2025 Smart #5: electric family SUV gets rugged outdoors kit and a luxury interior
The Smart #5 is the electric car brand's first family SUV. It combines a tech-filled interior with off-road looks and equipment...
On sale Winter 2025 | Price from £45,000 (est)
The number five is considered significant in many fields, including mathematics, science and religions. In numerology it stands for enjoyment, freedom and adventure, and these are certainly attributes that may have been on the minds of the Smart #5’s designers when they were creating the brand's first family-sized SUV.
It's also the first model from Smart to be offered with a suite of off-road focussed kit, including underbody protection, a roof carrier, side steps and a side ladder.
This and its rugged, boxy exterior styling set the #5 apart from its smaller siblings, the Smart #1 and Smart #3, which both have curvier exteriors that make them look more at home in urban environments.
At 4705mm long, 1920mm wide and 1705mm tall, the #5 is far bigger than the #1 or #3, though. It is similar in size to the Peugeot 5008 — but it will come with five rather than seven seats. It does have some of the smart brand’s signature exterior design elements, though, including a panoramic roof, frameless doors, and short front and rear overhangs.
The entry point is the single-motor Smart #5 Pro, which features a battery with a total capacity of 75kWh. While range figures are yet to be revealed, the 77.4kWh (total capacity) battery in the equivalent Kia EV6 can officially take it 328 miles on a charge.
Pulse, Summit Edition and Premium trims all have a twin motor setup and a battery with a total capacity of 100kWh, capable of up to 366 miles according to official figures. These versions use an 800-volt electrical system – the first Smarts to do so – which will allow faster charging. At its maximum rate of 400kW, a 10-80% charge can take just 18 minutes, although it’s worth bearing in mind that public chargers delivering more than 350kW are rare in the UK.
Another benefit brought by the 800-volt charging setup is the Smart #5’s ability to power 230-volt devices on the go. That means owners could operate mains-powered coolboxes, inflators and other kit that makes outdoor activities a little easier.
The Pulse and Summit models can accelerate from 0-62mph in 4.9sec thanks to their 579bhp outputs, and have a number of driving modes, including ones geared towards off-road driving on surfaces such as sand, snow and mud.
The #5’s flat-bottomed steering wheel (similar to those on its smaller siblings) provides a familiar feel. However, the dashboard has three screens, including a 10.3in driver display (larger than the 9.2in screen in the #1 and #3), plus two 13in OLED infotainment screens – one mounted centrally, the other in front of the front passenger seat so they can access the sat-nav and climate controls. The infotainment system has a built-in projector paired with a Sennheiser Signature Sound System with 20 speakers and a portable speaker.
The #5 also comes with a 25.6in head-up display so the driver can have useful information in their line of sight.
The tech-savvy interior features heated leather seats with 121deg of recline. The rear seats are also heated and have reclinable seat backs and electronic controls to slide them backwards to increase legroom. Comfort features include ambient lighting with 256 colour options and the ability to reposition all the seats to create a comfortable sleeping space.
Practicality hasn’t been forgotten: the #5 has 34 storage compartments, a 72-litre space under the bonnet with a 220-volt power socket, and a spacious boot.
Final equipment specifications are yet to be confirmed, but the Pulse model will feature an energy-saving heat pump, which harvests heat from the batteries to warm the interior. The Summit Edition will have rugged features such as a electrically-operated towbar, a roof platform, side ladders and some bespoke paint options. Competent electric off-roaders are rare, so this trim will rival models as diverse as the Subaru Solterra and its Toyota bZ4X sibling, plus the far more expensive forthcoming Range Rover Electric.
The Premium trim is described as providing a “refined driving experience” so we expect elegant interior trims, additional comfort features and customisation options.
The Smart #5 is unlikely to appear on UK roads before the end of 2025. Pricing is expected to start from around £45,000, putting the #5 in line with electric SUVs such as the Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y.
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