FIRST DRIVE: Smart #3 – A big surprise ? | Electrifying

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A Smart might not seem like the obvious rival to cars like the Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID.3, but Tom thinks this #3 is a genuinely interesting car.

It’s part of Smart’s dramatic reinvention and is the second in its new line up of pure electric, ultra-modern family cars. This – the #3 – is a sporty hatchback/coupe with some SUV looks thrown in too. It’s an intriguing combination.

It’s the big brother to the recently-launched #1 in Smart’s new range, and is 4,400mm long – that’s about the same length a Mercedes A-Class. It’s made in China by a company called Geely, which also use many of the bits in this to make the Volvo EX30.

But the result of all this reinvention and cross breeding is a car which combines the style, tech and quality of a Mercedes with practicality and a lower price tag.

The #3 has a starting price of £32,950 and the bigger battery Pro+ is £36,950 – which is £12,000 less than the cost of the cheapest Mercedes EQA and puts the Smart up against everything from a Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen ID.3 to a Tesla Model 3

The cheapest model is called the Pro and has an LFP battery which uses fewer precious metals than the Lithium Ion cells you find in most other electric cars.

The downside is that it has a smaller capacity and therefore less range – it’s a 49kWh battery and gives an official range of 202 miles. Charging on an AC feed is at a maximum of 7.4kW, which is below the average in this class but won’t matter to most drivers who just use a home wallbox. DC rapid charging is at a maximum of 130kW.

Move up to the Pro+ and you’re treated to a 66kWh battery giving 270 miles. AC charging is still 7.4kW, but the DC maximum gets upgraded to 150kW.

The top Premium version gets a heat pump and a more efficient motor which increases the range to 283 miles. The AC inverter also gets an upgrade so it can take 22kW.

There’s an impressive amount of equipment even on the cheapest model, and the quality seems to be at Mercedes levels in most areas.

The motor is surprisingly powerful too, at 268bhp – that’s more than almost all the rivals.

Would you be prepared to make the Smart choice over a Tesla or ID.3? As always, we love to hear what you think, so start typing in the comments below.
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