we are starting to see them I'm not that sure about the styling of the Model Y.
Very interested in seeing this in the flesh, and in some more exciting colours. Likely to be on my list as an eventually replacement for a much-loved BMW i3. Re the boot, there's actually quite a bit space under the floor, and the rear seats can slide forward (in addition to folding) about 13cm; should make it acceptable.
Maybe - but as I've put - many times - it is the six-foot straight length I require, for transporting long but light and fragile items - without the exhorbitant taxes of a van, which is classed as a commercial vehicle, even though it is not being used for commerce!
@@hamshackleton OK, but this is not want the mainstream need or want. Your's is a corner-case, and so you'll be forced to look for a niche solution, while the rest of us just want a good choice of interesting "normal".
@@Jimages_uk Yes, it is a pity that the i3 is going; it's such a great platform and I always think that a mild facelift, a tech refresh, and a battery update (say, 50-60kWh) would reboot this classic as a compelling option for at least another decade. After all, the car's never going to rust..!
I have owned probably 15 smarts over the last 18 years and they have all had styling cues in common. This has no smart design language at all. This is just a German designed car meant to please the Chinese market. It's basically a small Mercedes EQS SUV with the front central part of the bumper on upside down and a smart badge slapped on it. That back is almost identical. As for their insistence on calling it the Hashtag 1, for goodness sake smart, why are you aiming your marketing at pre-teens? They can't drive or afford a 35K car. It's not a bad looking car but it's not a smart. This isn't aimed at the existing owners who bought small cheap cars. It'll be bought by air-head blonde hairdressers/PA's who would buy a Mini Paceman or Fiat 500XL.
@@andrewsquires9134 go and sit in your safe space. I have 2 electric smarts and, as the descriptor points out, they are smart cars with electric motors. Electric cars are definitely the future, I'd never buy an ICE car again. The Hashtag One didn't have to look like a Mercedes because it's a smart. Certain cars attract certain people. Just look at most Fiat 500 owners.
I'd gladly trade in my existing and now vintage 2006 Smart Fortwo cdi for this one in a heartbeat if only I could... Bring back Smart to North America, please! Thank you!
Geely and BYD are two companies who seem to be making a lot of deals with other companies to co-engineer EVs or license out parts. There's Toyota-BYD, there's Renault Samsung-Geely, and there may even be a few new companies.
Loved the humour at the start of the video.... Interior is brilliant. Classy & spacious yet NOT a big car. So far ahead of the ID3 in its design.... For £35k... I would be interested. Just a few thousand more than the very dull MG and very competitive against the ID3. 👍👍👍
MG have just begun testing of their Mulan/MG4 hatchback (not an "electrified" ICE design this time!) and patent renders of their EV roadster have recently leaked.
@@WonkoTheSaneUK Thanks.... Yes I have seen the MG4 reviews. Power is definitely enough and if the finish inside is good. Then it will be the first cheap EV in the UK that is worth looking at. Not too big, not too small.
I know a lot of people don't like it, because of what it is and what it isn't anymore, but as someone, who never was a fan of Smart cars, they get me with this one.
I think it actually looks better than the previous models from Smart. The thing to remember is that virtually all our electronics is manufactured in the far East and China anyway, no matter whose brand name is on the item. Apple springs to mind. So the naysayers of Chinese tech are very out of touch. I hope these small City-Car EVs come down in price soon, as £30k is too steep compared with an ICE Ford Fiesta, etc.
Still too expensive. When are we going to get half decent sub £25k electric cars. I don't need all the spec, just a good underlying car with reasonable range
Thanks for the video. Hm, I need to see this in real life but first impressions are good. Length is 4,27m if I am not mistaken and not 4,75m as stated.
You're not allowed to use touchscreen because it's a video playing of what interface will (likely) look like. Another reviewer accidentally touched the screen and play button appeared like in a video player.
A great walk-around video, Jack - thanks 😊 And, whilst I'm not a fan myself of SUV / Crossover type cars, the rear-wheel-drive configuration is something that would attract me to this - I have a BMW i3 at the moment. Plus, the quality of the interior - at least on this initial look - is absolutely LEAGUES ahead of the dreadful plastic catastrophe that is the 'other' rear-wheel-drive contender, the iD.3...! So, yeh... potentially a very Smart choice... 😉
3:47 friendly reminder: it's not CEA platform, actually it's called SEA platform, stands for Sustainable Experience Architecture, it's been developed since 2020 by Geely and plant to be using for Zeekr, link&co such 100% electric vehicles.
Why the obsession with Cd? ID3 is 0.26. Fiat Tipo was 0.31 in the 80's. It's not all that. Boot is pitiful, ZOE has a bigger one. 338ltr. ID3 is better overall package for space. Will wait for a proper fourtwo, this misses the mark.
A 4.75m long Smart! Hahahaha I have seen it all now. That's longer than a focus estate. Jack mentioned how impressive the space is. It's not impressive, it's a result of having a car as long as the Thames.
Its virtually a copy of the new style mini. Chinese cars are well priced, adding the Mercedes name means that you get the Chinese car at Mercedes prices. Geely GSE £13.500. Smart £30,000. Why can't we get the cheaper prices that these cars are sold for in the rest of the world ?
This has to be a winner. Every car so far has been big $100,000 cars and so the first with a well made reasonably priced car, aimed at us ordinary people. Other small cars don't have the range ( Honda ) that the Smart car has!
