Smart has premiered its #1 electric compact SUV, spearheading the carmaker’s plans to reposition as a leading design brand with an all-electric line-up.

Sales of the Smart #1 will start towards the end of the year

It’s the carmaker’s first production model to be revealed under joint Mercedes-Geely ownership and follows the concept version shown at last year’s Munich Motor Show.

Built on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture also expected to underpin a new compact electric Volvo model, the #1 is the first of a new generation all-electric product family and described by Dirk Adelmann, CEO of Smart Europe GmbH as the “nucleus of all things to come”.

Powered by a 66kWh battery, the launch version is expected to bring a range of up to 273 miles and to offer 150kW charging capability, enabling a 10-80% boost to take less than half an hour. A 22kW AC charge will complete the same top-up in three hours.

A single electric motor will drive the rear wheels and provide 272hp and 343Nm of torque.

Its 4,270mm length and 2,750mm wheelbase make it the largest Smart ever made and clever packaging of the interior also maximises space further.

Exterior design debuts elements such as concealed electric door handles, frameless doors and a floating halo roof, along with 19-inch wheels.

“The new smart #1 stands for the restart of the smart brand and showcases our new design DNA of Sensual Product,” said Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz Group AG. “It is grown-up, cool and embodies beauty with smart solutions. Therefore, it is new, fresh, and enchanting. Our new Smart #1 has the potential to make Smart a leading design brand.”

A homologated version is expected in the second half of 2022 at which point official specs will be published, and sales of the #1 will start towards the end of the year.