Review: smart #1 Premium – A Brilliant Sino-German EV?

Positioned in the middle of the smart #1 range in the Premium variant featured here.

Sino-German? Really?

Yes! As a refresher, the rebooted smart Automobile brand is now equally parented by original German founders Mercedes-Benz and new Chinse ‘co-parent’ Geely. If it wasn’t for the latter, we’re certain the former was about to axe this brand.

Geely saw serious potential, and the results are aptly telling through its debut offering that is the smart #1 pictured. Crucially, unlike the Brabus performance flagship variant we tried out earlier, this Premium variant featured is arguably a better choice.

If speed and sporty styling isn’t your cup of tea when it comes to a premium EV crossover, then pay attention to what we’ve got to say about this quirky yet brilliant left-field alternative that begs to differ against similar-sized contemporary European offerings…

In terms of style, the #1 Premium has enough curves all around to win plenty of hearts and minds.

Notable design touches include stow-away or 'flushed' door handles, novel pebble-shaped key fob, light-up smart emblem in the C-pillar, and striking two-tone paintjob with black mirror caps and roof.

So What’s German About It?

Well, isn’t it obvious? The styling, of course! Study this cleaner and more simplified version of the #1 sans sporty aerokit and touches and it’s easy to spot all the familiar touches as seen in contemporary Mercedes-Benz EQ-branded EV SUVs.

Even at night, the smart #1 Premium looks very distinct and stylish too. Here's where touches like the sequential turn signals, and the full-with and all-LED head- and taillights, really shines - literally.

What really sets the #1 Premium apart from much of its peers though are its distinct 19-inch wheels, trick all-LED lighting with sequential turn signals plus a light-up lower grille and C-pillar emblem, as well as its striking two-tone paintjob featuring black mirror caps and roof.

Certainly, this ‘Germanic’ look and stance of the #1 in Premium guise is very appealing in the flesh. Sure, its curvy lines and proportions may not be up to everyone’s taste, but there’s enough here to see the #1 Premium winning over plenty of hearts and minds.

Equally stylish too is the smart #1 Premium's cabin, which features a snazzy T-shaped dash design decked out in body-coloured panels and accents.

And What Of Its Innards?

On board, it’s pretty much the same consensus as the exterior, though there are some minor quirks. Starting with the good bits and, besides snazzy looks thanks to its novel T-shaped dashboard design and loads of quirky décor design, overall space is great.

Adding to that last fact is the brilliant ergonomics engineered, with the #1 boasting perhaps the comfiest back seats in any EV crossover of this size we’ve been in – no annoying raised floor impeding the seat’s thigh support here!

Arguably one of the most comfiest rear seat space we've experienced in any EV crossover of this size and similar. The bonus here is that the rear seats can slide forwards and back to increase or decrease both bootspace and legroom.

Massive panoramic glass roof is yet another classy touch. Notably, besides plush leather upholstery and power adjustment with memory function, the front seats also offer nifty built-in seat ventilation.

Moreover, said rear seats can slide forwards and back, and this can either slightly increase or decrease boot space or rear legroom. Otherwise, the level of luxury here is commendable too, evident by the rich use of high-end and soft-touch materials for cabin trims.

Perhaps our biggest gripes here lay in the choice of using the same hard, body-coloured plastics for the door cards and door armrests, as well as the absence of dedicated side mirror adjustment switches – you’ll need to do the latter via the touchscreen instead.

The unorthodox use of body-coloured hard plastic panels in the door cards and door armrest may not bode well with most, but they do look good.

The novel 64-colour ambient lighting suite doesn't look tacky, and it also adds greater flair to the cabin's ambience - especially at night!

Otherwise, things are similar as the Brabus variant here, albeit minus the sporty ‘Ultrasuede’ fabric trims in the seats. Just good old plush leather here in a tasty monochrome colourway and pipe-stitching plus power-adjustment, memory, and ventilation functions for the front seats.

If space, lux trims, and novel design simply isn’t enough, then you’ll be glad to note just how rich in tech this version is too. Overall though, things look and feel nearly Germanic on board, which bolsters the smart #1 Premium’s overall credentials further.

Not only stylish, posh, and spacious, the #1 Premium's cabin is also laden with loads of tech.

What About Its Tech Package?

It’s high in both count and sophistication, and we’re looking well beyond the expected basics like the dual-zone automatic climate control, USB-C ports and wireless charging pad, plus stellar and novel 64-colour cabin ambient lighting suite all aside.

The star of the #1 Premium’s tech tour-de-force is its massive 12.8-inch central touchscreen. Much like most of its peers, this unit is driven by data connectivity enabling a host of functions – voice command, navigation, media streaming, as well remote app connectivity.

Massive 12.8-inch touchscreen is loaded with connected functions including intelligent voice command and navigation. That aside, it also covers the basics by offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. However, our favourite bit here is the Beats audio suite it is paired with.

Level 2+ semi-autonomous driving is also present thanks to a barrage of ADAS features primed as standard in the #1 Premium.

That aside, it still covers core basics too by offering both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – wirelessly too, if we might add. The icing on this infotainment’s cake? A 13-speaker, 640-watt Beats hi-fi audio system that will please just about any audiophile.