With a longer bonnet than an ID.3, I don’t understand why they kept the Smart brand for it when they’ve thrown out everything about it other than the name. Why not throw that out too and lose the baggage of “tiny underpowered weirdmobile with poor safety scores”
I would rather have a short front for more bootspace. Had a w169, 5 door - really liked the small footprint, big boot layout. Should be easier with a electric drivetrain 🤞
As a long time smart owner (450&453), I agree on why not throw out the name. But "tiny underpowered weirdmobile with poor safety scores"... I just don't, as far as I know the smart set the safety benchmark on tiny cars, and performance wise, even the base engine has plenty of power even for b-roads. The very first 450s did lack power, but the 40Kw I've had was actually quite fun to drive.
From the 1950s the Mini was a tiny weirdmobile with poor safety scores. However, BMW stuck with the name for the new version and have made an entire brand from it.
I just don't think it's commersially possible quite yet. People are not prepared to pay a high price for the electric drivetrain and battery while skipping on the extras that drive up the price of the car. Maybe the currently very expensive fuel will change it though, when even value hunters (those spending less than €15 000 on a new car) start to look for an EV.
I do wonder if this is actually designed by Mercedes, or just rubber-stamped? Either way, it's another good EV to scare the competition. Better interior, better range and probably better price.
Really like this and if they bring out a 4wd version it will definitely be on my list for the replacement of my current car. In respect of the boot size - I understand that the rear seats slide forwards and backwards and therefore the size can be significantly expanded.
Great review as always, I think this is more about survival for Smart than choice, consumers seem to want these kind of cars and brands need to offer them if they want to remain in the main arena as such. I like the look of this inside and out, remains a little funky like a smart should be, although I think it's more a large bubble hatch back than SUV. Hopefully if it gets the money flowing for Smart they will bring back for for2 etc cause that's more wat we really need to see.
They charge what sufficient people are willing to pay for their target production numbers. I want a affordable EV too, I doubt we will have them for 3 to 4 more years. In the mean time, hopefully these premium products will help the companies invest in them.
@@ForeverNeverwhere1 I hope so too. Though looking at the shareholders profits for all these companies, greed - rich get richer, poor get poorer - not environmental or ethical principles - are their priority. Disappointing to see time and time again. Might be how the world is, but change takes an unreasonable person, I’ll start…
First rule of marketing. The audience decides. No one NO ONE is going to call it the 'hashtag' especially when a hash Infront of a number represents the word 'number'. Smart 1. They need to run with that. Geely Merc partnership seems like a great recipe
A well nice presentation 😀. Well this will be joining (I like it) the MG, Cat, ID3 and Kona on my short list to replace the Ioniq next year. I do think given the cost of fossil fuels and the need to get away asap from Russian exports the government should have a rethink and increase the car grant to provide more and cheaper options to the public. Come on Boris most of the country hates you so how about a bit more love 🙄
Daimler never made any profits with the Smart brand, so there were 2 options - shutting down the brand completely - giving the brand to a 3rd party manufacturer Daimler chose the 2nd option, and gave it to Geely, they developed this car and they build it in China now. Beside the roots of the brand Smart has nothing to do any more with the cars built in the past
Just when I thought you couldn't get any cooler.. You present a show wearing a Santa Cruz Tee, and pop up as editing jack wearing a thrasher mag tee.... What the actual EFF? GG!
Mid 30 k Rather expensive, can't help but feel they're trying to recover the money lost, with the diesel/petrol slumps 🤔 After all there's less parts etc.
Delay delivery in China now. In the past 2 months plus one week, totally 4606 cars were delivered. Official announced as lack of chipsets and the SIC motors. smart #1 started for ordered @ 06 June 2022 in China, but a lot of backlogs are holding in the manufacturer. Many of users ordered @ 07 June 2022, have to wait for delivery until next February 2023.
Smart collaboration! Whilst legacy is very well known to create the best exterior and interiors, their very downfall is their extremely untrustworthy method of propulsion. It is agreed Bosch makes amazing electric motors, but it's useless if the software doesn't mesh perfectly for flawless driving. Chinese vehicles are known to top legacy rivals due to all they learned from Tesla as of late, since they continue to use Tesla along with all their present learning processes they will continue to get better and enjoy runaway successes as they along with Tesla trample all legacy underfoot except those like Mercedes who made this ingenious collaboration of among the best of both worlds.
Watched this video when 1st published but wanted to refresh my memory. My 1st impressions haven't changed. I love everything about the car EXCEPT that VERY high center console. Its height would make it rather difficult to retrieve anything from the passenger footwell, especially if it happened to be something small you had accidentally dropped such as a mobile phone, meaning that you would have to get out of the car & go around to the passenger's side; very inconvenient in bad weather, at night (in a dodgy area perhaps?) & generally a somewhat tedious feature of daily use. Butter-fingered me would be forever having to do this. I would probably also find myself constantly banging my right elbow against the center console too. Overall, sadly I think the console design is an occasion of form over function, not the other way around as it should be.
I think I will wait for the smaller versions. Glad they carried across some of the styling from the cool little concept car Smart presented a few years ago with the yellow Bimini roof. 4700mm in length though...thats a big boy (I assume its a typo as this would make it bigger than a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which from personal experience is a barge on a blustery day to drive) keep up the good reporting. I quite like this car....It will make it onto the shortlist for next year. Having been in some ID3 and ID4 the interior quality was a bit poor, as indeed it was in the Uber spec Hyundai Ioniq 5 so hopefully this is as premium as it appears on camera
I doubt they maximized cabin space with such typical ICE car hood. Despite the small frunk mention, lines of front carrosserie elements do not suggest it is for daily usage. Central console design looks very Mercedes. That much head room for a tall guy, isn't it a loss of space and a waste of resources and energy?
