Smart #3 review

Your first reaction to the Smart #3 might be: "Why wasn’t it called the Smart #2?" And that's understandable.

After all, the #3 follows the Smart #1 – and is actually closely related to that car. It sits on the same underpinnings, has a near-enough identical interior and even uses the same line-up of batteries and electric motors.

We suspect the answer might be that Smart, until recently, offered the Smart EQ Fortwo, and the names were deemed similar enough to potentially cause confusion.

Naming strategy aside, the #3 joins the range as a small electric SUV with a hint of coupé about its looks. It’s longer and wider than the #1 and has a 35mm bigger gap between its front and rear wheels, but it's also 60mm lower.

As such, the #3 (pronounced "Hashtag Three") doesn't have many direct rivals, but if you're taken by the styling you might also be considering the Peugeot e-3008, Skoda Enyaq Coupé or Volvo EC40 (previously called the C40 Recharge).

Read on to find out how the Smart #3 compares with the best electric SUVs and how we rate it in all the important areas.

Most versions of the Smart #3 have a 268bhp electric motor driving the rear wheels. This delivers surprisingly nippy acceleration, with 0-62mph taking just 5.8 seconds. That's quicker than an entry-level Tesla Model Y and faster than all versions of the Skoda Enyaq Coupé except the hot vRS model.

The riotous #3 Brabus adds a second electric motor driving the front wheels. That gives it four-wheel drive and a huge hike in power to 422bhp, dropping the 0-62mph time to just 3.7 seconds. So, it's faster than an Audi RS3 and the way it can slingshot you down the road is genuinely hilarious.

Although battery and electric motor options are the same as with the #1, the #3 is more aerodynamic so it can travel a bit further between charges. The Pro+ model has an official range of 270 miles, while the pricier Premium – which has a slightly more efficient motor – can manage 283 miles.

Meanwhile, the hot four-wheel-drive Brabus has a range of 258 miles. If you rarely need to travel far afield, there's an entry-level Pro model. This has a smaller (47kWh rather than 66kWh) battery and can officially do 202 miles.

As with the #1, you can tow up to 1,600kg with any version of the #3 – which isn't bad at all for a relatively small electric car.

The #3 rides smoothly over most lumps and bumps, with only a slight hint of choppiness at lower speeds. True, it's never as serenely smooth as an Enyaq, but comfort is roughly on a par with the more expensive Volvo EC40.

The exception is the Brabus version, which gets stiffer suspension and wider 20in wheels to help it deal with all that extra power and improve agility. It certainly works because there are no traction issues and the body stays remarkably upright through corners. The trade-off is a busy low-speed ride that struggles to completely settle down, even at higher speeds.

Even non-Brabus versions of the #3 handle pretty well. The steering is precise and has a reassuring weighting if you select the heaviest setting on the central touchscreen (the other settings are a bit light for anything other than town driving). You have to push hard through a series of bends to make the #3 lose any of its composure.

Refinement is a strong suit too, with just a bit of road noise on motorways and the occasional suspension thump at low speeds disturbing the peace for occupants inside. The #3 is certainly quieter than a Model Y, if not quite as peaceful as an Enyaq Coupé.

In fact, our only real complaints concern the slowing down process. The regenerative braking system has two settings, the stronger of which can bring the car to a complete standstill when you lift off the accelerator pedal. However, it takes some getting used to because there’s a slight pause between you lifting off and the braking force kicking in, which can make for jerky progress.

And while the brake pedal itself is well-judged when you're slowing down in town, you need to squeeze it surprisingly hard to slow down from faster speeds.

Driving overview

Strengths Tidy handling; strong performance; decent range from most versions

Weaknesses Slightly choppy low-speed ride; regenerative braking takes getting used to

To help give it a sportier feel compared with the #1, the front seats in the Smart #3 are 22mm closer to the ground. Whether you think that's a good thing or not comes down to personal preference, but the fundamental driving position is tough to fault, with plenty of steering and electric seat adjustment to help you get comfortable.

The seat itself supports you in all the right places, although some of our testers found the fixed head restraints pushed their heads forwards in an unnatural way.

Over-the-shoulder visibility is slightly compromised by the coupé styling. However, the view out of the front is good, and all versions of the #3 come with front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree bird's eye view camera to help out with low-speed manoeuvres.

The #3’s interior is almost identical to the one in the #1, with the only real difference being three circular centre air vents on the dashboard rather than twin oval ones.

