Yet another Chinese carmaker has fallen victim to the ongoing electric vehicle price war, and the latest one is smart. The joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz has slashed prices of its #1 and #3 SUVs to better compete with the likes of BYD and Tesla, which have also engaged in the race to the bottom.
Prices for the #1 now start at 154,900 yuan (RM102,600) for the Standard model (previously Pure+), rising up to 174,900 yuan (RM115,800) for the Long Range (previously Pro+) and 199,900 yuan (RM132,300) for the Deluxe model (previously Premium+). That’s a saving of between 21,700 (RM14,400) and 26,700 yuan (RM17,700) from when the car was launched in 2022. The Pure+ had already received a price drop to 179,900 yuan (RM119,100) in January when it was renamed the Pro.
Meanwhile, the #3 range has been reconfigured and now features a shorter-range Standard base model at 164,900 yuan (RM109,200). This takes over from the 209,900 yuan (RM139,000) long-range Pro+, which has been renamed the Dynamic Long Range and is now priced at 184,900 yuan (RM122,400).
The Dynamic AWD model is the new undisputed flagship but still manages to be 20,000 yuan (RM13,200) cheaper than outgoing mid-tier Pulse+ AWD, costing 219,900 yuan (RM145,600). No word on any changes to the Brabus models, which still retail at 284,900 yuan (RM188,600) for the #1 and 289,900 yuan (RM191,900) for the #3.
Mechanically, the #1 and #3 are identical to before, powered by a single rear motor that produces 272 PS (200 kW) and 343 Nm of torque. This gets the #1 from zero to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, while the #3 is somehow much quicker – it takes nearly a second out of the century sprint, which it completes in 5.8 seconds (5.4 seconds for the Dynamic Long Range, for some reason).
The sole outlier is the #3 Dynamic AWD that gets a second front motor, churning out 156 PS (115 kW) and 200 Nm. Combined outputs are identical to the Brabus at 428 PS (315 kW) and 543 Nm, yet despite this, it needs seven more tenths of a second to get to 100 km/h, taking 4.3 seconds.
As ever, there are two battery sizes available. The smallest 49 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery provides a range of 400 km on the #1 Standard and 415 km on the #3 Standard; both figures are on China’s lenient CLTC cycle. There’s also a 66 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery that delivers a range of 535 km on the #1 Long Range and Deluxe, 555 km on the #3 Dynamic Long Range and 520 km on the Dynamic AWD.
Charging the #1 and #3 from 10 to 80% takes less than 30 minutes using a 150 kW DC fast charger. In China, a 7.2 kW onboard charger comes standard, so bringing the battery charge to the same percentage takes under five and a half hours with the 49 kWh unit and seven and a half hours with the 66 kWh version.
The company says the restructuring of the #1 and #3 lineup optimises the variants to better meet the needs of actual buyers. To that end, smart has taken out some features such as seat and steering wheel heating, repackaging them as cost options and packages. The carmaker is also offering promotions such as discounts, flexi-purchase deals and low interest rates until May 31.
In Malaysia, the smart #1 has been on sale since November, priced at RM189,000 for the Pro, RM219,000 for the long-range Premium and RM249,000 for the Brabus. Might we see a similar price cut here in the future?
GALLERY: smart #1 Premium in Malaysia