I’m so happy I subscribed to this channel a while back. It’s very progressive and chic futuristic. I’m in South Africa 🇿🇦, and i hope that the change to renewable technologies come to Africa as soon as possible. These products must reach us too!
I'm not sure I'm ready to put my money into a Chinese-made car but having a premium European brand take a lead in design certainly helps. Whether us europeans will be willing to pay the premium we should expect over Chinese market prices for such a car is another matter though we already have MG, Volvo, Polestar, BMW....
If you're willing to put old-fashioned prejudices aside, European car makers have always been bad at making the boring mechanical parts that matter - the drivetrain, gearbox, engine, etc. - but great at making the cabins you sit in. Outsourcing the mechanicals but building the cabins in Europe is actually an ideal combination, as it would theoretically be comfortable *and* reliable.
@@johnknight9150 Happy to agree with you, if the sheet metalwork is indeed of the standard we expect from Euro manufacturers. When I started driving in the late 1960s a new car would start rusting almost immediately and would often be terminal before the rest was worn out. New car reviews tell you a lot about a car but not about the life expectancy of the body. Early signs from Geely/MG are not particularly encouraging.
Might be a slightly odd take on it, but that roofline (especially towards the back) reminded me of the 30's Packard or Duesenberg convertibles... plus some other nice retro cues in the design scheme, such as the wheel design call-back to the three stud ones on the original Smart Car and Smart Coupe.
Man I was hoping that with it being backed by Gealy it would have been lower cost. This vehicle would have been great at 25k. It’s about time that EV initial sale price gets closer to their ice counterparts.
I can't bring myself to watch another video about this abomination - but I did see a claim that Smart dropped a (one line) comment about potentially doing a proper Smart i.e. a 2 seater. If anyone heard anything about that watching this by all means give me a heads up. Meantime, as a former Smart owner, I'm looking to get a second hand Smart For Two electric or even better, the Chinese microcars if they ever come here. Size is the major selling point of the Smart brand after all. Smart as in, intelligent, as in, not having more seats or length than it needs.
Cars like this will be needed if we are ever to get country-wide EV adoption! Large SUV EVs are either too expensive for most people or too big for UK roads - or both!
The engineers who made this Smart car should get the opportunity to build a real small EV that can compete in the Chinese market - and also bring it to Europe, and more markets
Chinese hardware car, German price. Welcome to the future! How about letting the Chinese doing the design and just stamping the brand tag at the front? 😂😂😂 So Geely also designed the platform, the software and the user interface.. 😂😂 One day Geely managers may start thinking: "Why do we need Mercedes? " And European manufacturers want to compete in the car market of their own continent? 😂😂😂😂
In my opinion, the Geely partnership makes this car less desirable. I just want Western companies to start actually making things again instead of acting as a hollow "brand."
I resonance with Andy's frustrated walk away, there are so many of these crossover thingies 🤣
Love the intro, and I agree with you and Andy. We've got enough premium electric crossovers now, time for something different. (Hurry up with the small cars, saloons and estates already, I'm sick of '2025 concepts')
To many bloby SUVs driven by people that should know better.
MPVs, you're forgetting them!
Where have all the good CAR designers gone. I'm hankering after designs from the 1970s and 1980s ! A Cd of 0.29 is nothing to show off about either these days. Most Teslas are 0.22 and that's what helps give them that extra range..
You know things have gone way too far when the Renault Megane AND THE FLIPPING MUSTANG are now badges applied to blobby SUVs. Someone will probably respond to this with something about marketing departments, as if marketing departments are great gods that must be appeased, not awful committees that ruin everything and should be pushed off a cliff.
I would love a electric Mercedes A sedan, with a battery like this. Would be great for all those people that get one with their job like they are now.
Haha cameraman Andy is every one of us. I’m not calling this the Smart Hashtag One. It’s the Smart Number One, or ‘smartwiddle’ as it could also be called.
I really dislike that fox on the main screen. When you're driving a vehicle, the last thing you want is something constantly moving in your peripheral vision.
Jack doesnt know that the drag coeff (cw) is only for "form". You still have to multiply it by the area (seen from the front). So a SUV can have a much better cw than a compact car and still have a much higher wind resistance.
Thanks for that. I'm so used to motoring journalists just quoting it as if it is all you need to know.
@@davebrooks69 Total drag - Cd MULTIPLIED BY frontal area (very important). A low roofline goes a long way to keeping it slippery. Not this car though.
@@grahamstevenson1740 is not the just front area, is the total section of the car.
@@johnsmith-cw3wo The drag of the section is included in Cd.
"The drag coefficient is a number that aerodynamicists use to model all of the complex dependencies of shape, The drag coefficient Cd is equal to the drag D divided by the quantity: density r times half the velocity V squared times the reference area A.
Cd = D / (A * .5 * r * V^2)
This equation gives us a way to determine a value for the drag coefficient. In a controlled environment (wind tunnel) we can set the velocity, density, and area and measure the drag produced.
