China is getting another Smart #1 version on November 18

The new all-electric Smart #1 recently launched in China and in Europe and its Chinese lineup is getting a new member. The existing two models - Pro+ and Premium - are getting a new sibling, the Pulse.

Smart is jointly owned by Mercedes and Geely and the car has been built on the SEA platform provided by Geely. The design of the vehicle was handled by Mercedes and the car is manufactured in China by Geely.

The new Pulse version can be distinguished by its black accents - the lower trim around the entire car and the standard 19” wheels have gloss black finish. The top part of the car - the roof and the pillars are all finished in gloss black. The body colors are vivid and bright and the combination is very contrasting making the car look fresh and dynamic.

The interior comes in black and silver - even the headliner is trimmed with black alcantara. The sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel is wrapped in leather and finished with red stitching for contrast.

The infotainment is provided by the floating 12.8” center screen, the driver gets a dedicated 9.2” display cleverly incorporated into the dashboard and there is also the 10” head-up display. The 13-speaker Beats Audio sound system is optional and so is the 64-color ambient lighting.

Most of the in-car functions can be controlled by voice thanks to Smart Universe, the AI human-computer interaction system designed in-house. The Level 2 ADAS is onboard and so is wireless charging for smartphones. The front seats are heated and the Smart logo in the steering wheel lights up similarly to the Pixels on the steering wheel in Ioniq 6.

The power comes from the same rear-mounted 200 kW electric motor with 343 Nm of torque making the Smart #1 rather competitive off the traffic lights - 0 to 100 km/h happens in just 6.7 seconds. The 66 kWh battery is responsible for CLTC quoted range of 535 km which magically drops to 440 km when it’s tested by WLTP - real life figure will be lower than that anyway.

There is now word on price and availability yet but the Pulse version will slot between the Pro+ and Premium which currently start in China from $29,500 and $34,500 respectively. Will the Pulse make it to Europe? Let’s hope so, it is one good looking small SUV with plenty of poke to have fun driving it around and if it is priced attractively - it may be a winner for many people.

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