2023-12-20 11:49:45
After a five-year hiatus, the unique Smart brand, owned by Mercedes, is back in the market. Calmobile, which imports several car brands including Mercedes, Hyundai, Genesis, Mitsubishi, and Ora, has announced that it will be re-marketing the Smart brand, which has undergone significant changes in ownership and models over the years.
The brainchild of Nicolas Hayek, who founded the Swatch watch brand, Smart was realized as a Mercedes-branded microcar in 1997, four years after the German manufacturer partnered with Hayek’s venture. Throughout the years, it has introduced various models, including a roadster, coupe, supermini, and an electric version.
In 2019, the Smart brand underwent a change in ownership, becoming an equal partnership between Mercedes and Geely, the Chinese automobile corporation that also owns Volvo. The new Smart models are now electric-only, based on a Geely floor and assemblies, and are manufactured by Geely in China.
One of the new electric models, Smart #1, was shown as a concept in 2021 and went into production in 2022. It is based on Geely’s dedicated electric floor and boasts a compact recreational vehicle design with unique proportions. The vehicle is offered in two versions, with the regular version having one engine and the Brabus version having two engines. Both versions feature a 66 kWh battery and a range of up to 440 km.
In Israel, Smart #1 is offered in two versions and three equipment levels, with prices starting at NIS 175,000. The safety specifications in all versions include various advanced features such as autonomous braking, deviation correction, and blind spot monitoring. The vehicles also come with a three-year unlimited km warranty and 8 years and 200,000 km on the battery.
According to Calmobile, the launch prices for the first few hundred vehicles are as advertised, but with the increase in the tax on electric vehicles at the beginning of the year, the importer estimates that the price will increase by about NIS 20,000.
With the re-marketing of the Smart brand and the introduction of new electric models, car enthusiasts and consumers can look forward to experiencing the unique and innovative offerings from the iconic brand.
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