So to compare relative drag you multiply Cd by frontal area. I misused the term 'total drag' which has this relationship with speed too. I should have said RELATIVE drag. Quoting Cd figures on their own is seriously misleading because a vehicle with 'high stance' will have greater drag/power and lower mileage than one with a low profile despite the same Cd figure.
@@davebrooks69 It's completely misleading when quoted ALONE.
Never before have I been more disappointed that Smart departed the US market. I'd love if they'd come back, I would definitely consider purchasing one of these if they did so.
Every car needs a "Jack in the Back"
Honestly, I like that a whole lot better than most of the other crossovers we have here in the USA. It's a shame they won't sell it here.
Hopefully these end up coming back to us. I'd definitely consider purchasing one if they did that.
Sadly most car manufacturers are pulling anything that isn’t luxury or huge from America since Americans have the caveman mindset of „bigger is better“
@@MaticTheProto Chinese has that mindset too...but more to the internal space. You can see luxury brands like Mercedes BMW and Audi are all selling long wheelbase versions to China market. But I highly doubt if the Smart#1 will ever enter the U.S. market since we have Huawei and TikTok been so targeted by the U.S. government. I just ordered a Brabus version of this, it's really fun to drive.
@@pxtract actually compact cars are successful in china. They just prioritize rear space over trunk space
Really just looking for an affordable EV 🤷♂️ 35k is still too much for the average consumer. Let alone these days with prices going up. Great video thanks!
35k GBP = 41k Euro = 43.7k USD.
More than double what I paid for my current car (sub compact SUV).
I'll bet you could do without electric power liftgates, picture window entertainment screens and super expensive 19" wheels (with their crazy expensive tyres) too.
@@grahamstevenson1740 totally agreed, just give me the basics, regenerative braking, car (battery) to house/grid usage and fast charging with a 200> mile range. hardly need the rest 🤷♂😅
I'd be happy with a small town car sized EV as a run around but they are too expensive. I was tempted to get an E up but with some spec they sell for around £30k which i think is way too much. Some of the small car models from the Chinese market over here would be sweet.
I love EV's and want one but i don't need one.
It costs 41k-48k and comes fully equipped with many features otherwise not available in that price class. You can’t even get a bare bones Mercedes EQ model for that. It’s a great deal!
Your figures on the video for length are incorrect - it’s actually 4.27m long so closer to a Kona / ID3.
I hope they bring back the smart roadster as an EV, that would be so cool.
Smarts are meant to be small though, this isnt small
This. It's useless to me. Nothing about this is a Smart. People have been converting Smart Roadsters to electric but it's a nightmare from what I've seen. Probably not for the relatively normal among us. :D
Not small, and not usefully sized either. That 'boot' is more like a boot-box that I could keep my boots in! You might get two bags of groceries in it, if you don't buy too much at once. Let us have some more ESTATE cars that can challenge the MG5 for quality, price, and availability!
I hope they bring out a roadster version to. I have the Brabus roadster at the moment and I LOVE IT!!
@@MotorTorq_ZA - no, it's not in the UK, and it's petrol!
By US standards, it's not big. It's no ForTwo, but it isn't huge.
I always said I’d never buy another Smart after the Smart for two I had 20 years ago that had all sorts of electrical and CPU problems plus the engine blowing up. Might change my mind now with their collaboration with Geely and it also looks quite premium. Just hope it don’t turn out more expensive than we think. I quite like the Ora Cat but that was launched costing more than I expected and doesn’t have the range I thought it would have
Can't blame Andy. SUV trend was itself annoying. Then there's premium electric crossover SUV
I really don't like how car manufacturers have started referring to mid £35k cars as "affordable" and "economy", anything over £25k is a premium car, full stop.
Why are all cars getting so big. Surely we should be moving away from the idea of city cars in 2023 esp. crossovers. Car clubs and public transport are so much more use to me and a lot cheaper.
the platform Smart use is called SEA platform, same as my Zeekr 001. by using this platform you can expect a quite premium driving feeling, however the software is Geely's longtime weakness, so hope they support carplay...
They wrote the length wrong, it's not 4750mm long it's actually 4270mm long, i thought so, it doesn't look like a 4750mm long car, if it was it would be the same size as a Volvo xc60😂
So did Smart actually phonetically spell out that it should be "hashtag" 1? Because that thing is actually a number sign, which would make more sense?
Or a hash sign.
Octothorpe
@@Joe-lb8qn or pound sign, in the context of phones anyway
@@adamlytle2615 Yep. I s they can say it means whatever they want it to mean !
@@Joe-lb8qnthe new smart tic-tac-toe game one
Let’s have the people carrier back. Smartly designed, ultra space efficient, low boot floors and great range.
That’s the Smart #1 summed up
@@MaticTheProto except it's not space efficient at all with a really tiny boot...
@@Dreadpirateflappy it's honestly not tiny with the under floor storage, frunk, movable second row with cargo positions for the seats etc.
@@Dreadpirateflappy and if necessary you can fold down a seat too. I've sat in one already it's great
The Chevrolet Bolt EUV has more back seat leg room than this car, but I'm not suprised the now most affordable electric car in North America is being overlooked by fully charged once again.
It's kind of understandable because the car isn't new and it's not being sold in the UK so it would only be on their radar if their American correspondent happened to bring it up.
@@AlRoderick @Alexander Roderick this is true, however the EUV model is sort of a revamp with the new design language from chevrolet, and it's a fully charged favorite in terms of SUV Hatchback blobs, plus it's quite popular in Canada, where they're holding a live event soon. I think its within the realm of relevance for them.
