Smart #5 Review & Prices

This is the Smart #5, an all-electric SUV with a big boot, ultra-fast charging and the option of high-performance motors – though the cheapest version goes without the best EV tech.

The Smart #5 (yes, it really is pronounced ‘hashtag five’) sits above the smaller #1 and #3 SUVs in Smart’s lineup, and it’s the brand’s first properly big 4x4-esque family car. It's like if one of your friends owns a pug then turns up at the dog park with a Doberman.

It looks suitably rugged on the outside, with a big, bluff face that’s been stuffed full of LEDs. Instead of a full-width front light bar, the #5’s LEDs are broken up into sections, so that they almost look like rugged spotlights. That same look is picked out at the rear, and while it may not be the most distinctive looking car around, the #5 is actually kinda handsome.

Smart #5: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 288-366 miles
Efficiency: 3.8 miles per kWh
Battery size: 74kWh / 94kWh
Max charge speed: 150kW / 400kW
Charge time AC: 0-100%, 10-12hrs @ 7.4kW
Charge time DC: 10-80%, 30 mins at 150kW / 10-80%, 18min at 400kW
Charge port location: left rear
Power output: 340-646hp

It’s even better inside, with a mish-mash of the Chinese-style all-screen-look and some imported Mercedes bits and pieces. It all looks very high-tech but there's a risk that the wall of displays is overkill for a family car.

Smart says it's really roomy inside, and if the #1 is anything to go by this is probably true. The #5 has a huge 630-litre boot, backed up by a large 74-litre ‘frunk’ storage area in the nose.

If you go for a higher-spec model – Pro+ trim and upwards – there’s another 13.0-inch screen for the front-seat passenger, which when combined with the driver’s instrument panel basically means the #5 has wall-to-wall screens.

The basic #5 comes with a 74kWh battery, 150kW fast charging and a relatively brief range of 288 miles, so it’s only really worth it if you have a charger at home and don’t do many long journeys. The next trim up comes with a massive 94kWh battery, all-wheel drive, a claimed 366-mile range, and ultra-fast, 400kW DC charging which can zap you back to 80% battery capacity in just 18 minutes.

At the top of the #5 tree is the slightly mad Brabus version, which loses a little range — 334 miles — but gains lots of power at 646hp. Do you need that much grunt in a family SUV? Probably not, no, but the mid-spec Pro+ model should be more than quick enough and a good all-rounder.

If you’re interested, find out how much you could save with Carwow’s Smart #5 deals or #5 lease deals. You can also browse used Smart cars from our network of trusted dealers, and when the time comes to sell your current car Carwow can help with that, too.

Smart #5 prices start only slightly under £40,000, which makes it a bit more affordable than the Tesla Model Y. You could consider a similarly-priced Skoda Enyaq Coupe instead, which has slightly less boxy styling than the Smart, and which isn’t quite as massive inside, but which is good to drive and has a solid range. Or there’s the Korean twins (well, twins under the skin) — the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6, both of which offer a slightly more left-field take on the electric SUV idea, but both of which are hugely satisfying to drive and own.