Smart has updated its flagship mid-size SUV with a genuine news story rather than a simple facelift: the #5 Premium can now be ordered with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain, and the wider #1/#3/#5 family gains a new Black Collection cosmetic package. The AWD Premium adds a 165 kW front motor to the existing rear motor for a combined 432 kW (588 PS / 579 hp) and 643 Nm of torque, at a €2,500 premium over the rear-wheel-drive car. Smart pitches it as the practical answer for buyers who want the Premium trim's Sennheiser sound system, ventilated Duo Leather seats and double-glazing, but also want confidence on wet roads and in winter. Separately, the Black Collection brings gloss-black wheels, blacked-out trim and a coordinated interior to the #1, #3 and #5 Pro+ lines for €600. Both updates went live for order in Europe in August 2026, with Italy leading the rollout. This is a distinct story from Smart's #5 BRABUS performance flagship covered separately on FreshMotors — the Premium AWD is the volume, comfort-focused trim gaining traction, not a horsepower record.
Performance & Specs
The #5 Premium AWD pairs a 165 kW (224 PS / 221 hp) front motor with the existing 310 kW (421 PS / 415 hp) rear motor for a combined system output of 432 kW (588 PS / 579 hp) and 643 Nm of torque, good for 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and a 200 km/h top speed. That is a full 1.6 seconds quicker than the rear-wheel-drive Premium's 6.5-second sprint, which makes do with a single 267 kW (363 PS / 358 hp) motor and 373 Nm. Both versions share the same 100 kWh (94 kWh usable) NCM battery and the SEA-based 800V architecture, so the AWD car does not trade capacity for traction — it trades some efficiency and range instead. WLTP range drops from 590 km (RWD) to 540 km (AWD), and combined consumption rises from 18.4 to 19.9 kWh/100 km. Driving modes carry over largely unchanged, including an All-Terrain setting shared with the AWD Pulse and Brabus variants for loose surfaces.
| Powertrain | Dual-motor AWD BEV |
|---|---|
| Power | 432 kW (588 PS / 579 hp) |
| Torque | 643 Nm |
| 0–100 km/h | 4.9 s |
| Battery | 100 kWh (94 kWh usable) |
| Range | 540 km (WLTP) |
| POWERTRAIN TYPE | Battery electric (BEV) |
|---|---|
| HORSEPOWER | 432 kW (588 PS / 579 hp) |
| ACCELERATION | 4.9 s (0-100 km/h) |
| TOP SPEED | 200 km/h |
| DRIVETRAIN | Dual-motor AWD |
| BATTERY | 100 kWh (94 kWh usable) |
| ELECTRIC RANGE | 540 km (WLTP) |
| COMBINED RANGE | — |
Dimensions & Practicality
| Length | 4,695 mm |
|---|---|
| Width | 1,920 mm |
| Height | 1,705 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,900 mm |
At 4,695 mm long on a 2,900 mm wheelbase, the #5 Premium sits in the same mid-size-SUV footprint whether it is running RWD or the new AWD setup — the extra front motor packages under the existing frunk without eating into cabin space. Boot volume is 630 litres with the rear bench up and expands to 1,530 litres folded flat, plus a 72-litre front trunk under the bonnet for charging cables or a squeezed-in overnight bag. Rear-seat passengers get a flat floor and generous knee room typical of the dedicated SEA-based EV platform, and the Premium trim's double-glazed side windows help keep road and wind noise down at motorway speeds — useful now that the AWD version can actually hold a higher cruising pace on a snowy Alpine pass.
| LENGTH | 4,695 mm |
|---|---|
| WIDTH | 1,920 mm |
| HEIGHT | 1,705 mm |
| WHEELBASE | 2,900 mm |
| CARGO VOLUME | 630 L (1,530 L seats folded) |
| FRUNK | 72 L |
Charging & Battery
Both the RWD and AWD Premium share the same 100 kWh gross (94 kWh usable) NCM battery pack riding on an 800V architecture, so the headline charging numbers carry over unchanged despite the extra front motor. DC fast charging tops out around 400 kW, with independent real-world tests recording 10-80% top-ups in as little as 15 minutes on a suitable ultra-fast charger; Smart's own figures are closer to 18 minutes under typical conditions. AC home/destination charging runs at up to 22 kW where three-phase supply is available. The trade-off for AWD traction is efficiency: combined consumption rises from 18.4 kWh/100 km on the rear-wheel-drive Premium to 19.9 kWh/100 km on the AWD car, which is what pulls WLTP range down from 590 km to 540 km.
| BATTERY | 100 kWh gross / 94 kWh usable (NCM) |
|---|---|
| AC CHARGING | 22 kW |
| DC FAST CHARGING | Up to 400 kW (800V) |
| DC 10-80% TIME | ~15-18 min |
Design & Interior
The Premium AWD's sheet metal is unchanged from the existing #5 Premium — the news here is under the skin and in the options list. Smart's launch photography shows the car in Interstellar Blue and Ruby Red, both paired with the model's signature four-block LED taillight graphic and flush-mounted door handles. The bigger visual shakeup comes from the new Black Collection, sold separately on the #1, #3 and #5 Pro+ trims for €600: it swaps the grille surround, rear diffuser, side skirts, beltline trim and roof bars to gloss or matte black, and on the #5 specifically brings 19-inch gloss-black Orbit wheels plus concealed door handles finished to match. Inside, Premium trim keeps its ventilated front and heated rear Duo Leather seats, while Black Collection buyers get three newly added interior colour options coordinated with the darker exterior theme, plus optional privacy glass. Black paint itself is included at no extra cost across all three models, a rarity in a segment where black paint usually carries a surcharge.
