FIRST DRIVE: Smart #1 electric hatchback SUV. Surprise of the year? | Electrifying

[@jeanjacquestroadec7427]

Note that the E Pedal is memorized when you created your profile and automatically selected each time you start it.

[@ukslim]

ARE YOU LISTENING, MG? Profiles!

[@vegas3121]

Thanks for this, i am considering buying and i was terrified to set on every time i start the car! Thanks to clarify 🙏🏻

[@Manuel-rl6um]

Megane, ID.3, Born, C4, Astra, Mokka, 308, 2008, etc, need to be priced more competitively. Between the MG4, Smart #1, Volvo EX-30 and Tesla Model 3, the others will have a hard time selling. I particularly like the Megane. 4'19m length, It's also not very wide, plenty of space inside, efficient, Google Automotive...but it's a bit overpriced.

[@oliverstemp9132]

This is the best car in the class right now, well made, spacious, comfortable, well equipped. I love the boxy design too.

[@petersimms4982]

Stunning😊

[@lukeecle117]

Geely nice job

[@rosssutherland2457]

Have Smart actually said it is Hash Tag 1 ? Being of an older generation I automatically read it as Number 1 so maybe ...

[@riaz8783]

I'm so glad car manufacturers are making cars for all the people wearing massive top hats. Definitely worth the more inefficient shape.

[@Zoranurai13]

Inefficient in the sense of aero yes, but that does make the shape more practical

[@Roobubba]

A few reviewers have mentioned the delay in regen braking, so I was looking out for this when I test drove one two days ago - I think they must have fixed this issue, I found it exactly the same as all the other EVs I've tested over the last few weeks. I forgot to find out whether the ePedal setting is saved in your driver profile now, that would be ideal!

[@dt8101]

People here commenting that they would wait for Volvo EX30 need to know that these two cars have different wheelbase length. Smart #1 is much more spacious than Volvo EX30, especially at backseat.

[@oliverstemp9132]

Yep, the #1 is huge inside for its size.

[@lozkko]

Maybe the back seat space is larger, and the car taller, appearing more spacious? But the boot size is almost identical (5 litre difference) and the overall length of the car is only 4cm different. I care a lot about the boot because of dogs. P.S. Sorry, just checked, the wheelbase of Smart is 10cm longer, quite significant so probably there is quite a bit more space. Pity about the boot!

[@jonwragg3822]

The Ex30 with the panoramic roof, if you want a sun blind it is an accessory that you have to clip in place, unlike the Smart.

[@oliverstemp9132]

@@jonwragg3822 and the smart food doesn’t cut headroom

[@MigV40]

@@lozkkothe Smart’s seats also slide and recline to make the boot even bigger and because legroom is really good you’ll actually be able to slide it forward and still have good space

[@ukslim]

I think physical buttons is a lost battle, at least on lower-priced cars. And if we had them, we'd just end up arguing about which functions ought to use them. And when we have assignable buttons (like the MG4's star buttons on the wheel), you have to remember what the unlabelled button does - it won't scale to more than a couple of them. They ought to focus on the touchscreen controls making the most often-used interactions easy to reach and do. BIG buttons on the touchscreen, fast menu navigation, so you can do what you want quickly and easily while looking at the road, when bumps make your finger wobbly.

[@mikadavies660]

Looking forward to the Volvo EX30 vs the Smart #1. As I think the Volvo I cheaper.

[@sceltic]

Smart#1 is cheaper, around 2k

[@mikadavies660]

@sceltic I thought the Volvo was meant to start at £32k....?? Maybe I'm wrong.

[@flyingpanhandle]

@@mikadavies660 £33,795. Cheaper than the Smart #1 which is £35,950. I'll be ordering the Volvo when my salary sacrifice scheme allows.

[@mikadavies660]

@flyingpanhandle Cool... Thanks. I was only going on memory, but I thought thatvthe Volvo was cheaper. No salary perks for self-employed, but I will certainly be looking at the lease deals.

[@dt8101]

Volvo EX30 has a shorter wheelbase than Smart #1. The legroom of EX30 backseat is tiny.

[@stevenjones916]

Bring on the EX30. All of the positives of this car but with the Google software instead of Mr. Fox.

[@volvo_kristian]

And without Driver display, HUD, curtain for the sun roof, adjustable 2nd row seats, key fob, and more

[@MigV40]

@@volvo_kristianand rear door speakers on the lower trim models so it’s very obvious that all the sound come from the front sound bar

[@hughmarcus1]

Looks like a nice alternative to the other offerings. There’s more than a little resemblance to the Mini Countryman & it’s none the worse for that. Is this the EV Mini should have made?