@@joechavez1761 fair enough, but by "not new" I mean general motors is not doing a big push on it and the usual sort of press launch events that they'd get invited to aren't happening, which would be the occasion on which they would probably do a video about it other than a little news blurb about the price cut. All that stuff happened before they shut down the factory because of the recall. I also think that probably the big price cut is because they're going to discontinue the entire Bolt line earlier than expected. Both of them use an entirely different pack design than the new Ultium platform, so they are only going to keep selling them until they have a new small car to replace it. Right now the only thing in the pipeline is an Ultium based electric Equinox which is bigger than an EUV so presumably there would have to be some other kind of small Chevy EV based on the new architecture but it won't be called a Bolt.
Unfortunately GM sold their European operations to Stellaris. All the new Vauxhall / Opel cars are just slightly restyled Peugeots. Their EVs have a range of about 217 miles which isn't appealing to me.
I think GM missed a trick by never selling the Bolt here. We did get the Volt but they are a rare sight. Tesla Model 3s are getting really common here despite them being a saloon with a trunk (a body style went out of fashion in the 1980s here). However, now that we are starting to see them I'm not that sure about the styling of the Model Y.
This episode was especially fun for me to watch, it was like Jack was yelling at me 😁
Very interested in seeing this in the flesh, and in some more exciting colours. Likely to be on my list as an eventually replacement for a much-loved BMW i3. Re the boot, there's actually quite a bit space under the floor, and the rear seats can slide forward (in addition to folding) about 13cm; should make it acceptable.
If it were a real Smart the panels could be changed very easily for far less than a paint job. All sorts of colours and livery were available.
Maybe - but as I've put - many times - it is the six-foot straight length I require, for transporting long but light and fragile items - without the exhorbitant taxes of a van, which is classed as a commercial vehicle, even though it is not being used for commerce!
My very first thoughts were that this is the next i3, seeing as BMW aren't going to have a direct replacement in their line up.
@@hamshackleton OK, but this is not want the mainstream need or want. Your's is a corner-case, and so you'll be forced to look for a niche solution, while the rest of us just want a good choice of interesting "normal".
@@Jimages_uk Yes, it is a pity that the i3 is going; it's such a great platform and I always think that a mild facelift, a tech refresh, and a battery update (say, 50-60kWh) would reboot this classic as a compelling option for at least another decade. After all, the car's never going to rust..!
Well, that certainly is an improvement on the Wheego XD
EDIT: Oh ffs, its a small compact, and its still 35 Grand?
41k €. He’s talking about pounds.
It’s worth every cent tho
I have owned probably 15 smarts over the last 18 years and they have all had styling cues in common. This has no smart design language at all.
This is just a German designed car meant to please the Chinese market. It's basically a small Mercedes EQS SUV with the front central part of the bumper on upside down and a smart badge slapped on it. That back is almost identical.
As for their insistence on calling it the Hashtag 1, for goodness sake smart, why are you aiming your marketing at pre-teens? They can't drive or afford a 35K car.
It's not a bad looking car but it's not a smart. This isn't aimed at the existing owners who bought small cheap cars. It'll be bought by air-head blonde hairdressers/PA's who would buy a Mini Paceman or Fiat 500XL.
I mean the airhead comment is needless isn't it? Who cares who buys it as long as we keep replacing those diesels and petrols with EVs?
@@ch4.hayabusa he is implying that blondes and hairdressers are stupid and will buy this car. It's a comment from the 1970s. Pigheaded and sexist.
@@andrewsquires9134 go and sit in your safe space. I have 2 electric smarts and, as the descriptor points out, they are smart cars with electric motors. Electric cars are definitely the future, I'd never buy an ICE car again. The Hashtag One didn't have to look like a Mercedes because it's a smart. Certain cars attract certain people. Just look at most Fiat 500 owners.
I'd gladly trade in my existing and now vintage 2006 Smart Fortwo cdi for this one in a heartbeat if only I could... Bring back Smart to North America, please! Thank you!
Apart from the back, I like the look. I hope small to mid size EV get a bit more range and drop below £30K.
There will be a mountain of Chinese EV's entering the market in the next 2 years. You will get your wish.
The EVs selling in China now are all cheaper and better with longer range.
@@davefroman4700 It Already Chinese Since They Are Bigger Shareholder In Many Europe Car Brand
Geely and BYD are two companies who seem to be making a lot of deals with other companies to co-engineer EVs or license out parts. There's Toyota-BYD, there's Renault Samsung-Geely, and there may even be a few new companies.
Loved the humour at the start of the video.... Interior is brilliant. Classy & spacious yet NOT a big car. So far ahead of the ID3 in its design.... For £35k... I would be interested. Just a few thousand more than the very dull MG and very competitive against the ID3. 👍👍👍
MG have just begun testing of their Mulan/MG4 hatchback (not an "electrified" ICE design this time!) and patent renders of their EV roadster have recently leaked.
@@WonkoTheSaneUK Thanks.... Yes I have seen the MG4 reviews. Power is definitely enough and if the finish inside is good. Then it will be the first cheap EV in the UK that is worth looking at. Not too big, not too small.
I know a lot of people don't like it, because of what it is and what it isn't anymore, but as someone, who never was a fan of Smart cars, they get me with this one.
The location of the charge port is actually an important feature now that Tesla are opening the supercharger network in the UK.
