smart’s Latest SUV is Even Bigger But Clearly Not Sexier

The smart brand, which was discontinued in North America five years ago and is now equally owned by Mercedes-Benz and Chinese automaker Geely, might be famous for its quirky microcars, but that didn’t stop it from launching a pair of crossovers in recent years.

Set to join the cute #1 and the sexy #3 later this year, here comes an even larger crossover called #5 with much more polarizing looks.

• Also: smart #1 SUV Makes us Wish for a Return to Canada
• Also: smart’s First-ever SUV Previewed by Stunning Concept

The pictures you see here come from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which has a habit of revealing new vehicles before they hit the market. They show the production model that’s based on the rugged and adventurous concept introduced at Auto China in Beijing earlier this spring.

According to the specs that have surfaced online, the smart #5 is roughly the same size as the Tesla Model Y, measuring 4.71 metres long (with a wheelbase of 2.9 metres), 1.92 metres wide and 1.71 metres tall.

In terms of styling, it’s a radical departure from its smaller siblings, which are more akin to Mercedes-Benz EVs. Similar to many vehicles aimed primarily at the Chinese market, the #5 features various design cues that appear questionable to the eyes of North American customers. The headlight and taillight signature is obviously one example, but the treatment of the lower bumpers and the shapes of the rear section stick out, too.

If you’re wondering whether the vehicle looks better in a different body colour, say white or red, just see for yourself in the photo gallery at the top of the page. By the way, the #5 offers a wide selection of trims, accents and wheels including subtle red touches all around. There are no shots of the interior, unfortunately.

As for motivation, single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD variants are available with output amounting to 335-358 horsepower and up to 637 horsepower, respectively. That’s impressive. Likewise, the 100+ kWh battery is said to charge from 10-80 percent in just 15 minutes thanks to the vehicle’s 800V architecture. Range is estimated at 549 km on the WLTP test cycle.

Following its launch in China in the second half of 2024, the smart #5 is expected to head over to Europe. Needless to say we won’t see it in Canada—and that’s fine. We’re more excited about upcoming electric SUVs and crossovers such as the Kia EV3 and Jeep Wagoneer S.