[@Rob_Dekker]

I like it. Geely is doing a good job. The Volvo EX30, the Zeekr X and now the Smart #1 Keep 'em coming!

[@cjoe6908]

Yep, Geely is doing better in design terms than most of the local competitors, with the Europeans on the drawing boards.

[@vap57]

I really hope Smart comes back to Canada. I would seriously consider this if it was available here.

[@JohnHarper-p4n]

Good review, you can’t use a phone why driving but more and more manufactures are using iPad screens where you have to hunt for the what you want. Surely this is far more dangerous than using a phone?

The voice assist actually reduces the times you have to look away from the road, you just have to get used to it.

[@ForbeseUK]

The hashtag symbol you refer to a lot in this video is regularly used as "number" which would make this the Number 1. Love your videos

[@nathanshearman1269]

I thought it should have been the Number 1, but apparently Smart have insisted it's called the hashtag one, and that reviewers call it that in videos.

[@cmpc724]

@@nathanshearman1269 that’s what I heard too - which is funny, considering that there is no easy way to say hashtag in Chinese apparently, according to a Chinese commenter I saw on another video haha

[@andrewvasta9511]

Great review Ginny, thanks! Looking at getting the sister car EX30 in Australia next year. I wonder how similar the driving experience will be between these two super mini SUVs!

[@decker0373]

The amount of time your eyes are off the road to mess about with the large screen seems rather dangerous 😳

[@martinday2815]

With you...don't have time for manufacturers who rely on screens to do what buttons and dials do perfectly well.

[@jbartolomero]

Oh, us Spanish speaking people know a lot about weird names. I've got to see with my own eyes the Mitsu Pajero "Wankxr", the Mazda Laputa "thewhxre" and the Nissan Moco "bugger". So I think we can take a few symbols here and there or the "wifi password style" names of the Japanese carmaker (bzrx,eny whatever...)

[@xchopp]

The "Toyota Whatever"... yes, I like it!

[@Catflavor]

A Spanish friend nearly exploded when we pulled up behind a Pajero in the UK. Epic naming fail. Made for a very entertaining moment on our day out though :D

[@masterzedric]

Honda Fitta, which in Sweden (at least) just means "pxssy". So. Many. Puns. And it came in a fleshy pink color.

[@jonwragg3822]

As the owner of a FourTwo petrol, I am really disappointed that Smart didn’t redesign the FourTwo as electric with a better range than Mercedes managed withe the electric FourTwo. The original concept was a compact two seater, easy to park, easy to drive. Mercedes/ Geely have just gone for the let’s have another SUV type vehicle just like everybody else at an excessive price. What will happen when Tesla bring out their sub £25k car as the keep on promising and all the other companies will be scrabbling to catch up.

[@simondehaas8784]

Apart from the Fox I think it looks good. I really like the fridge, the roof rails and towing capability. Battery Life drove one for a while and said it was very noisy on the motorway so I'd be interested in that when you get one for longer. P.S. to others, it's a significantly bigger car than the EX30.

[@bimlico]

Just look at the amount of time you had your eyes off the road while faffing around with that wretched screen.

[@cmeluzzi]

Compared to Toyota's bZ4X, #1 seems pretty OK.

[@chasf3433]

Would probably look a lot better without the roof rails and less wind noise

[@philgalpin9284]

Good review of a computer on wheels. Still wouldn't chage it for my smart fortwo eq, which does everything my wife and I want from a transport system.

[@filipepaninho6558]

Very Interesting... but even more interested on the Smart #3 or the Volvo Ex30!

[@kurtismengham6221]

Great video as always but once again the audio range is awkward. You'll be very quiet whilst talking and then suddenly say something loudly. Problem is I have to turn it up to hear you when you start speaking quietly and then get deafened when you speak normally!

[@eando97]

Love everything about this except for the ui/ux of the main infotainment screen. Seems very fiddly and visually unattractive to me. Otherwise, it’s on par with the EX30 as far as the exterior design and a bit better for the interior to my eye.

[@anonymouspdg6121]

Looks different and for me, a little odd, almost like the car one of the Mr Men drives? As it's on the same base as the EX30, I'll be interested in how they compare. The EX30 looks certainly do it for me but that's just me. Another great video! Cheers

[@francispessemier5072]

drove it and like it! Much better than VW ID3 abd skoda...also tested BYD atto3.... but only Smart got a towhook

[@philmorbey1827]

Looks like a storm trooper! I think the boot is quite small for a family car?

[@jeffreycooper8408]

I'M pretty certain that the sentence "it doesn't feel cheap at all" together with the actual price, has to be saying something about just how expensive cars have become.

