The Smart car is dead, long live the Smart car! That’s the message from Mercedes-Benz following the recent launch of its all-new Smart #1, which is a far cry from the toylike original that first hit the streets exactly 25 years ago.
Not only is the latest version available with electric power only, but it now has four seats, is 4.3m long – as opposed to the first car’s 2.7m – and carries an entry-level price tag of £35,950.
That rises to £38,950 for the #1 Premium and a hefty £43,450 for the #1 Brabus.
Classed as a “compact SUV”, the luxurious Smart #1 bears little resemblance to the basic and truncated two-seater that appeared in 1998, which could be parked nose-on to the pavement without protruding too far into the road. That might not be possible with the Smart #1, but the car is so different that maybe it shouldn’t have been called a Smart at all.
For a start it’s built in Ningbo, China, by the giant Geely automotive group, which struck a deal with Mercedes-Benz to manufacture the cars in a joint venture. And, unusually for today, it arrives “as is” with no accessory boxes to tick other than ‘tow bar’.