Photo: MIIT/smart
China has an interesting peculiarity when it comes to the car market: all vehicles show up on the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) before they are officially revealed. We saw several new projects when they were about to hit the streets, and that is also the case with the new smart #3, the #1’s coupe version. Its first images remind us a lot of the ORA Lightning Cat.
While ORA is a Great Wall brand, smart belongs to Geely (and Mercedes-Benz), so that is just a coincidence. The Lightning Cat is also predictably much longer than the smart: the ORA is 4.87 meters (191.7 inches) long, while the #3 is 4.40 meters (173.2 inches) long. And that is not the only technical specification the MIIT allowed us to discover.
The new smart is 1.84 m (72.4 in) wide, 1.56 m (61.4 in) tall, and has a 2.79 m (109.8 in) wheelbase. Although the front end is equal to that of the #1, the dimensions show there are few other common elements apart from Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) and possibly the interior.
The #1 is 4.27 m (168.1 in) long, 1.82 m (71.7 in) wide, 1.64 m (64.4 in) tall, and has a shorter wheelbase: 2.75 m (108.3 in). The new smart is longer, wider, shorter, and also heavier than the #1: 2,154 kilograms (4,749 pounds) versus 1,820 kg (4,012 lb). Despite the sportier profile, both cars share the same top speed: 180 kph (112 mph).
The smart #3 will come with a single 200-kW (268 hp), while the Brabus derivative will come with one motor per axle and a total output of 315 kW (422 hp). That’s the same power the #1 Brabus delivers. The #3 will use 245/45 R19 tires. According to Autohome, a more prominent measure (245/40 R20) is standard equipment on the Brabus. We wonder if it will be an option on the entry-level version, considering the customization options smart will offer. We should have its world premiere in a few weeks. Deliveries should start only in 2023.
The new smart is 1.84 m (72.4 in) wide, 1.56 m (61.4 in) tall, and has a 2.79 m (109.8 in) wheelbase. Although the front end is equal to that of the #1, the dimensions show there are few other common elements apart from Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) and possibly the interior.
The #1 is 4.27 m (168.1 in) long, 1.82 m (71.7 in) wide, 1.64 m (64.4 in) tall, and has a shorter wheelbase: 2.75 m (108.3 in). The new smart is longer, wider, shorter, and also heavier than the #1: 2,154 kilograms (4,749 pounds) versus 1,820 kg (4,012 lb). Despite the sportier profile, both cars share the same top speed: 180 kph (112 mph).
The smart #3 will come with a single 200-kW (268 hp), while the Brabus derivative will come with one motor per axle and a total output of 315 kW (422 hp). That’s the same power the #1 Brabus delivers. The #3 will use 245/45 R19 tires. According to Autohome, a more prominent measure (245/40 R20) is standard equipment on the Brabus. We wonder if it will be an option on the entry-level version, considering the customization options smart will offer. We should have its world premiere in a few weeks. Deliveries should start only in 2023.
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