My daughter loves her 2015 smart electric drive -glad to see this new electric smart and hoping to see them in the US. 🤞🏼 Very snazz indeed.
Andy is right on not wanting to be there! And that was quite funny as well
I think it actually looks better than the previous models from Smart. The thing to remember is that virtually all our electronics is manufactured in the far East and China anyway, no matter whose brand name is on the item. Apple springs to mind. So the naysayers of Chinese tech are very out of touch. I hope these small City-Car EVs come down in price soon, as £30k is too steep compared with an ICE Ford Fiesta, etc.
I own a 2015 Smart ED, which I love. This is not a smart car. It's another SUV.
Still too expensive. When are we going to get half decent sub £25k electric cars. I don't need all the spec, just a good underlying car with reasonable range
Thanks for the video. Hm, I need to see this in real life but first impressions are good.
Length is 4,27m if I am not mistaken and not 4,75m as stated.
It does make all the difference, when I sat in a Ora Cat at fully charged live I was well impressed, it's a real TARDIS
This car seems much more useable than almost every other EV I've seen. Most people need inexpensive, reliable, easy to park transportation.
Fantastic review, makes me want one even though it still unaffordable.
You're not allowed to use touchscreen because it's a video playing of what interface will (likely) look like. Another reviewer accidentally touched the screen and play button appeared like in a video player.
A great walk-around video, Jack - thanks 😊
And, whilst I'm not a fan myself of SUV / Crossover type cars, the rear-wheel-drive configuration is something that would attract me to this - I have a BMW i3 at the moment.
Plus, the quality of the interior - at least on this initial look - is absolutely LEAGUES ahead of the dreadful plastic catastrophe that is the 'other' rear-wheel-drive contender, the iD.3...!
So, yeh... potentially a very Smart choice... 😉
3:47 friendly reminder: it's not CEA platform, actually it's called SEA platform, stands for Sustainable Experience Architecture, it's been developed since 2020 by Geely and plant to be using for Zeekr, link&co such 100% electric vehicles.
Why the obsession with Cd?
ID3 is 0.26.
Fiat Tipo was 0.31 in the 80's. It's not all that.
Boot is pitiful, ZOE has a bigger one. 338ltr. ID3 is better overall package for space.
Will wait for a proper fourtwo, this misses the mark.
A 4.75m long Smart! Hahahaha I have seen it all now. That's longer than a focus estate. Jack mentioned how impressive the space is. It's not impressive, it's a result of having a car as long as the Thames.
They’ve put the wrong figures on. It isn’t 4.7m long.
4270mm long apparently
Totally useless interior space too. Modern BLOB cars seem to have perfected LARGE ON THE OUTSIDE, small on the inside.
Massive bonnet why ?
@@conradknightsocksknight1590 Mystery.
The major gripe people have with Chinese cars is the fact that you support Xin Jinpings China when you buy them.
Things you don't need in a city car:
1. SUV
2. 66 Kwh battery
3. 200 Kw motor
4. 35k price tag
design is a learning curve, eventually Geely wont need Merc since it has all the tech
Mercedes will be sandwiched between Tesla & Geely
@@reggiebuffat Tesla will soon be irrelevant
I was surprised that lenght was stated at 4750mm (5:34) but turns out the real length is a more modest 4270mm
Its virtually a copy of the new style mini. Chinese cars are well priced, adding the Mercedes name means that you get the Chinese car at Mercedes prices.
Geely GSE £13.500.
Smart £30,000.
Why can't we get the cheaper prices that these cars are sold for in the rest of the world ?
Looks far better to me too.
because it's a smart
This has to be a winner. Every car so far has been big $100,000 cars and so the first with a well made reasonably priced car, aimed at us ordinary people. Other small cars don't have the range ( Honda ) that the Smart car has!
With a longer bonnet than an ID.3, I don’t understand why they kept the Smart brand for it when they’ve thrown out everything about it other than the name. Why not throw that out too and lose the baggage of “tiny underpowered weirdmobile with poor safety scores”
I would rather have a short front for more bootspace. Had a w169, 5 door - really liked the small footprint, big boot layout. Should be easier with a electric drivetrain 🤞
As a long time smart owner (450&453), I agree on why not throw out the name. But "tiny underpowered weirdmobile with poor safety scores"... I just don't, as far as I know the smart set the safety benchmark on tiny cars, and performance wise, even the base engine has plenty of power even for b-roads. The very first 450s did lack power, but the 40Kw I've had was actually quite fun to drive.
From the 1950s the Mini was a tiny weirdmobile with poor safety scores. However, BMW stuck with the name for the new version and have made an entire brand from it.
@@MrDuncl sure, but they made it look like a Mini. Whereas the new Smart looks more like a Mini than a Smart.
6:40 from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes, really impressive for a "small" EV!
Great review, thank you for sharing, Jack! 🔌⚡🚘
Hopefully Smart will bring out a much cheaper, lower spec version at around £20k .... that would be interesting (Smart..)
I just don't think it's commersially possible quite yet. People are not prepared to pay a high price for the electric drivetrain and battery while skipping on the extras that drive up the price of the car. Maybe the currently very expensive fuel will change it though, when even value hunters (those spending less than €15 000 on a new car) start to look for an EV.