[@oliverstemp9132]

Or how well made the Smart is, it feels genuinely posh inside.

[@MaticTheProto]

Nah it’s really good

[@alexc6946]

The headrests with the oval cutouts remind me of the Rivian headlights :)

[@apb3251]

# can also be described as number. So it’s the Smart Number 1

[@au18ert]

You don't read it as hashtag 1 the hashtag means number. It's the Smart number 1!

[@tesla-spectre]

Even a "Smart" is now an SUV 🙁 why can nobody anymore climb into a normal car, do they all have stiff backs and/or overweight? Statistics say: yes... 🤷‍♂️

[@gregkramer5588]

Or you are older like me😢

[@tesla-spectre]

@@gregkramer5588 you are the exception. most SUVs are bought by young families, etc pp... and here in CZ most old people drive rather smaller csrs like Fabia... but at older age I get it, easier access

[@luispacheco3571]

I'm 1,93m and I can say - thank you SUVs!!!

[@tesla-spectre]

@@luispacheco3571 Well I am 1,92m and do not need an SUV :))) but fair enough :)

[@luispacheco3571]

@@tesla-spectre ooh man, hope you don't get the back pain I have now that I'm older.. Don't get me wrong, I used to love sedan and city cars. I even tried to buy an e-corsa, but on the test drive i didn't fit in the car. I bought an e-golf and get in and out is becoming harder and harder. Not to mentioned that i need to pull the chair so far behind, that and i look at the side, its pilar i see, not the window. The new sedans and city cars and gettin lower and lower (the roof at least) that the only thing i can see myself buying is an SUV, like my wife's Quashqai

[@BMWHP2]

We have been buying Smart's since 1999, and still ride the last build 2017 ForTwo ICE Smart Cabrio. Brilliant cars for 1 or 2 person households. No problem with vacations from Netherlands to Austria or Italy. Sadly, they dont build 2--door cars anymore with a usable range of at least 300km. The Chinese can build small affordable EV's with that range, so can the Fiat 500e, but not affordable. I understand that Smart is going to the 4-door car market. That is what 99.9% of the brands do. Building totally boring 4-door SUV-like cars for the masses. The next Smart car will probably be a "unique" saloon. No Smart for us anymore.

[@oliverharness4658]

Nice to see someone who is not from the beautiful South doing a review 😊

[@sharonec5419]

Lovely inside but do not like it on the outside in that colour anyway. The key is really cute. Maybe it would look better in other colours. Can not wait to see your review of the Smart #3 which looks great both inside and outside. By the way I love your skirt and your general sense of style. Very classy like the car so.

[@nzskyblues]

Showing the boot and the capacity of it, would have been useful

[@markosborne1740]

It's tiny, unfortunately - about 310 L

[@Yanquetino]

Hmmm. I wonder if they'll bring it to this side of the pond. They did bring the Smart Fortwo EV here, and I was thinking it would be a great around-town EV for running errands. I will admit, however, that this "#1" has some appealing features -and I don't even mind the fox. I don't like frameless doors, however. And the regen needs some improvement. But it does have a heads-up display, and the "cooler" compartment is certainly unique.

[@janetmorris6792]

Very good if somebody parks you on the drivers side whilst in the car, No chance of getting over to the passenger seat to get out, Don't think the fire crash tender would like that centre section, In the wrong price range, don't these car makers learn, I will stick with my 2 year old ZOE

[@akf2000]

That also applies to toll booths etc on the continent, no way to reach over

[@briankavanagh7191]

1st world issues, how did we ever do these thing with a gear stick and hand brake in the same place

[@hellslayer9638]

Why people don't review sound system in the car , there are alot of NCS you can use

[@ashmcconnell3868]

It's nice, but I think I'd rather have it's cheaper volvo sister

[@nomoreheroes93]

Yeah they've priced them completely the wrong way around - the Smart should be a cheaper version of the Volvo. Geely have had a mare

[@jonathantaylor1998]

@@nomoreheroes93 the main reason the EX30 starts at less money is that it has a smaller 51kWh battery option, which is, at least initially, not going to be available in the #1, which ONLY comes with the 61kWh pack. Whilst, personally, I think the Volvo exterior is WAY more impressive than the Smart, I much prefer the Smart's interior design and build quality - to me, the Volvo has gone too far down the minimalist route and some of the materials just look cheap and, at the end of the day, you sit inside the car WAY more than look at it from outside...!

[@oliverstemp9132]

@@nomoreheroes93the Smart is bigger and way better built, and has more features.

[@ashmcconnell3868]

Longer by 37mm, it's pretty much the same size. The smart is nice inside, but the volvo is prettier on the outside

[@columcreaven8860]

The rear seat space is bigger in the smart than the Volvo.

