It was a long wait, but after several previews, the smart #1 made its launch debut in November last year and we finally got our hands on one for a more detailed walk-around video tour. A full review is coming up soon, so stay tuned to paultan.org for when it comes out.
Anyway, the response to the #1 has been positive, with 1,000 bookings received in the weeks since the electric vehicle (EV) went on sale. Before 2023 drew to a close, smart Malaysia also revealed that it had delivered 100 units, with more expected to make their way to customers this year.
In our walk-around video tour, Hafriz Shah says the #1 may well be the most ideal EV for the Malaysian market yet, pointing out some impressive highlights that make it stand out in what is becoming a crowded market.
As a brief recap, the #1 was developed and produced by smart Automobile, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely. Built on the latter’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) and styled by the former, the #1 is offered in three variants in Malaysia.
The one featured here is the mid-range Premium, which retails for RM219,000 on-the-road without insurance and offers a WLTP-rated range of 440 km. This is thanks to a 66-kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery which powers a rear-mounted electric motor rated at 272 PS (268 hp or 200 kW) and 343 Nm of torque, allowing for a 0-100 km/h time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h.
Beneath the Premium is the Pro that offers less range (315 km WLTP; 49 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery) and is cheaper at RM189,000, while a step up is the Brabus variant at RM249,000. The Brabus model uses the same battery as the Premium but it has dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup serving up 428 PS (422 hp or 315 kW) and 543 Nm. This sees the century sprint time drop to just 3.9 seconds (same top speed) at the expense of 40 km of driving range.
One advantage of going with the Premium (or Brabus) is its onboard AC charger that can handle up to 22 kW (the Pro will only do 7.2 kW), so getting the battery from a 10-80% state of charge (SoC) takes just three hours instead of 7.5 hours. DC fast charging is at 150 kW for all variants, with just 22 minutes needed for the Pro to get from 10-80% SoC, or 30 minutes for the Premium and Brabus.
The #1 variants are also well equipped, with all variants coming standard with useful features as well as a comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). If you want to know more about the #1, watch our walk-around video and share with us your thoughts about the #1 in the comments below.
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Beaten Tesla upside down except on pricing!!
Just noticed that you guys incorporated some night photos on the interior recently including the i5, nice job PT! Thanks!
way too many apps fpr everything…
I dont agree with silly comment here. European EVs and Tesla always use WLTP as its their type approval directive. on the other hand only Chinese EVs dont do EU type approval and usually skip the WLTP for cost cutting. Smart since its considered an EU car due to owner ship of shares with Mercedes does WLTP. so pls drop the Silly comment. on pricing its TESLA that makes others lose or win due to its brand recognition and pricing as well as technology. I test drove the Model 3 highland recently and i was truly impressed. I also test drove the Smart Pro and I felt its too much cheap plastic inside. its actually the Zeekr cross over under the car.