Following a series of previews over the past few months and the opening of the order books for it back in September, Proton – via its subsidiary Pro-Net – has finally launched the smart brand in Malaysia with the official introduction of the smart #1 earlier this evening. smart’s global CEO, Tong Xiangbei, was present to launch to brand in Malaysia, underlying the significance of our market, which is the first in the region to introduce the car.
The all-electric smart #1, with the suffix pronounced as hashtag one, arrives here as a fully-imported model, and as already intimated previously, is available in three variant forms. There’s a base rear-motor Pro model, followed by a Premium variant (which was the focus of the initial preview) and a range-topping Brabus dual-motor performance version.
Before we recap the specifications and kit available on the EV, here is how the smart #1 model range in Malaysia is priced:
- smart #1 Pro single-motor – RM189,000
- smart #1 Premium single-motor – RM219,000
- smart #1 Brabus dual-motor – RM249,000
As its moniker suggests, the #1 is the first model in the new smart car family. Previewed as the smart Concept #1 in September 2021, the crossover made its global debut in April last year, with its introduction in Malaysia having already been confirmed by then. The launch today follows the original timeline set for its introduction in our market.
Unlike previously, where the initial smart outing – which began in the ‘90s – consisted of the likes of the funky smart ForTwo, ForFour and Roadster, the second coming is very much an all-electric affair. Although Mercedes-Benz remains in charge of the design styling, the architecture and engineering is very much a Geely effort as a result of the Chinese automaker’s buy-in into the brand in 2019.
Electrification means it sits on Geely’s Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA), a modular EV platform that also underpins the likes of the Lotus Eletre, Zeekr 001 and Polestar EVs. The #1 utilises the SEA2 version of the platform, which is also found on the Zeekr X and Volvo EX30.
Shape-wise, it resembles a hatchback rather than its classification as an SUV as proposed for it by the brand, and a very large one at that. Measuring in at 4,270 mm long (4,300 mm for the Brabus variant), 1,822 mm wide and 1,636 mm tall, with a 2,750 mm-long wheelbase, the smart #1 is no small ‘un, tipping the scales from 1,780 kg for the Pro and 1,800 kg for the Premium right up to 1,900 kg for the Brabus.
Other relevant numbers include a 182 mm ground clearance and up to 411 litres of boot space, expandable to 986 litres with rear seats folded. There’s a small ‘frunk’ in front that takes in 15 litres, useful to store small items that you don’t want sliding around in the boot. In a nutshell, the key dimensions and numbers are:
- Length: 4,270 mm (Brabus, 4,300 mm)
- Width: 1,822 mm
- Height: 1,636 mm
- Wheelbase: 2,750 mm
- Ground clearance: 182 mm
- Kerb weight: 1,780 kg (Pro), 1,800 kg (Premium), 1,900 kg (Brabus)
- Boot space: 323 to 411 litres; 986 litres with rear seats folded
- Front trunk (frunk) space: 15 litres
The base #1 Pro and #1 Premium are powered by a rear-mounted electric motor producing 272 PS (200 kW) and 343 Nm of torque, enabling both to get from zero to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds on the way to a 180 km/h top speed.
The #1 Brabus adds on a front motor to make it AWD, and the setup offers 428 PS (315 kW) and 543 Nm in the way of output and reduces the 0-100 km/h sprint time down to 3.9 seconds. Top speed is identical to the single motor versions, at 180 km/h.
As you’d expect, there are differences to the base Pro and Premium versions, the main one being that the Pro comes with a 49 kWh lithium LFP battery, which offers up to 315 km of travel on a single charge.
Both the smart #1 Premium and Brabus get a 66 kWh lithium-nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) battery, and in terms of performance, the unit provides up to 440 km of WLTP-rated range for the Premium, and up to 400 km of range for the Brabus.
The maximum charge rate is 150 kW DC, which means that if paired to a compatible fast charger, the #1’s battery can go from a 10 to 80% state of charge (SoC) in 22 mins for the Pro and 30 minutes for the Premium and Brabus.
As for AC, the #1 Pro is equipped with a 7.2 kW onboard charger, allowing a full charge of the Pro’s battery to be accomplished in around six hours. If you want faster AC charging (and range), you’ll have to opt for the Premium. That’s because the 7.4 kW onboard charger has been replaced by a 22 kW unit as standard for the Malaysian market.
