SMART, THE PREMIUM INTELLIGENT ALL-ELECTRIC auto brand, has unveiled the highly anticipated all-new smart #5 at an exciting world premiere event in Byron Bay, Australia. Representing the brand’s latest manifestation of future mobility and a step beyond urban confines into the premium mid-size SUV segment, the vehicle is a bolder interpretation the “Love, Pure, Unexpected” design elements.
True to its ‘Contemporary Adventurer’ label, the #5 is designed to inspire adventure that goes beyond conventional boundaries while retaining the comfort and feel of a contemporary premium SUV. Equipped with state-of-the-art electric drive and ADAS technologies while offering a seamless intelligent cockpit experience, the vehicle is not only the most spacious, but also the most intelligent smart car to date. With the unveiling of the all-new, all-electric, and all-intuitive #5, smart is fulfilling its commitment to meeting the diverse needs of customers around the world.
Ms. Mandy Zhang, Global CMO of smart, said: “We are delighted to introduce the smart #5, our ‘Contemporary Adventurer’, to the world. The #5 was designed to inspire exploration of the great outdoors by making every journey a joyful, comfortable experience. The vehicle represents a new level of premium for smart and our entry into a new market segment. Join us as we go beyond conventional boundaries, ‘open your mind’ to new opportunities as a new world of possibilities presents together with our first-ever premium mid-size SUV.”
Bold and Boxy – Muscular on the Outside
Designed by Mercedes-Benz and continuing with design elements from smart’s new generation product portfolio, such as the panoramic halo roof and frameless doors, the smart #5 takes a bold leap into the future with a boxy and upright silhouette. Short front and rear overhangs remain a key defining feature of smart cars. The exterior design of the #5 captures the essence of outdoor adventure, with strong and muscular bodywork. This time, the wheelbase has been maximized to 2900mm, with a total length of 4705mm.
Merging muscular elegance with a touch of power, the #5 strikes a balance that is both pure and confident in its expression. Adding to its charm, iconic oblong-shaped lights embedded at the front and rear offer a playful yet refined touch, and unmistakably smart at the first sight. A distinctive smart logo is located on the D pillar, with the model also featuring dual colour mirrors and concealed door handles. Floating wheel caps provide a unique look, with central smart logos which stay upright when the wheels spin. Even the window fritz on the #5 contains a hidden Easter egg of a cartoon panda enjoying the outdoors.
Equipped with an exclusive Adventurers’ Collection that encapsulates the spirit of outdoor exploration, the #5 Summit Edition blends premium quality, practical and stylish innovation with multi-functionality, ensuring readiness for any adventure while maintaining a sleek, modern look. A roof light bar and electric trailer hitch, together with the Adventurers’ Collection package, which includes underbody protection, a roof carrier, side steps, a side bag and side ladder.
Enhanced Premium Touch – Spacious, Refined and Techy-Savvy on the Inside
The all-new #5 perfectly inherits the design highlights of the Concept #5, featuring a delicately crafted contemporary interior which is spacious, refined and tech-savvy. The Mercedes-Benz Global Design team went one step further, crafting a sophisticated decor complemented by noteworthy features. Zero-gravity seats with 121 degrees recline angle, beautifully upholstered in leather with V-shape head curtain airbags, cushion airbags and sear-integrated safety belts are a highlight. In the rear, leather seats with an industry-leading 1060mm of headroom, heating, seatback adjustment, electric sunshield and aeroplane-style LED reading lights also come with a “First Class” setting, meanwhile, the one-button comfort mode offers rear passengers more legroom and exclusive privileges. Premium touches such as oak wood trim and repeating curved oblong signature design elements maintain a premium standard interior.
To create a safe and comfortable rest area while enjoying the outdoors, all seating in the vehicle can be adjusted flat to create an in-car suite, allowing for a king-size, queen-size or single-mode sleeping space inside the cockpit. Advanced ambient light (256 colours) sets a captivating and enchanting mood. Special features of the entertainment system include a built-in projector paired with a 20-speaker Sennheiser Signature Sound System and a portable speaker which can be used outside the vehicle. A raising speaker is a highlight, with ambient lighting which synchronizes with the rhythm of the music to create a stunning audio-visual experience. In addition, the vehicle contains 34 storage compartments, with a 72L frunk and spacious space of up to 1530 L in the rear.
