Smart #5 Premium 100kWh Review

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The car above may look nearly identical to one we drove just a few months back (roof-mounted bicycle rack included), but this Saturn Beige Matte example of the Smart #5 is making a return to our office as the 'Premium' variant.

It comes with plenty more features than car we previously drove, but also sports a greater price tag. So, is this now the electric SUV to get from the Smart showroom?

This 'Premium' Smart #5 gets a 100kWh battery that can be charged at a maximum power of 400kW

More than ready

There's little on the exterior of this car that identifies it as the more well-equipped variant (since your own car obviously won't come with stickers declaring the presence of Sennheiser speakers), but pour through the spec sheet and you'll find plenty else that distinguishes this car from the 'Pro' variant.

The chief highlight here is the fact that this #5 Premium comes with a 100kWh lithium nickel manganese cobalt battery instead of the 76kWh lithium iron phosphate item offered in the 'Pro' variant. Smart states that the maximum charging power for this 'Premium' variant stands at 400kW, while the 'Pro' variant charges at a maximum of 150kW.

Plug this car into the right charger and that means a shorter waiting time for a full charge with this variant of the Smart #5, on top of the fact that you also get a greater claimed range of 590km against the 460km of the 'Pro' variant.

And there's a high chance you'll be able to meet this claimed range. We saw this car reach an energy economy of 6.1km/kWh during our three days with it, which is just a touch better than the car’s claimed economy of 5.4km/kWh and should translate to you getting just about 600km between charging sessions.

Features present in the car and absent from the 'Pro' variant of the Smart #5 include ventilated front seats and a 20-speaker Sennheiser sound system

Eager and steady

You also get a slight bump in total power available, although the difference between the 'Premium' and 'Pro' Smart #5 is less significant here.

If you need to know, it's 267kW against the 250kW output of the 'Pro' #5. Think of this increased output as a little bonus to ensure that you don't fall behind on the acceleration front next to the 'Pro' variant even with the added weight of that battery.

And besides, if it's sheer driving thrills you seek, you'd be better off looking elsewhere because this smart #5 isn't a particularly engaging drive.

The steering here is devoid of feel and throttle responsiveness is just about on par with any other electric SUV here. We were not impressed with the ride in the 'Pro' variant of the Smart #5, and this 'Premium' variant seems to have been further hampered by its larger 20-inch rims. Sitting in this #5 is still a generally comfortable affair, but the springs and dampers here allow more of the road's perturbations to rock the cabin than you'd expect from a premium product.

This 'Premium' variant of the Smart #5 also comes with a 13-inch passenger screen and a head-up display

Easy-peasy

There are plenty of other upsides to this Smart #5, however. 

For starters, the ride here is quiet all the way up to highway speeds (and likely to be a lot better than what we observed if you don't install a bicycle rack). Outward visibility here is also great, and I found the Nappa leather that wrap the seats here an absolute treat.

This 'Premium' variant #5 also gets an additional 13-inch passenger screen that comes complete with games so the little ones have something to distract themselves when you're waiting at a charging point, and it can be connected to a set of Bluetooth headphones as well - perfect for those days when the missus would rather not talk to you.

Passengers at the rear should find plenty of leg room available, and there's a generous total of 630 litres of space further aft for everyone’s luggage, further adding to the practicality of this SUV.

The Smart #5 delivers a spacious cabin with plenty of leg and knee room on top of a sizeable 1.7m² panoramic sunroof

More for your money?

So, should you opt for this 'Premium' variant over the 'Pro' if you're looking at the Smart #5? 

The upgrades that come with this variant are undeniably attractive: The mentioned larger battery and charging power should find favour amongst those that find charging a hassle. And you'll also need to upgrade to this variant to get those oh-so-important ventilated front seats.

These touches certainly add to the Smart's competitiveness next to the feature-packed Chinese options that are awash on our island. But they also do bring the final price for Smart’s electric SUV up by quite a fair bit.

The 'Premium' variant adds plenty of features that further add to the already appealing design of the Smart #5

And at $267,000, this 'Premium' variant of the Smart #5 is not only asking for more than the equally design-forward Cupra Tavascan VZ (available from $230,900) but is also asking for more than the $265,999 Long Range RWD variant of the Zeekr 7X, which not only matches this Smart for battery capacity but also offers more power and is just as feature-packed (all prices as of 23 February 2026, inclusive of COE). Did I mention that the Zeekr 7X is also a larger car?

Still, if the boxy design of this Smart #5 is as irresistible to you as it was to us when we first saw this car those months back and you find yourself wanting to pair this with the added practicality of a larger battery, picking this variant might just prove to be quite a smart move.

Shopping for a premium electric SUV? There's also these options to consider:

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 pairs a spacious cabin with space-age design

The Audi Q6 e-tron come with plenty of tech and a muscular exterior

The IM6 is both comfortable and mighty quick