According to smart, having an onboard 22 kW AC charger makes a big difference, because getting the battery juiced up from 10-80% SoC takes just three hours instead of 7.5 hours if with the 7.4 kW charger. This translates to improved flexibility and less time needed for charging on AC, surely no bad thing. To recap the technical specs:
smart #1 Pro
- Electric motor output: 272 PS (268 hp or 200 kW) and 343 Nm; RWD
- 0-100 km/h time: 6.7 seconds
- Top speed: 180 km/h
- Battery: 49 kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP)
- Range (WLTP): 315 km
- AC charging: 7.2 kW; 10-80% in six hours
- DC charging: 150 kW; 10-80% in 22 minutes
smart #1 Premium
- Electric motor output: 272 PS (268 hp or 200 kW) and 343 Nm; RWD
- 0-100 km/h time: 6.7 seconds
- Top speed: 180 km/h
- Battery: 66 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC)
- Range (WLTP): 440 km
- AC charging: 22 kW; 10-80% in three hours
- DC charging: 150 kW; 10-80% in 29 minutes
smart #1 Brabus
- Electric motors output: 428 PS (422 hp or 315 kW) and 543 Nm; AWD
- 0-100 km/h time: 3.9 seconds
- Top speed: 180 km/h
- Battery: 66 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC)
- Range (WLTP): 400 km
- AC charging: 22 kW; 10-80% in three hours
- DC charging: 150 kW; 10-80% in 29 minutes
As for equipment, the Pro comes standard with manual-levelling CyberSparks LED headlamps, 19-inch ‘Amps’ alloy wheels with 235/45 profile tyres, a panoramic roof with powered sunblind, roof rails and a powered tailgate.
The Premium upgrades the CybersSparks LED headlamps to Matrix LED units with adaptive high beam and an auto levelling function. Also going on are sequential turn signals, side mirror puddle lamps, along with an illuminated front grille, door handles and logos (on the C-pillars). The Premium also adds on 19-inch ‘Rotor’ alloys (same tyre size) and a hands-free powered tailgate with a kick sensor.
Meanwhile, the Brabus gets additional styling accoutrements to denote its sports status, with plenty of red bits to provide contrast, both inside and out. Externally, the roof, side mirror covers and insides of the lower grille are finished in the particular colour, as are the lower lip at the front and on the lower edges of the side accents, along with the brake calipers.
The variant – which rides on stiffer dampers – also gets a Brabus aero kit, and this brings along items such as decorative letterbox vents either side of the smart logo on the bonnet as well as a more prominent rear spoiler. Completing the visual differentiation are 19-inch ‘Dynamo’ two-tone wheels with 235/45 profile tyres.
Of course, the interior is where all the action is, and there’s plenty of it, starting with the frameless door windows and a courtesy driver’s seat, which moves back automatically to allow for easier ingress and egress.
Taking centre stage in the cabin is a T-shaped dashboard featuring a contrast panel finished in gloss white, with a 12.8-inch standalone landscape-oriented touchscreen the highlight piece. The instrument cluster is a slim 9.2-inch panel, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity and Qi wireless charging to be found.
Standard equipment for the Pro includes leatherette seats, 10-way powered front seats (memory for driver), a five-speaker audio system, panoramic moonroof with a powered blind, a polyurethane steering wheel, cooled chiller function for the centre armrest storage, a 60:40 sliding and split-folding rear bench seat, dual-zone auto air-conditioning with rear vents and a N95 carbon filter as well as a basic 64-colour ambient lighting scheme.
The Premium adds on a 10-inch colour head-up display (HUD), which displays all the essentials, including navigation as well as a 13-speaker, 640 watt Beats sound system. It also adds on leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, illuminated door sills and an extended 64-colour ambient lighting system.
For the Brabus, aesthetic changes abound, with the centre console panel now dressed in a gunmetal hue and the headliner finished in black. The seats for it are dressed in ultrasuede, with normal leather sides, and the variant also gets sportier aluminium pedals.
Elsewhere, the red contrast theme continues, with accents on panel trims and AC vents finished in the shade. Aside from the seat belts, the headrests also get dressed in the colour, highlighted through their end caps and the Bottrop logo stitched on to the front of the units. Red stitching also provides additional contrast cues.
As for safety and driver assistance systems, the smart #1 comes fully loaded. There’s ESC, hill hold assist, hill descent control, seven airbags and a comprehensive ADAS suite that includes ACC, AEB, front/rear collision mitigation support, lane keep assist, lane departure warning/prevention, front/rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, door opening warning and automated lane change assist.