20k? Even the cheapest chinese evs don’t manage that
@@MaticTheProto the current smart EQ is around 20k (no longer available stateside)
@@MaticTheProto cheapest Chinese car according to Google US$ 7,500.00
@@williammillard687 yeah. But the current smart eq also had a way smaller battery. That’s the main price factor
“But is there enough room for a Jack in the back.” I’ll just leave that here.
LOL!
I do wonder if this is actually designed by Mercedes, or just rubber-stamped? Either way, it's another good EV to scare the competition. Better interior, better range and probably better price.
You can see the Mercedes DNA everywhere. From the centre console to the light bars
Looks alright. Why does it have wing mirrors? Very 1950's mirrors! Why the large thing between the front seats? It will be to expensive!!
Really like this and if they bring out a 4wd version it will definitely be on my list for the replacement of my current car.
In respect of the boot size - I understand that the rear seats slide forwards and backwards and therefore the size can be significantly expanded.
German engineering - Chinese made, so basically like the BMW iX3 etc. from China 🤔🤓
Nope, Chinese engineering, German design.
It's giving me GV60 feels, especially with the clamshell hood, grille shape and body kit.
Would somebody please bring us a convertible EV already?
thanks geely, you're saving so many marques
Great review as always, I think this is more about survival for Smart than choice, consumers seem to want these kind of cars and brands need to offer them if they want to remain in the main arena as such. I like the look of this inside and out, remains a little funky like a smart should be, although I think it's more a large bubble hatch back than SUV. Hopefully if it gets the money flowing for Smart they will bring back for for2 etc cause that's more wat we really need to see.
I certainly don't want anything that UGLY ! Plus they're small on the inside.
@@grahamstevenson1740 what? The #1 can literally fit a basketball player in the back.
Apparently the #1 is so successful in China that they already are considering a #2 and #3, probably being a fortwo and a roadster
Looks like what a modern mini should look like
Ironically the electric mini teased for 2024 has worse specs than the smart has now
Another "more expensive than ICE" car which puts it well out of reach for ordinary folks. When will manufacturers learn.
They charge what sufficient people are willing to pay for their target production numbers. I want a affordable EV too, I doubt we will have them for 3 to 4 more years. In the mean time, hopefully these premium products will help the companies invest in them.
@@ForeverNeverwhere1 I hope so too. Though looking at the shareholders profits for all these companies, greed - rich get richer, poor get poorer - not environmental or ethical principles - are their priority. Disappointing to see time and time again. Might be how the world is, but change takes an unreasonable person, I’ll start…
First rule of marketing. The audience decides. No one NO ONE is going to call it the 'hashtag' especially when a hash Infront of a number represents the word 'number'.
Smart 1. They need to run with that.
Geely Merc partnership seems like a great recipe
A well nice presentation 😀. Well this will be joining (I like it) the MG, Cat, ID3 and Kona on my short list to replace the Ioniq next year. I do think given the cost of fossil fuels and the need to get away asap from Russian exports the government should have a rethink and increase the car grant to provide more and cheaper options to the public. Come on Boris most of the country hates you so how about a bit more love 🙄
Megane?
For sub 25k cars only.
It's the love child of a Mini and a Adam!!!
What have they done to Smart!? That isn't a cute little city car! It's a hideous samey SUV blob with a Smart badge.
Daimler never made any profits with the Smart brand, so there were 2 options
- shutting down the brand completely
- giving the brand to a 3rd party manufacturer
Daimler chose the 2nd option, and gave it to Geely, they developed this car and they build it in China now. Beside the roots of the brand Smart has nothing to do any more with the cars built in the past
Very interesting car, with enough credentials to make it a success. Look forward to test driving it.
All I want is a cheap tin box on wheels. No tech, no luxury, big boot.
Good point, this should always be an option.
In this case you might be interested in the Dacia Spring, which meets your criteria.
@@simonm1447 Thank you. I will have a look.
Andy is my spirit animal
Now that's a really really nice car and definitely the most interesting in it's group. Looking forward to seeing the test drive!
Just when I thought you couldn't get any cooler.. You present a show wearing a Santa Cruz Tee, and pop up as editing jack wearing a thrasher mag tee.... What the actual EFF? GG!
Mid 30 k
Rather expensive, can't help but feel they're trying to recover the money lost, with the diesel/petrol slumps 🤔
After all there's less parts etc.
Delay delivery in China now. In the past 2 months plus one week, totally 4606 cars were delivered. Official announced as lack of chipsets and the SIC motors. smart #1 started for ordered @ 06 June 2022 in China, but a lot of backlogs are holding in the manufacturer. Many of users ordered @ 07 June 2022, have to wait for delivery until next February 2023.
A new premium electric SUV🥱😴
A new entry level electric car😀😍
Smart collaboration! Whilst legacy is very well known to create the best exterior and interiors, their very downfall is their extremely untrustworthy method of propulsion. It is agreed Bosch makes amazing electric motors, but it's useless if the software doesn't mesh perfectly for flawless driving. Chinese vehicles are known to top legacy rivals due to all they learned from Tesla as of late, since they continue to use Tesla along with all their present learning processes they will continue to get better and enjoy runaway successes as they along with Tesla trample all legacy underfoot except those like Mercedes who made this ingenious collaboration of among the best of both worlds.
Teslas only sell well because they still have a slight tech advantage, but that is shrinking fast
Drove a Small Smart car before choosing the VW Up. The ride and quality of the Smart was woeful. Hope this is a vast improvement.
