A pioneer in urban mobility is the latest part of a wave of new Chinese -made vehicles to come to Australia that look set to increasingly change the look of the Australian fleet.
Smart, originally known for its two-seater mini cars, has launched two new all-electric vehicles the smart #1 urban SUV, smart #3 and smart #5.
Smart was originally a subsidiary of Mercedes- Benz and still works with the prestige German brand for its design but the cars are made under the Geely banner.
Smart launched its first EV test programme more than 15 years ago in Europe and was the first established automotive marque to complete the transition from internal combustion to fully electric power in 2019.
Now it is offering larger SUV sized passenger cars that are proving amongst the biggest sellers in Australia.
Changing car parc
The launch of smart in Australia is also part of a wider trend signalled by the new Vehicle Efficiency Standard where the Australian market will open up to more low-emission brands.
Chinese car brands have leapt on the opportunity to offer a wider range of electric or hybrid models, with some offering more affordable prices.
In the next 12 months alone, there are seven Chinese brands expected to start selling cars in Australia. Zeekr and Xpeng have announced models and JAC Motors, Leapmotor, Skywell, and Jaecoo will also join already-established brands, such as Chery, LDV, GWM, Haval, and BYD.
Chine is currently the third largest country of origin for new vehicles including Tesla.
“The proportions of the #1 urban SUV take a different design direction to that of the diminutive city cars for which the brand was known, expanding smart’s appeal and broadening its audience,” the company said
The smart cars, though aimed at its speciality market of urban travel, have ranges claimed to be from 420 to 435km and range in price from $55,00 to $70,000 for premium models.
The smart #1 delivers peak power of 200 kW, 180 km/h maximum speed and an AC charge of 10-80% at 22 kW in 3 hours. With DC superfast charging, this can be achieved in less than 30 minutes.
Best of both worlds
The makers claim they have the best of German design and Chinese technology.
The China Automotive Engineering Research Institute in Chongqing features the country’s most advanced automobile aerodynamics testing centre,” smart said in a product release statement.
“Here, the smart #1 measured a drag coefficient performance of just 0.29, a high achievement, especially when compared side-by-side with SUV segment competitors. The drag coefficient is the core factor influencing a vehicle’s energy consumption, range, wind noise and stability at high speed.
“The all-new car is the product of the collaboration of the Mercedes-Benz Design Studio team, which introduced a new design-DNA for the brand. Three keywords are building blocks for the new car: love, pure and unexpected. Combined with the frameless doors and the floating halo roof, the seamless treatment of glass sets design exclamation marks and expresses the new premium standard for smart.
Head of smart Australia Michael Low said they were proud of the products they were able to bring to the Australian market.,
“From the exceptional standard specification of the Pro+, which offers features usually associated with luxury cars, to the incredible performance of BRABUS, which leaves purpose-built sports cars trailing in its wake and the Premium model with its luxurious interior, we look forward to Australians reacquainting themselves with the smart brand and the new products across our line-up.”