That means you get a bright 9.2in digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel, while Premium and Brabus versions have a head-up display that projects your speed and other important information on to the windscreen directly in your line of sight.

There’s also a 12.8in touchscreen infotainment system sitting in the middle of the dashboard. It's responsive to prods and comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring as standard, although some might find the cheetah avatar that follows you around from screen to screen rather annoying (it certainly doesn’t add anything to the experience).

It's also irritating that you have to use the touchscreen (or the hit-and-miss voice control) to adjust the air-conditioning. We'd prefer physical controls. Likewise, it's a faff that you have to use the touchscreen to adjust the door mirrors and move the steering wheel into position. 

The #3's interior quality is impressive. There’s plenty of style, but it's backed up with some soft-touch materials and plastic that feels upmarket. The switches and buttons are well-damped, while ambient lighting in the air vents and around the dashboard brightens up the interior at night.

Interior overview

Strengths High-quality interior; good fundamental driving position

Weaknesses Too many features are buried in the infotainment touchscreen; restricted over-the-shoulder visibility

Space in the Smart #3 is good all round, and up front there’s plenty of leg room and head clearance for 6ft tall occupants.

Stowage space is generous too, with a couple of cupholders, large door bins, a storage cubby under the armrest, a generous space below the centre console and a spot to wirelessly charge your phone (on versions that have this feature).

In the back, head room is better than you might imagine for an SUV with such a rakish roof line. A six-footer won’t be brushing their head against the panoramic glass roof, and leg room is surprisingly generous (the extra 35mm between front and rear wheels compared with the Smart #1 helps here).

The almost flat floor (common to most electric SUVs) even makes life relatively comfy for someone sitting in the middle seat. Mind you, the #3 is no Skoda Enyaq Coupé – that car is a limo by comparison.

The rear seatback can be folded down in a 60/40 split, so it's not as versatile as the 40/20/40 split you get in a Peugeot e-3008. However, there is at least a ski hatch in the middle, so you can poke long items through between two passengers. The #3 does lose out on the sliding rear seat function that boosts versatility in the #1, though.

The #3 has a 370-litre boot, which gives you a decent amount of luggage space, although not quite as much as in the Volvo EC40 (413 litres). If you need to lug around loads of luggage, take a look at the e-3008 (520 litres), Audi Q4 e-tron (535 litres) or Enyaq Coupé (570 litres).

There's some underfloor storage for charging cables in the #3, plus a 15-litre front boot under the bonnet. A powered tailgate is standard on all trims.

Practicality overview

Strengths Surprisingly roomy in the rear; lots of stowage space; ski hatch comes as standard

Weaknesses Rear seats don't do anything clever; rivals have bigger boots

If the Smart #3 seems like an appealing choice, it’s worth noting that the list price is only slightly higher than for an equivalent #1, and it's a cheaper option than a like-for-like Peugeot e-3008, Skoda Enyaq Coupé or Volvo EC40.

The entry-level Pro trim, with its smaller battery, helps make the entry point even more affordable, but with a peak charging speed of 130kW it can still be topped up from 10-80% in less than 30 minutes.

The rest of the range – the Pro+, Premium and Brabus – can charge at speeds of up to 150kW (a 10-80% top-up is no faster because they have a higher battery capacity, but you'll be adding more miles during that time). The Enyaq Coupé and e-3008 charge at roughly the same speed.

Even the entry-level Pro comes well equipped, with 19in alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, LED headlights, heated front seats and climate control. Meanwhile, Pro+ trim adds wireless phone-charging and faux-leather upholstery.

We reckon it's worth paying extra for Premium trim though, because it brings a heat pump, additional ambient interior lighting, a head-up display and a 13-speaker Beats sound system upgrade.

The Brabus adds sportier touches, with larger 20in alloy wheels, red brake calipers and ventilated front seats lined with a grippy suede-like material. That's on top of suspension and power upgrades.

The #3 was awarded five stars (out of five) for safety by the experts at Euro NCAP. Every version comes with lots of safety kit as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist.

The #3 also comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, while the battery has its own eight-year/125,000-mile warranty. That's par for the course, although some rival manufacturers, including Kia, offer longer warranties on most components and not just the battery.

Costs overview

Strengths Well equipped; competitive price; fairly quick to charge; excellent safety rating

Weaknesses Rivals have a longer warranty

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