The Premium and Brabus variants add on fully autonomous parking, parking emergency brake and autonomous parking assist. There’s also a Hello smart app will help with vehicle status monitoring, location and tracking.
In terms of interior colour schemes, the #1 Pro gets an After Dark interior, while the Premium comes with a two-tone white and black Dark Matter cabin. As for exterior shades, buyers have no shortage of exterior colours to choose from, with monotone and two-tone choices available, depending on variant. The Atom Grey-Matte is available for an additional RM5,000. Here are the available options, listed out for easier legibility:
smart #1 Pro
- Digital White with Eclipse Black roof
- Laser Red with Eclipse Black roof
- Cyber Silver with Eclipse Black roof
- Quantum Blue with Eclipse Black roof
- Future Green with Eclipse Black roof
smart #1 Premium
- Digital White with Eclipse Black roof
- Laser Red with Eclipse Black roof
- Cyber Silver with Eclipse Black roof
- Quantum Blue with Eclipse Black roof
- Future Green with Eclipse Black roof
- Atom Grey-Matte
- Lumen Yellow with Eclipse Black roof
smart #1 Brabus
- Atom Grey-Matte
- Atom Grey-Matte with Radiant Red roof
- Meta Black with Radiant Red roof
- Cyber Silver with Radiant Red roof
- Digital White with Black roof
- Laser Red with Black roof
- Cyber Silver with Black roof
The smart #1 comes with an eight-year/200,000 km high-voltage battery warranty, an eight-year/150,000 km high-voltage component warranty, a four year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty and a two-year unlimited mileage spare parts warranty as well as 24/7 roadside service assistance.
Additionally, there is a complimentary accessories package worth RM2,000 and complimentary five-year Internet data of 60GB. In conjunction with the launch of the brand, smart Malaysia is offering smart #1 buyers a complimentary smartCharge Home Charger worth RM3,200 (excluding the cost of installation, which starts from RM2,488). The offer is valid until December 31, 2023.
GALLERY: 2023 smart #1 Premium
GALLERY: 2024 smart #1 Brabus
GALLERY: 2023 smart #1 official images
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For me i will choose tesla, proven for decade already, no some new brand jumping to EV race
Better go for Tesla Y or new model 3 highlander
RIP on arrivals. Just buy a Tesla!
The side profile kinda looks like MINI Countryman… nice.
The likelihood of failure is significant due to the Smart One’s launch price being closely aligned with that of Tesla.
Habislah Tesla, our Smart #1 could smoke your model 3 easily
Failing miserably :(
this kind of price, and potentially rubbish aftersales, you can keep your smart, hello tesla and byd
190k come with plastic steering wheel…
I heard the EX30 will be cheaper.
Signal to failure. Done~
Tesla price territory, but it isn’t a sedan. Plus, the deal clincher are the packages:
▪︎ eight-year/200,000 km high-voltage battery warranty
▪︎ eight-year/150,000 km high-voltage component warranty
▪︎ four year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty
▪︎ two-year unlimited mileage spare parts warranty
▪︎ 24/7 roadside service assistance.
▪︎ complimentary accessories package worth RM2,000
▪︎ complimentary five-year Internet data of 60GB
▪︎ complimentary smartCharge Home Charger worth RM3,200 (excluding the cost of installation, which starts from RM2,488)
tesla keeping check other EV prices in bolehland
I can buy 5 Myvis with that kind of money
And you would, wouldn’t you? Pay 5 road tax charges, 5 insurance policies, running costs for 5 vehicles. So why don’t you?
Ahh the penny’s dropped!
The point he is making is not that ge wants to pay 5 road tax or buying 5 myvi to begin with. It is sarcasm. Why would anybody want to buy this silly car that is probably low quality since its imported from China and Chinese car sucks. When I could buy a car 5 times cheaper using Toyota engines? At least if you buy a Tesla the quality is top notch. However buy this low class car you have to pay the same price as Tesla? Who would be dumb enough to buy it?
Teslas fail too, if you care to look, becaue lemons are common in the auto industry. Your contention that Chinese car quality “probably” sucks is quite stunning because they’re not new in this industry. MGs are now made in (and owned by) China as well and they’re exported to the world: Australia, UK, Singapore and soon Malaysia, to name a few. I concede that there are really bad China cars, but then again, there are really bad European cars too.
