smart #5 Set to Gain New PHEV Variant Amidst Slow EV Demands

Reports from Europe suggest that the smart #5 SUV will come with a PHEV version amidst slow demands for EVs.

Months after making its global debut, the smart #5 is slated to gain a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant, which will go on sale alongside the original BEV version in some global markets. This revelation came after a smart #5 was recently spotted in China featuring an ICE powertrain, which has brought many speculations on the brand’s initial EV-only policy.

Confirming this matter was a spokesperson from smart Europe’s operations team, who told Autocar UK, “We see individual mobility powered by combustion engines and, in particular, with hybrid drives as a transitional technology towards purely electric driving.”. 

“It is important to respond to the increasingly diverse demands and desires of the customers. Smart cannot exclude any technological solution for the future at the current point in time,” the spokesperson said.

Part of the reasons behind smart’s decision to dial down on its EV-only plan is to respond to the changing sales dynamics of its EVs in native China, where both PHEVs and range-extender EVs (REEVs) are recently growing in favour amongst the local Chinese over pure BEVs. The same trend can also be seen in other key global markets such as Europe, where EV sales began to drop as more and more governments are slowly withdrawing subsidies and incentives for EVs.

The new smart #5 PHEV will likely get its PHEV powertrain setup from the Geely Galaxy Starship 7.

Technical details on the new smart #5 PHEV remain under wraps for now, although Autocar UK believes that the Sino-German marque will adopt Geely’s new Thor PHEV system for its largest model to date. This new PHEV setup has resided in several newer Geely PHEV models, including the Galaxy Starship 7, where it comprises a 1.5-litre 4-cyl petrol engine rated at 110 HP, a 215 HP-rated electric motor, and a bespoke electronic dual-hybrid transmission (e-DHT).

In its native Chinese market, the Starship 7 comes with two battery options, both of which are Geely’s proprietary Aegis 'short blade’ lithium iron phosphate (LFP) units. The baseline model packs a smaller 19.09-kWh unit that provides 101 KM of EV-only range (CLTC), while the top-spec model houses a larger 28.94-kWh unit with up to 150 KM of EV-only range (CLTC).

Together with the petrol engine, the Starship 7 boasts a combined travel range of up to 1,420 KM (CLTC), while fuel consumption is rated at 3.75 litres per 100 KM, Geely claims.

By comparison, the top-spec smart #5 gets a dual-motor AWD powertrain setup that delivers up to 579 HP, allowing a rapid 0-100 KM/H sprint of only 4.9 seconds. As for the range, the Long Range RWD version with the larger 100-kWh battery unit is good enough for up to 740 KM of maximum EV range, at least according to the more lenient CLTC standards.

As of now, there are no indications saying that the smart #5 PHEV will be ready for debut this year, given that the electric version will only go on sale in the overseas market from mid-2025 onwards. With this, smart has become the newest Geely-owned premium EV brand to dial down on its EV-only plan, following the footsteps of both Lotus and Zeekr.