A brand based around tiny cars is a strategy of the past for Smart, which is looking to forge a new path in the electric SUV space.
Originally a collaboration between Daimler and Swiss watchmaker Swatch, Smart has been under the co-parenthood of Chinese company Geely and Mercedes-Benz since 2019.
The brand rose to prominence in the 2000s with the diminutive ForTwo, a two-seat city hatch built for the tight dimensions of European city streets.
However, sales tapered off into the 2010s, and Smart ultimately left Australia in 2015. Under new ownership, the brand is re-launching Down Under with the #1 and #3 electric SUVs, both significantly larger than the Smart models of yesteryear.
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Smart ForTwo
The Smart ForTwo measured in at approximately 2.7m long and 1.56m wide, while the bigger ForFour stretched out to 3.75m long and 1.68m wide.
Fast forward one decade, and the new electric models have grown significantly, between 4.3-4.4m long and 1.82-1.84m wide.
The #1 and #3 are also far heavier than their predecessors, which sat between 750kg and just over 1000kg.
Built in China, Smart’s new offerings are based on the same platform as the Volvo EX30, a manufacturer that also falls under the Geely umbrella.
Global distributor LSH Auto has taken charge of Smart’s return to the Australian market, with cars to be sold out of LSH showrooms in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
Smart #5
The shift in strategy risks a drop in brand recognition, but Michael Low, LSH Auto head of Smart in Australia, doesn’t believe the brand’s founding models were ever defined by their size.
“I’ve had people say people say the #1 and #3 are getting away from the brand. We completely disagree, because the Smart ForTwo wasn’t about being a small car, it was about being different,” Mr Low told CarExpert at the global launch of the Smart #5.
“It’s new from what it was. It’s fully electric, it’s unique in the fact that it’s designed by Mercedes-Benz, and there’s a reinvention of its size.”
Smart’s head of design, Kai Sieber was tasked with bridging the gap between Smart’s past and future, which was packaged into a three-word design philosophy – love, pure, and unexpected.
Speaking with CarExpert, Mr Sieber said that those pillars carry across all generations of Smart vehicles, from the original Roadster to the big, boxy #5.
Smart #3
“When we decided to do a city car, it was simply small with completely unique proportions,” Mr Sieber explained.
“This is a complete reset for the brand but we want to keep the spirit, Smart has always been a very true, honest product.
“Smart has always had some roundness and the design philosophy is still love, pure, and unexpected.”
Australian deliveries of the #1 and #3 have now commenced, while the #5 is expected to arrive late next year.
Unveiled in Australia, the #5 is not only Smart’s biggest car to date but also its first attempt at a vehicle with genuine off-road capability.
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