Specific to Geely, the co-owner of smart, they sold a total of 2.3 million units of cars in 2022. They’re not the largest in China either, but dominate some regions in China as typically their brands do.
Interesting to note that Teslas too are made in China (no they’re not Chinese cars) and also of course in its home country. In fact, of 1.2 million cars they made in 2022, more than half came from China.
And I understand sarcasm but number one, he’s comparing an EV designed by Mercedes-Benz and carries the underpinnings of Volvos, Polestars and Lotuses to a Japanese ICE car. Number two, you both compare an electric motor to a petrol engine.
Walter Drake’s point was price, and you both link that price to China as being wrong, and then compare a full-blown EV car with luxury car aspirations to a bread and butter Myvi/Passo/Boon. I’d accept it if you guys say you’d rather buy a BYD Dolphin or Neta V or Kia Niro because at least it’s apple to apple.
But at least the world doesn’t think like you guys.
Only in Malaysia you see people saying Tesla quality is top notch. smh
Please kindly do so.
in the UK, smart is about 35k pound sterling vs Tesla model 3 about 40k pound sterling….go figure
Tesla has a bit of an industry advantage in Malaysia because they are allowed to sell directly to customers which cuts down the cost quite significantly without having a dealer in between. I’m not even sure if they need to pay for AP like other imported cars?
Isn’t this brand is related to MERCEDES BENZ? You know…. donation…
seems like car reviewers do recommend this car but in malaysia with this pricing, i feel like there are better options out there. unfortunate because this is one electric car with so much potential.
Never like mini.. but this one appeal to me..maybe a good one for my wife.. tesla? Canggih, but driving while keep looking at the center, is a no for me..add heads up display at least..
no chance they can make it. Smart was never a contender before and same as it is now. TESLA will kill this brand. BYD will also crush Smart not because they are better, they made better name globally. China EV means Zero resale.
Not a mass market car is it? I mean I am 50, have little to no hair and a stomach you can see from the moon.
I am not going to drive a Smart Brabus.
There is some upside against a tesla. I think atl;eaast they doing a better job than brands like Hyundai which are priced out of market.
1.) Android auto and apple car play which i really prefer more.
2.) Tesla model y up for refresh so if you cant wait for a year. if not you would have bought an older model
3.) better Colour Options more individualistic. and bettyer interior design.
Hyundai’s EV pricing is reflective of the spec / segment. the Ioniq 5 is a significantly larger car, that car is about the size of an iX3 with an even longer wheelbase and by golly it is incredibly spacious and comfortable inside. not forgetting a proper 800V architecture that takes 350KW; unlike BYD’s 800V which charges slower than 400V Teslas.
saw the #1 in 1U, there’s just about enough space but i wouldn’t call it airy / spacious.
honestly i would say Hyundai is actually priced quite well. the Smart #1 is a tiny car vs. the Ioniq 5 which has a longer wheelbase and is wider than a BMW G30 5 Series – in case you haven’t realised how large that car is (i know it look’s like a hatchback in pictures). it’s superbly comfortable and spacious inside – different league altogether.
personally i’d rather pick Hyundai’s eGMP offering – sure it’s a bit more expensive, but it’s much more spacious and the build quality is seriously good. plus the 350KW charging is going to be a huge plus when doing long-distance.
how do you reckon they won COTY two years in a row and have a #2 EV market share in the US?
Side note: I’m not a fan of Tesla but given the Smart’s price point, i’d go with a Tesla too because of the whole ecosystem. Also, telling your friends your car is a “smart” and it’s called “hashtag one” sounds a bit tacky for me. others might feel different of course.
Selling at the same price as Tesla with zero brand recognition . Najib did us dirty back then. We should have sold Proton to Peugoet but he sold it to Geely due to political ties with the CCP. Peugoet was looking to expand in ASEAN and was expected to build one million cars in Malaysia using the Tanjung Malim plant. Peugoet wants to produce both Peugoet & Proton cars in Malaysia. I highly doubt Geely can ever make Proton a globally competitive brand. Chinese cars are low quality and not price competitive unlike the Japanese and their car engines are terrible.
Totally agreed, see our jap car maker simply produce low spec and quality also can get high selling price and resale value at here. all the europe and china car are just a piece of junk.
Stop talking c0ck if u r this uninformed smh…