Is this really the best they can do with the design? Looks like a rounded off mini
Watched this video when 1st published but wanted to refresh my memory. My 1st impressions haven't changed. I love everything about the car EXCEPT that VERY high center console. Its height would make it rather difficult to retrieve anything from the passenger footwell, especially if it happened to be something small you had accidentally dropped such as a mobile phone, meaning that you would have to get out of the car & go around to the passenger's side; very inconvenient in bad weather, at night (in a dodgy area perhaps?) & generally a somewhat tedious feature of daily use. Butter-fingered me would be forever having to do this.
I would probably also find myself constantly banging my right elbow against the center console too. Overall, sadly I think the console design is an occasion of form over function, not the other way around as it should be.
I think I will wait for the smaller versions. Glad they carried across some of the styling from the cool little concept car Smart presented a few years ago with the yellow Bimini roof. 4700mm in length though...thats a big boy (I assume its a typo as this would make it bigger than a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which from personal experience is a barge on a blustery day to drive) keep up the good reporting. I quite like this car....It will make it onto the shortlist for next year. Having been in some ID3 and ID4 the interior quality was a bit poor, as indeed it was in the Uber spec Hyundai Ioniq 5 so hopefully this is as premium as it appears on camera
4.2m long - Fully Charged’s graphics are wrong. Shorter than an ID3.
4270mm in length.
It's an EQS BMW Mini, I'd be checking my patents if I was BMW!
Great insight into an interesting partnership between Mercedes & Geely - love the presentation by Jack 👏👏
I doubt they maximized cabin space with such typical ICE car hood. Despite the small frunk mention, lines of front carrosserie elements do not suggest it is for daily usage.
Central console design looks very Mercedes. That much head room for a tall guy, isn't it a loss of space and a waste of resources and energy?
Nice combo of fun and info as per usual, young Jack. Not so sure about the suddenly non-threatening wardrobe, though. What happened to the quirkness?
Quite a good Robert impression at the beginning
I’m so happy I subscribed to this channel a while back. It’s very progressive and chic futuristic. I’m in South Africa 🇿🇦, and i hope that the change to renewable technologies come to Africa as soon as possible. These products must reach us too!
I'm not sure I'm ready to put my money into a Chinese-made car but having a premium European brand take a lead in design certainly helps. Whether us europeans will be willing to pay the premium we should expect over Chinese market prices for such a car is another matter though we already have MG, Volvo, Polestar, BMW....
Don't worry, plenty will. Chinese tech is far ahead in EV. This is reality whether you're ready to accept it or not.
If you're willing to put old-fashioned prejudices aside, European car makers have always been bad at making the boring mechanical parts that matter - the drivetrain, gearbox, engine, etc. - but great at making the cabins you sit in. Outsourcing the mechanicals but building the cabins in Europe is actually an ideal combination, as it would theoretically be comfortable *and* reliable.
@@johnknight9150 Happy to agree with you, if the sheet metalwork is indeed of the standard we expect from Euro manufacturers. When I started driving in the late 1960s a new car would start rusting almost immediately and would often be terminal before the rest was worn out. New car reviews tell you a lot about a car but not about the life expectancy of the body. Early signs from Geely/MG are not particularly encouraging.
I had a 2001 Smart car which I absolutely loved. This is not a Smart car, it's a fat pile of Meh. :/
Might be a slightly odd take on it, but that roofline (especially towards the back) reminded me of the 30's Packard or Duesenberg convertibles... plus some other nice retro cues in the design scheme, such as the wheel design call-back to the three stud ones on the original Smart Car and Smart Coupe.
I was a Smart fan from the beginning. That is not a Smart. It is not small, its not cute, its not smart. Sorry not for me.
Im getting serious Mini Cooper vibes, but its nice car !
Great presentation, I really like the SMART #1.
If only they would make an electric smart roadster.
Man I was hoping that with it being backed by Gealy it would have been lower cost. This vehicle would have been great at 25k. It’s about time that EV initial sale price gets closer to their ice counterparts.
Absolutely love the interior & exterior design.
I can't bring myself to watch another video about this abomination - but I did see a claim that Smart dropped a (one line) comment about potentially doing a proper Smart i.e. a 2 seater. If anyone heard anything about that watching this by all means give me a heads up. Meantime, as a former Smart owner, I'm looking to get a second hand Smart For Two electric or even better, the Chinese microcars if they ever come here. Size is the major selling point of the Smart brand after all. Smart as in, intelligent, as in, not having more seats or length than it needs.
Maybe BAOJUN kiwi ev？Long range, quality interior, little funky ev.
Cars like this will be needed if we are ever to get country-wide EV adoption!
Large SUV EVs are either too expensive for most people or too big for UK roads - or both!
Overpriced.... Not very smart... Come on Andy nothing to see here 🤷🏻♂️
The engineers who made this Smart car should get the opportunity to build a real small EV that can compete in the Chinese market - and also bring it to Europe, and more markets
Chinese hardware car, German price. Welcome to the future! How about letting the Chinese doing the design and just stamping the brand tag at the front? 😂😂😂
So Geely also designed the platform, the software and the user interface.. 😂😂
One day Geely managers may start thinking: "Why do we need Mercedes? " And European manufacturers want to compete in the car market of their own continent? 😂😂😂😂
Geely owns 9.7% of Mercedes Group
In my opinion, the Geely partnership makes this car less desirable. I just want Western companies to start actually making things again instead of acting as a hollow "brand."