Smart #6 will launch as plug-In hybrid

Smart has applied for approval of the Smart #6 in China, the brand's first sedan. However, this model is not an electric vehicle but a plug-in hybrid, featuring an independent design.

Rumours about a Smart limousine have been circulating for some time, with a battery-electric limousine based on the same platform as the SUV model Smart #5 considered the most likely option. An 800-volt system would have enabled extremely short charging times, while the lower energy consumption of a limousine would have allowed for even greater ranges.

The Smart #6, however, shares an unexpected parallel with the #5: the homologation application submitted to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) reveals that Smart plans to launch the limousine initially as the #6 EHD. This acronym stands for plug-in hybrid technology, which Smart also offers in China with the #5 EHD as the brand’s first PHEV. As the platform supports pure electric drivetrains, a battery-electric version of the #6 could follow soon after.

The Smart #6 EHD appears on two pages in the current MIIT vehicle catalogue, indicating that it will be offered in two model variants, both initially as plug-in hybrids. The internal combustion engine component of the drivetrain is a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 120 kW of power. The electric motor is integrated into a three-speed gearbox, and the hybrid system is based on Geely’s NordThor Hybrid technology. The electric motor delivers 200 kW, resulting in a combined system output of 320 kW, identical to the #5 EHD.

The two variants of the #6 EHD differ in their battery configuration: both use LFP cells, supplied by SVOLT and CATL, respectively. The energy capacity of the batteries has not yet been disclosed, as this information is not required in the homologation catalogue, though battery suppliers must be named. For comparison: in the #5 EHD, the larger battery option holds 41.46 kWh, enabling an electric range of 252 kilometres.

The official range under the Chinese CLTC standard is 285 kilometres, though it is not specified which battery variant this figure applies to. The combined range with the internal combustion engine, based on a rated consumption of just 3.9 litres per 100 kilometres, is claimed to reach 1,810 kilometres on paper. As the Chinese test cycle reflects the lower average speeds in the country’s metropolises, CLTC range figures are consistently higher than those under WLTP.

At 4.91 metres in length, the Smart #6 EHD is the longest Smart model to date, and its 2.93-metre wheelbase also surpasses all previous models from the brand. The width is listed as 1.92 metres, with a height of 1.51 metres. The #6 features a distinct design, neither adopting the angular styling of the #5 nor the more rounded lines of the #1 and #3. No interior images have been released yet, and the China pricing for the #6 EHD remains undisclosed.

cnevpost.com, carnewschina.com

This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition.