Remember the Smart Fortwo, or even further back, the City Coupe? This quirky city car lasted three generations, with the first launched back in 1998 (the third generation going fully electric in 2020), and lasted until the #1 was launched in the UK. The sawn-off styling for Coupe and Convertible versions was one of the highlights, so I suppose the biggest shock – which we didn’t take in at the launch – is how big the #1 is. We parked it next to a current-generation Mercedes A-Class and the Smart dwarfed it! 

Leave any former Smart brand preconceptions behind, as its days of producing tiny, but clever city cars have gone. Instead, following its reimagination as an all-electric brand in 2017, Smart owner Mercedes announced a 50:50 joint venture with the Chinese Geely company. The first result of this collaboration is this #1, which is built in China using Geely technology with plenty of European input.

Built on Geely’s SEA architecture, which it shares with the excellent Volvo EX30, the #1 is far more conventionally styled, with many cues shared with the latest Mercedes SUV range. Although, we think there’s some Fourtwo in the quirky rear roof pillars, which includes a chrome Smart logo halfway up, other interesting parts of this Smart’s design include the front and rear light bars, plus the distinctive front and rear air dams and the unusual alloy wheel design. 

The Mercedes design influence is perhaps more obvious on the inside of the #1, with the stowage-laden tall centre console, and the metal detailing on the multi-function three-spoke steering wheel and switchgear. Smart quirkiness is only obvious in the gloss trim on the dashboard, centre console and door pulls. There are also two Smart logos on the steering wheel and an unusual circular key. Quality appears to be excellent, but some of the gloss trim was already scratched on our test car, and the cream leather trim showed the dirt – making us worried about its longevity! 

A key part of the #1’s interior is the large 12.8in touchscreen, with its perhaps gimmicky, cartoonish fox graphic or avatar at the bottom right. Again, we were in guest mode, which meant less interaction with the fox. This is fine, but we felt that by not interacting with the fox, we weren’t getting the proper user experience. The infotainment itself is easy enough to use, with welcome permanent climate controls at the bottom, plus physical buttons below them. Our only issues were that the climate and fixed controls are on the small side and not all are clearly marked. Elsewhere, the driving position is comfortable and multi-adjustable. Space in the back is just as generous, and although the 313-litre boot is just average, it can be usefully extended with the rear seats folded down. 

On the road, with 268hp, this #1 impresses with its performance, but at the same time feels involving to drive with well-weighted steering, tidy handling and high grip levels. Unfortunately, like most electric cars, it can’t totally disguise its weight. This is most obvious around town, where its ride on the standard 19in wheels, feels unsettled – although this isn’t a problem at speed. What was noticeable, was this Smart’s high refinement levels at speed. 

It is a shame then, that the biggest driving disappointment of this car are the brakes. They are particularly hard to modulate – especially at low speeds, usually resulting in sharp stops and it takes time to get used to them. We found the regenerative braking, in the stronger of the two settings, a better braking solution. Officially the range is 273 miles, although during the cold week we had this car, this was more like 240 miles. That’s still better than rivals, and all versions accept up to 150kW from a CCS charger, giving a sub-30 minute 10-80% charging time. The #1 is an impressive EV, that’s good to drive and impressively practical. 

Smart #1 Premium 

P11D: £38,895

Residual value: 41.8%

Depreciation: £21,335

Fuel: £3,967

Service, maintenance and repair: £3,445

Cost per mile: 47.91p

Range: 273 miles

CO2 (BIK %): 0g/km (2%)

BIK 20/40% a month: £12/£25

Luggage capacity: 313 litres

Battery size/power: 62kWh/268hp