Mr. Kai Sieber, Mercedes-Benz Design, Head of smart Design, said, “The #5 is a very special project for us. It represents a new era in smart’s commitment to premium design, going beyond boundaries and keeping an open mind. We stay true to our design philosophy of ‘Love, Pure and Unexpected’ – elevating the meaning of ‘Pure’ for an honest mid-size SUV design. The boxiness and the wheels in the corners enable the typical smart ‘Body Space Index’.”
Cutting Edge Technology – Seamless Intelligent Cockpit Experience
As the main focal point of the interior, the #5 features a cutting-edge, visually stunning HMI with a more intuitive design than ever. The new layout represents the start of a new era in intelligent cockpits for smart and comes furnished with a 25.6-inch AR HUD, 10.3-inch full-colour ultra-HD LCD instrument, and dual 13-inch AMOLED 2.5K displays. As a contemporary adventurer, the #5 is equipped with state-of-the-art generative AI, which enables drivers to leverage a multitude of sources to provide accurate and relevant responses to nearly every query imaginable. Integrated with smart’s intelligent in-vehicle avatars, drivers can control key features and functionalities using only their voice, including phone calls and messaging, music and media, climate controls, navigation, personal settings, and vehicle controls, as well as any internet function. A new lion avatar, Leo, guides users through controls.
For uninhibited response time, the vehicle harnesses the power of the advanced AMD V2000 high-computing-power chip, a cornerstone of the #5’s technological innovation, ensuring a premium user experience with seamless high performance. The cutting-edge processor excels in rendering the car’s premium low-poly smart OS user interface built on the Unreal engine, managing real-time effects crucial for a responsive, smooth and aesthetically pleasing experience. The result is a perfectly integrated system that combines superior computing power with contemporary design, offering users an intelligent and interactive experience while epitomizing the fusion of premium comfort and technology embodied by the all-new model.
Outstanding Electrical Performance and Ride Quality
With its state-of-the-art 800V high-voltage platform, the smart #5 can achieve new levels of performance in charging speed and range, making any kind of journey possible. The 100kwh #5 battery has super charging capability (4C) which allows for up to 70 percent charge capacity in just 15 minutes (charging from 10 percent to 80 percent). Impressive ranges of over 740km (CLTC) empower the confidence to tackle every adventure, while a 220V trunk outlet provides unlimited versatility while off-the-grid. As an outdoor adventurer, it also includes several on and off-road driving modes, including Adaptive, Sand, Snow, Mud and Rock.
Premium Partnerships that Go Beyond
Exemplifying smart’s’ new statement, “open your mind”, the brand recently announced new partnerships. Firstly, two premium outdoor pioneers: renowned American cycling brand Trek and the German outdoor brand HEIMPLANET. Together, the world-famous brands have created a series of products that redefine the concept of “outdoor premium”, beginning by incorporating “Contemporary Adventurer” design inspiration from the smart #5. Trek has developed the iconic best-selling “Madone Gen 8” bicycle into the ‘Project One’ smart collaborative custom road bike, meanwhile, HEIMPLANET has created a custom #5-inspired version of “THE CAVE” tent.
Another outstanding new partner is Sennheiser, the renowned German professional audio solutions company. In a new partnership set to elevate the future of in-car audio experiences, the audio experts at Sennheiser Mobility have brought a premium immersive experience to the all-new smart #5, featuring Sennheiser’s superior patented audio algorithms, Concerto with AMBEO technology and Contrabass. The Sennheiser signature sound philosophy is to preserve the intent of the artist and present it with authenticity. With a peak output exceeding 2000 Watts, the system promising an immersive audio experience which leave drivers and passengers tingling and enables real life sound to be experienced at a whole new scale.
Ms. Veronique Larcher, Managing Director of Sennheiser Mobility, said, “We are delighted to deliver more products and experiences that create goosebumps to the automotive space through our partnership with smart. Our remarkable Sennheiser signature sound system offers a truly immersive listening experience that puts the driver and passengers at the centre of their favourite music.”
Bold New Journey
With the world premiere of the #5 now complete, smart has officially begun a bold new journey beyond urban confines. The all-new smart #5 will make its next public appearance and China Premiere at the Chengdu Motor Show from August 30 and will be firstly launched and delivered in China within the year.