[@andygreyriderGRN]

What's wrong with using the voice control?

[@MrPstapleton]

Boot size?

[@ChrisMcEvoy72]

Don't understand why car reviews talk about practicality but then don't even show inside the boot.... :/

[@stephengeraghty3368]

Won't be a popular in Rome, too big and to loose the London Cab turning circle as well. Hope the crash test is as good as the others. Lovely enough ❤❤❤

[@mwfolsom]

Is it coming to the US?

[@sjwright2]

The name is fine. You can ignore this car's punctuation and call it the "Smart One" and everyone will know what you're talking about. You can't say the same for the letter salad of Toyota bZ4X or Citroen eC4X.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

What punctuation? "#" is not punctuation.

[@sjwright2]

@@TheAllMightyGodofCod 🚴

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

@@sjwright2 if you don't want to ad to the discussion and contribute or if you simply just don't want to give me an explanation, you can simply ignore my comment. No need to be childish about it

[@sjwright2]

@@TheAllMightyGodofCod 🧜‍♂

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

@@sjwright2 thanks for confirming you are being childish. Will you confirm it again?

[@fryke]

Maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine, but why is the headrest at ~11:00 set to kill the driver in an accident? (Looks like a setting for a man of 2.10m while a woman of about 1.70m is sitting there...)

[@vokstar]

Interesting car, not a fan of the #1 name, I would go so far as to say it is MR2 ;)

[@hguarneri]

There was a time the # was used to note number. In that logic this would be the smart number one. Or smart one.

[@sajadmohammed1588]

Boot space maybe??

[@tusker4954]

Quirky but good!👍🏻

[@RedBatteryHead]

Isn't # not just "number" ? I like the car. Albeit a bit large for a Smart. 22kW AC stalls arn't that much around though.

[@usaverageguy]

Any word on bringing the Smart brand back to the US?

[@rio8677]

Cactus for the win🎉

[@entropy5431]

Why is the key so huge?

[@carseye1219]

I'm an American and wish they'd bring more smaller cars over here. They think all Americans want to drive "tanks". I loved the new Lexus LBX hybrid but they won't bring it to N America. I was going to buy a Smart before they stopped making them available here. Don't decide for us. Let us make up our own minds.

[@carseye1219]

Maybe it's just me but I hate not seeing what the driver's display looks like while the car is in operation.

[@GaryJohnWalker1]

Too fussy. The EX30 looks crisper inside and out, and the google based UI if at least near the Polestar's level much more useable. Guess that Smart UI was Mercedes doing and dismissed any good advice from Geely

[@stevenjones916]

I think the Smart is aimed at females hence the kids book animation.

[@lukeecle117]

Geely bravo

[@TrickyWoo109]

The Reliant Kitten!☺️

[@invitia901]

It just show how behind European car manufacturers are compared to Chinese ones. VW had to team up with Xpeng, Mercedes now works with Geely to be able to provide competitive EVs. i’m not a big fan of frameless windows. Overall #1 is a good alternative but a bit expensive.

[@tarbat]

The Smart Octothorp 1😂

[@Astke]

People always mention VWs when talking about cheap back seats. Kia/Hyundai do it, Toyota does it, Renault/Peugeot do it.... do I need to go on. Heck the ioniq 6 and mid trim ioniq 5 even have hard plastic on front doors... but somehow nobody complains about that.

[@chasf3433]

Do the people at Geely who design these driver interfaces actually drive cars? Maybe they are all 20 something's who live in their smart phones

[@ArtVandel]

Volvo is still making estate cars, they're only not selling them in the UK anymore.

[@russvhill2]

It probably should have been called Smart Number One, but the same advertising team who invented the Funky Cat name, got hold of it, and that alone would stop me buying either car. At Fully Charged, I thought the steering wheel control buttons felt flimsy enough to come from a cheap children's toy, and the Mercedes parentage probably means expensive bills. A bare 3 years warranty shows how little faith they have in the quality of their product.

[@zulfqarali905]

How much will a new battery be ali walsall west midlands england junction 10 m6 Walsall churckery

[@glenn4641]

I think the entertainment tablet is a personal love or hate because I've seen other reviews where they love it (Mark Watson Carwow) so probably best to try it for yourselves if considering buying. Plus the VW ID3 has bad entertainment reviews

[@johnminshall242]

At nearly £40k, there’s both better-looking and more-functional competition, plus still Volvo’s EX30. A good effort by Smart, but left-field (as ever)… not likely to be a big seller in UK.

