Smart #5 Global Launch in Australia at Crystalbrook Byron Bay Aug 2024

[@LudicrousFeed]

With thanks to our sponsors: carloop - Australian EV Data & Ownership Trends carloop.com.au/

[@benedictchin5261]

Wow, Australia is now the last of the "free world" that hasn't yet slapped ridiculous tariffs on China made EVs. We should be seeing more of such global debuts in Australia. Bravo!

[@LudicrousFeed]

Brace yourselves! 😁

[@zzz-pe3mp]

the difficulty is getting people to buy one

[@emmett3067]

The Chinese brands will need to quickly learn they need local staff, eg english as a first language. They need to invest in customer service, spare parts and warranty support. These are things most auto brands simply hate doing, but the Chinese brands more than most.

[@remix-yy1hs]

​@@emmett3067I think they will learn. This is new for them compared to other companies that export to other countries for years.

[@nikkipedro]

We don't have a car industry to 'protect' anymore, so there is no reason to apply tariffs. This may not stop them in the future as we have a lot of debt.

[@Ausijoeblow]

Congratulations Tom, you are well regarded in the EV space

[@LudicrousFeed]

🙏

[@AJames-jr8kw]

I am sure he is well regarded everywhere.

[@nikkipedro]

Thanks Tom, I'm glad you attend and film these car launches so we don't have to. I have no patience for the onslaught of marketing BS. Hope you get hold of one for a review. Well done.

[@LudicrousFeed]

Pleasure. Lots to sift through to get to what’s important 👍

[@OldCodeMonkey]

Thanks for sharing this first look, can't wait to see it in the UK.

[@LudicrousFeed]

Pleasure 🙏 Hopefully soon

[@alexanderrikmanis8753]

Thank you for the video but I was laughing loudly when he said "off-road". Oh, yes, it is indeed super off-roader - it has a projector! 😁😜

[@LudicrousFeed]

I'd be happy to test the off road capabilities for Smart ... 😁

[@TheYoyoma3]

Wow Tom first a trip to China and now to Byron Bay I’m glad those influencer parks are finally picking up for you. Well deserved.

[@LudicrousFeed]

I'm hashtag grateful to Smart for the invitation!

[@TheYoyoma3]

@@LudicrousFeeddid they say why it was launched in Byron rather than Europe or China? Bit strange since we won’t even get it until after the Chinese!

[@LudicrousFeed]

From what I could garner, to the Chinese or at least to Smart, Australia represents the spirit of adventure that they are trying to capture in the #5

[@williamvarga4181]

The car looks super cool and the tech in it crazy. If it will be priced right it will sell pretty well I think. Will be interesting once the test drives will come out to see how capable and durable it is going off road. I think it would be a bit over the top for my use though haha

[@LudicrousFeed]

Most people don’t NEED this car 😆 But yeah the WANT factor is high 😁🙏

[@tommyolsen8224]

Wow❤ It looks amazing!

[@LudicrousFeed]

👍

[@Aro800]

Thanks for sharing, interested to know what the price will be for the Summit addition.

[@LudicrousFeed]

Yup that’s the $100k+ question

[@askebendtsen2473]

You didn't happen to catch what wheel/tire combo was on the Summit Edition? Def looks better than the standard edition.

[@LudicrousFeed]

Continental CrossContact AX6 presumably 20"

[@askebendtsen2473]

CrossContact AX6 235/55 R19. Another video had a clear shot :)

[@huntchris]

Thanks Tom. This is an impressive car and is making me rethink an EV3 purchase. Any mention of pricing?

[@LudicrousFeed]

No pricing at the launch yet The Smart #5 is a much bigger car though than the Kia EV3: 4.7m vs 4.3m

[@spiro5327]

Those screens look fantastic and from what i understand the top line dual motor version will do 0 to 100 in under 3 sec. Were you able to get an idea on price and when this will be coming here ? Thanks

[@LudicrousFeed]

No pricing nor potential release timeframe in Australia as yet

[@hadtobe4502]

I see the Smart brand is distributed by LSH Australia, a collaboration between Mercedes and Geely. Their website states they are only in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Hopefully there will be some distribution of the Smart 05 in other states as well.

[@LudicrousFeed]

I’m sure they will find a way to get cars to the wider populace 👍

[@rhtsicherheitstechnik7216]

will it have a dashcam function ("sentry mode")

[@LudicrousFeed]

It wasn’t mentioned at the launch

[@toninokundjung154]

Amazing range! Did they show what media can be played on the passenger seat? Like netflix and games?

[@LudicrousFeed]

Hard to know given it was basically only in display more and the car was setup for the Chinese domestic market. We’ll see what happens when it eventually launches here

[@yblksama]

Had my eye on the #3, but the #5 looks nice, might be priced out of my budget. Tom, when can we get a test review of all 3 cars? #1, #3 and #5.

[@LudicrousFeed]

I'm under embargo for my drive impression of the #1 and #3 until 4 Sep 2024 ... so stay tuned. There's no timeframe for the AU launch of #5 yet

[@Ozscreamer]

Smart need a dealer in Canberra a lot of old outback/forester owners would want this over a solterra

[@LudicrousFeed]

Hopefully Solterra/BZ4X fix their software locked daily DC charging limits 🙄

[@TheYoyoma3]

I am not sure it will be the same customer segment in terms of pricing. from what I am seeing hearing pricing will start in the 70s and will likely get close to 100 for the all wheel drive

[@AJames-jr8kw]

I think it would do well in Switzerland.

