The objective of this revival is to make the brand a manufacturer finally profitable, twenty-four years after its commercial launch.
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Forget everything you know about Smart, its two -seater minivicities with a nonconformist style that sneak everywhere, but that you almost never meet off the cities. The very wise new electric model, called #1 (pronounce hashtag one), measures 4.27 meters, almost 60 centimeters more than the emblematic Smart Fortwo, carries four people comfortably, and can travel a little more than 400 kilometers without stopover.
Almost dormant for two years, the brand has undergone profound changes. Mercedes, its owner, trained in 2019 a parity joint venture with the Chinese number one Geely, sold its Hambach factory (Moselle), in Lorraine, and decided to produce only 100 % electric vehicles, but of all templates. The objective of this revival, of which #1 is the first stone, consists in making smart a manufacturer finally profitable, twenty-four years after its commercial launch.
The two partners distributed the tasks. Geely provides the technical platform (which will also be shared by its Volvo subsidiary) and ensures production in China, while Mercedes takes care of design, interior and exterior. The latest generation of Smart already shared its technical basis with the Renault Twingo, but for the Sino-Germanic manufacturer, there is no longer any question of specializing in small vehicles, too difficult to make profitable. The electric Fortwo, which will cease to be produced in 2024, will certainly be replaced, but other models, larger, will be launched in the coming years.
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Smart, which aims to be a chic signature but clearly located a notch below Mercedes, intends to land in the long term as a mini alternative, the English brand included in the BMW fold. “We are no longer a niche manufacturer that would be limited to the production of a single model. With #1, we aim for the compact model segment, the most important on the European market, with the desire to build an entire range of vehicles “, summarizes Cyril Bravard, president of Smart Automobile France.
of its elders, the #1, expected in early 2023, retains some curves, but its profile remains classic and its neat interior is more consensual. As for its mass (1.8 tonnes), it is located in the high range of the compact electric models, where the Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric or Volkswagen I.3 already appear. Its price should be a little below 40,000 euros, excluding bonuses.