[@oliverstemp9132]

There isn’t more functional cars than this, it’s so practical for its size.

[@johnminshall242]

@@oliverstemp9132 Kia Niro and MG4?

[@oliverstemp9132]

@@johnminshall242 the MG4 is smaller, and the Niro isn’t as open and airy as this.

[@johnminshall242]

@@oliverstemp9132 I get that you’re a fan; I just don’t think that many in UK would feel same. Perhaps Smart will do better in Europe? But, of course, time and sales figures won’t lie… and it’s good that there’s an ever-increasing EV choice.

[@oliverstemp9132]

@@johnminshall242 true, I don’t think anyone is really comparing the very nasty MG4 to the beautifully put together Smart either.

[@RobertDodge]

3 Year unlimited mileage warranty - about time EU Manufacturers started increasing that time again - Renault used to have a 5 year warranty until this year when they reduced it back to 3 years and then you have Hyundai, KIa, MG, BYD and GWM who all have 6 years or more. If I recall Toyota used to also have a 5 year warranty that is also now back at 3 years. I know they will say most people do not keep a car beyond 3/4 years now due to many being bought on PCP but for those who dont you would have to extend the warranty after year 3 and in Renaults case if this isnt done prior to the 3 years running out thats it no Manufacturers warranty can be taken up a couple of months after its expired.

[@hagestad]

are we sure volvo is not making estate cars? isn't that just for UK?

[@L.A.Tex_Norway]

I like the design

[@parsifal102]

For this price, the range is not good enough, and that is more important than a fridge by the drivers seat

[@ASTMA193]

Great review , as always. Nice car, but again too expensive. Especially in this day and age.

[@tonyn3227]

It's nice kind of mini like, hope it comes to usa, but most likely it won't

[@davelenderson]

Surely its just a smart number 1 or smart 1

[@Michistrasse97]

Both the exterior and interior design look like they're debating dropping the Smart brand altogether and putting a Mercedes badge on it. At that price they may as well, who would pay that much for a Smart?! The EX-30 is practically the same car but manages to be much cheaper in price.

[@ukslim]

Have Smart advised you that "#" is pronounced "hashtag"? Because long before there were hashtags, # was pronounced "hash" in the UK, "pound" in the USA (especially with reference to phone buttons - "press the pound button to hear these options again"), or just "number" when preceding a number. I'd have read "Smart #1" as "Smart Number One"

[@ukslim]

Sigh. I see I'm nowhere near the first person to say this. Never comment before reading the comments!

[@Electrifyingcom]

Yes. They've repeatedly told us that the name is pronounced 'hashtag One'.

[@willemm]

clippy has reincarnated as a fox

[@jaker3151]

In terms of space and practically the Smart #1 is much better than the Volvo EX30. The #1 is a feasible small family car, the EX30 is not with the cramped rear seats.

[@AdrianoCasemiro]

For any Portuguese speaking person, the Hyundai Kona springs a giggle.

[@kieronimo1]

I want 2 seater smarts.

[@4literv6]

Bring back the smart 2dr sporty coupe as an ev I say! 👍🏻

#2 will be a small city two seater, Geely CEO announced a few weeks ago.

[@helipeek2736]

Hang on! Mercedes did the styling? When? during a power cut?

[@patrickjr11]

The new A class! And why not the rest of the mercedes EV range are not exactly aimed at the youff market so good in mercedes for doing something different

[@pullformore]

#isthereafrunk? #isthereafroot?

[@GayNeekOG]

Ginny's very salty reaction to the "#1" name was great.

[@jeffm1971]

The Toyota Picnic comes to mind for silly names.

[@jchinuk]

To be fair, the Fox looks better than Microsoft's Paperclip helper!

[@thebigcheese6606]

It has voice control

[@kieronimo1]

Hashtag means number. You can call it the smart1 or smart number1

[@josephcullen2512]

Can you hash tag a hash? ##1 hmm

[@EndeavorsDnB]

Why did u keep air quoting #? A # isn’t a sarcastic symbol or anything soo?

[@kevinwestwood6668]

If there was a petrol version, they would sell more of them.

[@jonperkins8696]

Why are vehicles getting so big.....other than that.....The Smart....is a nice large truck-u.v.

[@maxcavalera9797]

Looks even bigger than a mini countryman

[@Grudlin74]

Boot space Ginny?

[@Star14trek]

LOL Volvo still make esrates! V60+V90 😁 and they have the electric EV90 coming soon 😁 pkus EX30 driveable production demo versions are not going to be available till December 23 so 4+ months from video so more than a couple months 😂

[@JohnHughes2002]

Not a car but how about the Yamaha Pantry Boy Supreme?