First Drive: 2024 smart #3 - "Better than 1?"

smart Malaysia will be expanding its EV offering here in Malaysia soon in the form of the smart #3 electric SUV and we had our first taste behind the wheel.

The location? Proton's test track at the Centre of Excellence (COE). How does it compare with the already very impressive smart #1? In short, if you're not really a fan of the smart #1's unique facade, perhaps the sportier coupe-styled SUV of the smart #3 might be more to your taste.

It's arguably a more accepted look for a compact SUV with a dash of sportiness thanks to its dynamic fastback coupé exterior design. From the front, it's more or less similar to the smart #1 but as it moves towards the rear, you'll notice its bow-shaped roof, sporty rear spoiler that blends together with the said roof, and a slightly more pronounced rear shoulder line.

The result of all these unique features on the smart #3 is a lower drag coefficient rating of 0.27 (0.29 for the smart #1). The variant you're looking at right now is the mid-range smart #3 Premium which you can tell from its wind deflectors on the wheels.

While it's no secret that the powertrains for both the smart #1 and #3 are the same, the latter is indeed faster in completing the century sprint at only 5.8 seconds (6.7 seconds for the #1).

Despite being faster, its more aerodynamic shape allows it to go further - 325km for the Pro RWD (49kWh battery) and 455km for the Premium (66kWh, same as the smart #3 Brabus). The top speed remains the same at 180km/h.

Our time behind the wheel of the smart #3 was brief, but it was enough to tell us two things - its optimised suspension setup does indeed offer a more dynamic driving experience for spirited drives but is more balanced to offer higher levels of comfort compared to the smart #1. This is especially clear when you're seated at the back.

Another very welcoming feature for the smart #3 is the three settings for its regenerative braking - Low, Medium, and High as compared to only two for the smart #1. This allows the #3 to be more user-friendly in terms of getting ICE drivers to adapt faster and more naturally to the nature of EVs.

To conclude, the smart #3 has managed to iron out a number of small issues from the smart #1 to make it a more delectable EV that not only offers a sportier look thanks to its coupe body style, it's also more comfortable yet dynamic to conquer your daily drives with ease without sacrificing any of the fun factors that we've encountered with the #1.

It's indeed a strong candidate for more awards in the future and if the folks over at smart Malaysia play their cards right (especially when it comes to pricing), there's a possibility that the smart #3 might just outsell the #1.

If you fancy seeing one for yourself, make your way to the Malaysia Autoshow 2024 happening from 22-26 May 2024 at MAEPS Serdang. You might be in for a treat.

For now, here's our review of the smart #1 which is the winner of the Carlist’s Car of the Year Awards 2023 Editor’s Choice Award for Best Compact EV.