It’s been nearly a year since Smart revealed the all-electric #1. The company will launch one new model a year until 2027, with the next, the Smart #3, debuting at the Shanghai Auto Show next month.
The new electric vehicle will be larger than the #1, measuring a tad shorter than the Volkswagen ID.5. Leaked images from China’s Ministry of Information Technology in November revealed the entirety of the crossover’s styling. It shares a similar front-end design to the brand’s first EV. The #3 adopts coupe-like styling, giving it a raked windshield and sloping roof line.
Gallery: 2023 Smart #3 China Leaks
Smart Europe CEO Dirk Adelmann said the new EV would be “larger, roomier, and sportier,” according to Automotive News Europe. The #3 is longer than the #1 with a longer wheelbase, too, but there should be plenty of room for passengers and cargo with the EV layout.
The leaked information from last year revealed that the #3 would have at least two power outputs, likely indicating a single- and dual-motor setup. The two power options deliver either 152 horsepower or 268 hp, which is similar to the Smart #1’s output. Brabus offers a tuned version of the #1 that makes 442 hp, and we’d be excited to see the larger #3 get the same treatment.
Range and battery size will likely remain a mystery until the official reveal. The #3 will ride on the same Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform from Geely that also underpins the Smart #1. Volvo and Lynk & Co. also use the technology. According to ANE, Smart is reserving the #2 moniker for now as it is considering using it for a future Smart ForTwo replacement.
Smart will reveal the #3 on April 17. It will go on sale in China by the end of the year, but it won’t reach the European market until 2024. Smart exited the US market in 2019. The company’s product roadmap will see the brand’s lineup grow to six or seven vehicles by 2027. The outfit is now a 50-50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
