This is Smart #5: First look at Premium and Brabus variant, coming to Malaysia this October

Yes, Smart #5 may have been previewed at Malaysia Autoshow earlier this year, but my formal introduction to the new electric SUV only took place just earlier this week.  Smart called its most versatile vehicle to date, but from my brief time with two static units at the media preview, I would like to call it the most practical EV from Smart at the moment.

Space is one of Smart #5’s main strengths

While Smart #1 and #3 were SUVs, they have a more compact form factor, even though they are nowhere near what we can consider cramped. The arrival of Smart #5 adds a new dimension to the family by being the most spacious Smart EV to date.

The clear abundance of space within the Smart #5 is further accentuated by the One-Touch Comfort Mode for the rear passenger section, located immediately behind the front passenger seat. Also fondly referred to as the “boss mode”, just press the button on the side of the rear passenger seat, and the front passenger seat will then move away while the seat itself will recline a few degrees.

Meanwhile, the Smart #5 also has a massive boot space of 630L, which can be expanded further to 1,530L when the rear seats are folded. Smart #5 Premium and Pro variant also has substantial 72L frunk space, but their Brabus counterparts have to make do with  47L of frunk space since it has to share the area with the EV’s front motor.

Smart #5 is also a range master

Another reason why I called Smart #5 the brand’s most practical model to date is the amount of range that it is able to deliver. Out of the three variants that are coming to Malaysia later this year, Smart #5 Premium is the most capable of them with a WLTP-rated range of 590km.

That is enough range to get you from Kuala Lumpur to Kangar in a single charge, and even then, you should have plenty of range still left to utilise. You most probably still have to stop along the way, though, as everyone has their own “bladder range”.

Interestingly enough, Smart #5 Brabus is capable of doing so too, albeit its range is slightly lower at 540km. Then again, both Premium and Brabus are equipped with a big 100kWh NMC battery, which explains why they are capable of going the distance.

On the other hand, the Smart #5 Pro, which is running on a 76kWh LFP battery, has the shortest range among the three variants with 465km. That is still enough to cover the distance between Kuala Lumpur and Alor Setar without stopping.

Smart #5 800V architecture enables super-fast charging

It is nice to have a large battery since it generally allows your EV to go the distance, but it may take a long time to charge the battery. That is unless the EV can support blazingly fast charging speed, which is exactly what Smart #5 Premium and Brabus can do.

Thanks to the 800V battery architecture, both of these Smart #5 variants are capable of supporting a DC charging speed of up to 400kW. This resulted in the ability to get the EV from 10% to 80% in just 15 minutes – of course, this still depends on the DC charger that you used.

But nevertheless, this made it possible that the Smart #5 Premium and Brabus might be ready to go even before the café barista is able to sort out your cappuccino. At the same time, both variants can support 22kW 3-phase AC charging.

As for the Pro variant, which has a 400V architecture instead, its DC charging speed is much lower but still respectable at 150kW and has also been fitted with a slower 11kW AC charging module.

Smart #5 is loaded with firepower and then some

So, space, range, and fast charging were the main reasons why I called the Smart #5 as the brand’s most practical product to date. But there are still more to the EV than these three factors.

For one, the performance figures for the Smart #5 are pretty decent:

The interior of Smart #5 surely mirrors its status as a premium SUV – especially with the usage of Nappa leather for the Premium variant and Dinamica microfibre upholstery as well as an Alcantara steering wheel cover on the Brabus version.

See the wood inserts on the door panels and centre console of Smart #5 Premium? That’s real oak wood, but we can’t say the same for the carbon fibre inserts on the Brabus version, though.

As Mercedes-Benz is responsible for Smart’s design and styling, you can immediately sense the German luxury brand’s touch on the car. The design of the seat controller buttons and centre console also looked familiar, right?

Aside from the premium interior, your eyes most probably would immediately notice the triple digital display inside the EV when you enter Smart #5. There is a 10.3-inch instrument cluster for the driver, one 13-inch OLED centre display and another 13-inch OLED display for the front passenger alongside an infotainment system that is powered by an AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processor.

For Smart #5 Premium and Brabus owners, they will also be able to enjoy an immersive audio experience through the 1,190W 20-speaker Sennheiser Signature Sound System with Dolby Atmos. The system even includes a speaker in the centre of the dashboard that will rise when you turn on the EV.

During the media preview session, Pro-Net didn’t detail out the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features on the Smart #5, although we were told that the EV are using cameras with much higher resolution than Smart #3 and Smart #1.

That being said, we do know that among the ADAS features that will be available with the new SUV are Smart Pilot Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, and Highway Assist. In addition to that, Automatic Parking Assist, 360-degree camera, and 7 airbags are standard on all Smart #5 variants.

Get ready for the arrival of Smart #5 in Malaysia

If you are looking for the answer to the golden question – “How much Smart #5 is going to cost in Malaysia?”, you are not going to find the answer at the moment. Pro-Net doesn’t even have an estimated price range to share during the media preview.

But, let me remind you that Smart #1 and #3 are currently priced between RM169,000 to RM255,000. Hence, we don’t think the pricing will be far off. As for the release date, the Smart #5 is expected to be available in Malaysia sometime in October, starting with the Premium and Brabus variants.

Smart #5 Pro will only make its way here slightly later. However, the Summit Edition, which was the version previewed at Malaysia Autoshow back in May, will not be released in Malaysia anytime soon.

Smart #5 Brabus Malaysia Image Gallery

Smart #5 Premium Malaysia Image Gallery