Technology & Features
The #5 Premium's cabin centres on two 13-inch AMOLED 2.5K displays — one for the driver, one dedicated to the front passenger — backed by a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 25.6-inch augmented-reality head-up display that projects navigation and ADAS prompts onto the road ahead. A generative AI voice assistant handles calls, messaging, media, climate and navigation by natural speech, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come pre-installed alongside built-in satellite navigation. Audio is handled by a 20-speaker, 2,000-watt Sennheiser Signature Sound System with Dolby Atmos — Smart's press materials describe the #5 as the first car ever fitted with a Sennheiser-branded system. Automatic Parking Assistant is standard on Premium, using the car's full sensor suite to handle perpendicular and parallel spaces.
Safety & ADAS
The #5 line carries a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and posted the highest overall score of any large SUV Euro NCAP tested in 2025, with 93% in Child Occupant, 92% in Safety Assist, 88% in Adult Occupant and 84% in Vulnerable Road User protection. Autonomous Emergency Braking alone scored 97%, drawing on high-resolution cameras and next-generation radar. A 60GHz radar-based Child Presence Detection system monitors both seating rows for the smallest movements, and the ADAS suite adds Emergency Lane Keep Assist, driver fatigue/distraction monitoring and a 360-degree camera system. None of this changes with the new AWD motor, but the extra front-axle grip gives the same sensor suite a more stable platform to brake and steer from on low-grip surfaces.
| ADAS LEVEL | L2+ (Euro NCAP 5-star, best-in-class large SUV 2025) |
|---|---|
| ADAS FEATURES | AEB (97% Euro NCAP score), Emergency Lane Keep Assist, Driver Monitoring, 60GHz Child Presence Detection, 360° camera, Automatic Parking Assistant |
Available Versions
| VERSION | POWER | TORQUE | 0-100 | TOP SPEED | DRIVETRAIN | BATTERY | EV RANGE | COMBINED RANGE | PRICE | KEY DIFFERENCES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium RWD | 358 hp | 373 Nm | 6.5s | 200 km/h | RWD | 100 kWh | 590 km | — | $64,500 | Single rear motor, best-in-class WLTP range |
| Premium AWD | 579 hp | 643 Nm | 4.9s | 200 km/h | AWD | 100 kWh | 540 km | — | $67,450 | New dual-motor AWD, same Premium comfort spec |
Pricing & Availability
The Smart #5 Premium AWD costs €57,900 in Germany, a €2,500 step up from the €55,400 rear-wheel-drive Premium (approximately $67,450 and $64,500 respectively at August 2026 exchange rates). The Black Collection adds €600 (about $700) on top of #1, #3 or #5 Pro+ pricing. Both updates opened for order on Smart's European configurators in August 2026, with the official press announcement dated July 30, 2026 and Germany's local order books opening August 19, 2026; Italy was named as an early market for the rollout, with other European markets following on a phased basis through the rest of 2026. The #5 line still starts well below Premium AWD money — the base Pro trim opens around €45,900 — so AWD and Black Collection remain options for buyers moving up the range rather than changes to the entry price.
How It Compares
Against our own catalog, the Premium AWD's 579 hp lands almost exactly on the ZEEKR 7X Ultra's 580 hp, but the ZEEKR undercuts it by roughly $10,000 while also out-ranging it by 130 km — a reminder that Smart's European Mercedes-Geely badge and Sennheiser-branded interior carry a real premium over Chinese-market-first rivals with similar hardware. The VOYAH Taishan sits closer on price with less outright power but more range, making it the more efficiency-minded alternative. The NIO ES9 goes the other way: significantly more powerful and pricier, aimed at buyers who want a three-row flagship rather than the #5's tighter five-seat package. None of these three are direct segment twins sold in the same markets as the #5 Premium AWD, but they frame where Smart's pricing sits relative to what similarly-specced EVs cost elsewhere in our catalog.
- 579 hp and 4.9-second 0-100 km/h from AWD without giving up the Premium trim's comfort equipment
- Same 100 kWh battery and 400 kW/800V fast-charging as the rest of the #5 range, no trade-off there
- 5-star Euro NCAP rating with the highest score of any large SUV tested in 2025
- WLTP range drops 50 km (590 to 540 km) and consumption rises versus the cheaper RWD Premium
- Europe-only for now, at a price point where several in-house rivals offer more range for less money
The #5 Premium AWD is not trying to be a Brabus-lite halo car — it is Smart filling an obvious gap for buyers who wanted Premium's comfort kit but needed all-wheel traction for a wet commute or a ski trip. At €2,500 over the RWD version, it is a reasonably priced way to add real performance (4.9s to 100 km/h is quick for a family SUV) and confidence in poor weather, without stepping up to Brabus money. The Black Collection is a smart, low-cost way to freshen the look of three models at once, even if €600 for black wheels and trim is a familiar cosmetic-package markup. Buyers chasing maximum range should stick with the RWD Premium; buyers who drive somewhere that actually sees snow or heavy rain will find the AWD's trade-off easy to justify.