[@theimax1]

Tom what do you think of the#1 and #3

[@LudicrousFeed]

I’m not to allowed to tell you what I think until 4 Sep 2024 … stay tuned 😁🙏

[@TassieEV]

So what tyres were on it look like they were 20", saw they were Conti EcoContact 6. Did they mention the coefficient of drag value? What clearance did they give for under the vehicle? I'm guessing not more than my Kona has of 150mm/6" so soft off-roader at best definitely not Rivian level. Nice when you went inside and closed the door the acoustic glass silenced the noise quite well. Really look forward to your full testing once they get you a press car to fully test. I know it won't get 740km but am thinking depending on Cd value it will be between 450-530km real world which is still good and good charging as well 10-80% in 15min but again needs testing. Fantastic you got invited and thank you for sharing it with us tomorrow night live stream I'll see what you and Riz say about it further.

[@LudicrousFeed]

Perhaps launches are better without details? Or at least initially 😁 I've left a link to the launch press release in the video description but the specs they presented last night are all we have to go on for now. Take the CLTC range with a grain of salt ... hopefully we can do some "off roading" at the eventual Aus launch of the #5

[@leviyaakubov1875]

The Smart 5 has 255.45.20 tires. It comes out to about 29 inches. Which is very tight. It's the same as the 2021 Honda CRV. The problem is that the concept model's photos showed 32-inch tires. I hope the off-road model had 32 inch tires. And in the Brabuo model, the tires will remain 29 inches.

[@iamlsd12]

I do like the projector your own personal drive in movie theatre 😅

[@LudicrousFeed]

A pretty awesome gimmick 😅

[@dallasdrew2390]

Australia needs to start installing 800v chargers .

[@LudicrousFeed]

We already have them … they can charge at 350kW. But I agree we need more on our highways and major arterial roads

[@zelig9625]

Clever move, get some good time with the car while everyone else is eating dinner!

[@LudicrousFeed]

Sneaky ... 👀

[@jasoncee666]

How many kw on the motor or motors please? 🤔

[@jasoncee666]

@@LudicrousFeed Okay wow that is decent, thanks mate.....

[@LudicrousFeed]

Correction, I don’t believe it was mentioned at the launch …

[@jasoncee666]

@@LudicrousFeed yeah that's why I asked in time we'll know for sure 👍

[@addsfour3499]

WOW, REALLY COOL. Great design inside and out. I hope my wife doesn’t see this

[@LudicrousFeed]

Will she want one? 😁

[@addsfour3499]

@@LudicrousFeed oh yes. well equipped and quirky. Unless it’s crazy expensive, i think this will be a cult EV. It’s got real character compared to the generic designs of most brands. Sometimes how it looks on a 2 dimension monitor is deceptive; how was it in person?

[@LudicrousFeed]

Yeah it’d be a pretty funky “glamping” vehicle

[@wen87n]

The design of the Smart #5 is clearly "influenced" by the Jeep Renegade, particularly its side profile.

[@LudicrousFeed]

Clearly they're going for the rugged adventurous look!

[@leviyaakubov1875]

אני רק רוצה לשאול את מהנדסי הסמארט שאלה. איפה צמיגי השטח 32 אינץ' לדגם השטח. הוא הופיע בתא המושג חלל. זה היה לפחות כיסוי לגובה בטן מכובד. אבל לדעתך, רכב עם צמיגי כביש צריך לנסוע בשבילים מאתגרים. ?

[@LudicrousFeed]

If you’re going to go “off-road” you should get the tyres that are designed for it

[@vasil7410]

"Quirky" would be the polite way to describe the design. Ugly would be more accurate. Same for the #1. On the other hand, the #3 is actually a decent looking car, IMO.

[@LudicrousFeed]

I also personally like the look of the #3 ... very sleek

[@ManuelOrbeaOtaola]

Target: "people that like adventure and outdoor enthusiats".... The reality: "People between 35-50 that are wealthy enough to pay more than 60k".

[@LudicrousFeed]

@@ManuelOrbeaOtaola Interesting that they were so explicit with their target market during the presentation …

[@monopolize7493]

Looks like the Toyota Rukus

[@LudicrousFeed]

So it does!

[@sophallvoek7825]

I love Chinese ev , they are innovative and affordable at the same time….

[@LudicrousFeed]

That’s it!

[@AJames-jr8kw]

Morrison..."It's (an EV) not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family." How things have changed in Australia. Global launch of a Chinese made, German designed EV.

[@LudicrousFeed]

His comments will not age well

[@AJames-jr8kw]

TBH they were out of date when he made them..

[@LekkerDops]

Yhar, very German, zee prezentazion waz prezize. All z numbers add up 100% ezactly.

[@LudicrousFeed]

Good synergy with the efficiency of the Chinese

[@Ausijoeblow]

Somehow, this boxy look reminds me of Kia’s SUV

[@LudicrousFeed]

The EV9?

[@Ausijoeblow]

@@LudicrousFeed yes, and a bit of Nissan Patrol 😅

[@addsfour3499]

@@Ausijoeblow reminded me a bit of the ev3, but cooler

[@Ausijoeblow]

@@addsfour3499 luckily it’s a European designer, otherwise all the “Chinese knockoffs “ moments coming left right and centre 😂

[@serpserpserp]

looks like this car will easily be AUD90-110k

[@LudicrousFeed]

That was the sentiment amongst some of the local media I chatted with …

[@bass9901]

look like a kia soul

[@LudicrousFeed]

🚗

[@nww6982]

Yeah nah , not doing much for me.

[@LudicrousFeed]

Fair enough

[@sun-man]

These look like toys. And what a pretentious presentation!

[@LudicrousFeed]

We never grow tired of new toys ... well, at least I never do 😁🥂

[@CavlrsStephen]

Wow what a letdown, that is one UGLY car......

[@LudicrousFeed]

Tbh most adventure type vehicles aren’t the best looking lol