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- Proton Edar to sell the Smart #1
- 272 PS and 343 Nm, powered by a 66 kWh battery, up to 560 km range
- How much should the Smart #1 be priced here?
This is the Smart #1, the first model to be offered by Smart, now Geely-Mercedes joint venture, with manufacturing done by the Chinese company. The Geely-developed Smart #1 will be arriving in Malaysia soon and it will be sold by Proton Edar. So yes, in a rather convoluted manner, Proton's sales division will soon be selling a Mercedes-Benz product, sort of.
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In China, Smart offers three variants of the #1 (pronounced number one) – Pure+, Pro+, and Premium. Prices in China for the Smart #1 range from CNY 181,600 (~RM 119k) to CNY 245,000 (~RM 161k).
Also Read: Now in showrooms, Smart #1 EV launched in China, from RM 120k, up to 560 km range
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This part-hatchback, part-SUV model is developed on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform, much like the Zeekr 001 and Geely Radar RD6.
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All three variants of the Smart #1 are powered by an electric motor mounted on the rear axle, capable of delivering 272 PS and 343 Nm. The rear-mounted electric motor is juiced by a 66 kWh battery pack.
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While output figures are similar across the variants, Smart mentioned that the Pure+ and Pro+ variants offer a 535 km range. The top-spec Premium variant adds another 25 km, bringing the total range to 560 km.
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Although the battery pack is similar for all 3 variants, the main reason why the Premium variant offers an additional 25 km range is primarily because its electric motor utilizes silicon carbide (SiC) technology.
Also Read: Proton aggressively hiring talent for Smart and xEV department
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Charging the Smart #1 is done via its CCS Combo 2-type charging connector, which supports up to 22 kW AC charging and DC charging up to 150 kW. It takes 7.5 hours to charge from 5 percent to 80 percent state of charge, while fast charging takes less than 30 minutes for a similar state of charge.
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Inside, there are hints of the larger Mercedes-Benz GLE in the Smart #1’s design – the 12.8-inch infotainment display sits on top of slim air-conditioning vents. The instrument cluster of the Smart #1 is a slightly smaller 9.2-inch unit.
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Similar to other modern-day Geely-developed models, the Smart #1 features over-the-air (OTA) updates, as well as a WiFi hotspot and voice command. The voice command works with the infotainment system, navigation, telephony, as well as climate control.
Also Read: First look at Smart #1 - Soon to be Proton Edar's first EV, developed by Mercedes-Benz, built by Geely
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What about Malaysia?
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Even before the Smart #1 went on sale, Proton signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Smart that will see Smart working with Proton Edar to distribute Smart’s range of electrified models in Malaysia and Thailand.
More details are expected to be revealed soon, so stay tuned for more updates.
Also Read: Mercedes-Benz's Smart EVs are coming to Malaysia, under Proton Edar as importer and distributor
