New Smart #3 teaser image released as official reveal draws nearer

The all-electric Smart range will gain a new model at the 2023 Shanghai Motor Show

We’ve seen the new Smart #3 before in patent image leaks but this is our first official look at the new all-electric coupe-SUV, with a full reveal scheduled for 18 April at Auto Shanghai.

Smart has already committed to making electric-only cars with the #1 acting as the first model in the new-look EV range to be sold alongside the existing EQ fortwo and EQ fortwo cabrio. The #1 will reach UK customers in the summer with the #3 following up with a 2024 on sale date.

• Top 10 best electric SUVs to buy 2023

The #3 will sit in the C-segment SUV class with a rakish coupe-SUV bodystyle to rival the Skoda Enyaq Coupe, Volkswagen ID.5 and BMW’s upcoming iX2. Smart, now co-owned by Geely and Daimler, will even have competition from parent company Mercedes in the shape of the EQA. 

Although the #3 sits in a class above the #1 in terms of size, we expect plenty of technology crossover here. We’re yet to see inside the #3 but there will most likely be a central 12.8-inch touchscreen joined by a 9.2-inch full HD digital dash and a 10-inch head-up display. An ‘Advanced Driver Assistance System package’ will include Level 2 autonomous driving capability offering adaptive cruise control with stop and go tech, lane-keep assist, blind spot, highway and traffic jam assist, automatic parking and adaptive high beam headlights. 

As for the exterior design these new sketches confirm the recent homologation leaks will stay true to the final production design of the #3. A gentle evolution of the new Gorden Wagener-developed design language from the #1 has been adopted for this larger model. The smooth surfacing and full-width lighting bar headlight and taillight setups certainly have a whiff of Mercedes EQ to them – not surprising given Wagener was responsible for some of Mercedes’ all-electric EQE models. 

Perhaps though, the most interesting aspect of the leaked car is the dimensions supplied with the homologation paperwork; the Smart #3 is 4.4 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.6 metres tall. There’s also a version with a length of 4.5 metres, though this may not be a long-wheelbase variant for the Chinese market, as the paperwork makes reference to a “special traction device” for this #3. 

Some tentative technical and performance specifications have been outlined. Two motor versions will be offered, one developing 154bhp and another with 268bhp – the latter almost certainly the same motor used on the #1. But no battery capacities have been outlined for the longer #3. We expect it will make use of the Geely-developed SEA platform, like its smaller sibling, and an upcoming compact SUV teased by Volvo at the reveal of its new EX90 flagship electric SUV.

We should also expect a Brabus-badge model with more power. The Smart #1 Brabus comes with a dual-motor setup with 422bhp and 543Nm of torque for a rather rapid 0-62mph time of under four seconds.

Now check out our review of the Smart #1…

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