Last but not the least comes the myriad of active driver assistance systems (ADAS) features that most premium EVs as such are typically furnished with. The #1 Premium is no exception to this trend, offering Level 2+ semi-autonomous driving abilities plus autonomous parking too.

Yes, this is yet another one of those new-age cars that can quite literally drive itself, and we’re glad to report that said ADAS suite doesn’t at all dampen or dull this EV’s drive dynamics – a fact we discovered first-hand throughout our 5-day test…

If you thought the #1 Premium looks as good as its drive, then you'd be right!

Tell Us Then, How’s It Drive?

Clearly, this is not a supercar-baiting, dual-motored beast that the Brabus variant is. Instead, the #1 Premium stands as arguably a more well-rounded and versatile daily driver, all thanks to its respectably zippy single rear-motor and rear-drive (RWD) setup.

Yes, 268 HP and 343 NM do seem modest, but they’re enough to allow the #1 Premium to despatch the 0-100 KM/H dash in a respectably rapid 6.7 seconds whilst enroute towards its electronically capped 180 KM/H V-Max.

What’s starkly different too is the ride and handling, with this comfort- and range-focused mid-spec variant offering a more pliant, softer ride over the Brabus variant. We’ll admit, this isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but it feels far from dull at the wheel.

Though not the sharpest or quickest in class, the #1 Premium is undeniably soft, and pliant, thus making it a rather stellar daily driver.

We’ll also point out just how low noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels are in this cabin, and that’s despite it having frameless windows.  Keep your driving speeds sane and you won’t hear cries of discomfort from any passenger princess you’re ferrying.

Simply put, Geely have done a great job at blessing its EV-specific SEA chassis architecture that the smart #1 – and scores of other Geely-developed EVs – underpins with near-Germanic handling and ride. However, this is only half the magic of said SEA platform…

Range and charging abilities are pretty good, but we reckon many will agree the latter is the better half in the #1 Premium.

And The Other Half Is…?

Range and charging, of course! Though we’ll agree with anyone pointing out the latter being the better-blessed half here. That’s because the #1 Premium, unlike the bulk of both its cheaper- or higher-priced rivals, is already primed from the get-go with fast charging abilities.

In fact, this variant’s 66-kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) type battery can be juiced from 10% to 80% in a mere three hours thanks to its ability to draw up to 22 kW AC charging input. That’s double the speed of the typical 11 kW – or less – you’d find in most.

Need a quick top-up? Fret not as the #1 Premium can also accept up to 150 KW DC fast-charging input, which in turn enables 10% to 80% re-charges attained in just 29 minutes. As far as we’re concerned, both charging times are quick enough indeed.

The #1 Premium boasts a versatile on-board charger that accepts both 22 kW AC and 150 kW DC fast-charging inputs. The former is as nifty as the latter as it enables 10-80% charges in 3 hours.

Fast charging abilities in the #1 Premium is bolstered by the ease of access it grants to various charging points via its on-board navigation and the Hello smart App.

We reckon what may not sit too well for many though it’s the 440 KM claimed WLTP range the #1 Premium promises with each full charge. Though not a segment-leading figure, we can’t argue that it is certainly sufficient for most daily urban commuters.

But don’t for a second think the #1 can’t go the distance. Just ask my colleague Mukhlis on his experience driving one up to Penang and back recently. What really helps here is the ease of accessing chargers via the built-in navigation during this feat.

Effectively, distributors PRO-NET makes up for this slight lack of range by ensuring easy and seamless access to EV chargers located at smart dealerships and partnering local charging point operators by through the on-board navigation and Hello smart App.

Standard 323-litre boot space is a tad small, but is expandable thanks to sliding rear seats that can also fold and expand things up to 986 litres - nifty for the annual trips to Ikea.

Fortunately, the #1 also boasts an additional storage under its boot floor, and a 15-litre frunk.

Are There Any Other Quirks?

Yes, but they are few and far between. The standard boot space of 323 litres isn’t segment-leading, but at least it’s extendable to a certain degree thanks to the sliding rear seats mentioned, which can also be dropped to grant up to 986 litres of total cargo hauling space.

Lights in the lit-up grille can 'dance' thanks to built-in 'Light Show' feature, though we reckon some may find this to be a tad tacky.

If we were to nitpick, perhaps some might find the built-in ‘Light Show’ feature, which prompts the headlights and lower grille lights to ‘dance’, perhaps just a tad tacky. What doesn’t help is the fact this feature is limited to just one song, but smart says more modes for this are coming.

Otherwise, it’s easy to see that the smart #1 Premium is perhaps nearly faultless as a starter premium EV crossover. And given what we’re about to convey next, this is perhaps a stellar value for money choice when pipped against European contemporaries…

A smart-er alternative over pricier and peppier European alternatives? We reckon so!

… And The Cost Of All This?

At RM219,000 sans on road costs and optional packages, the smart #1 Premium is not a cheap ask, but we’ll argue it not exactly an arm and leg either. In fact, you could say that this is a bit of a bargain, especially considering that the next comparable thing costs RM50,000 more at least. 

Yes, despite the Germanic style, substance, and rive dynamics, the smart #1 Premium is thankfully very Chinese with its price – and ultimately, value. If that doesn’t impress you, then perhaps the comprehensive after-sales coverage and optional packages available for it might.

So, what do you reckon then? Ready to take the smart-er route? We certainly are…

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