490 cm in length, sporty design and advanced features for autonomous driving, but also a rechargeable hybrid engine with 435 HP of total power
There bigger smart that has ever been made, certainly a far cry from the 274 cm length of the original fortwo production exited in 2018 and awaiting an heir by 2027, but even beyond 460cm long of the current smart #5, a medium SUV which evidently no longer has the role of flagship. The automaker half-owned by Mercedes and the Chinese group Geely has published the first official images of the new smart sedan #6long 490 cm for 192 cm wide. This is a model clearly aimed at eastern markets, but with not only an aesthetic reference to the most recent Mercedes Cla, even more compact at 472 cm in length, but also marketed on our markets. The news for the new smart #6, however, is double: it will not use a 100% electric motor, but rather a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 435 HP of total power.
China, there is more choice
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The idea of a “smart flagship” does not rely only on dimensions, let’s be clear, because the first images of the #6 betray the presence of side cameras and one lidar-type optical scanner on the roof, demonstrating that the car has functionality autonomous driving evolved. Therefore it is an overtly technological product, but one that runs on petrol. Much has been discussed in recent months about smart’s “European choices”, that is, about very unlogical decision to rely exclusively on zero emissions instead of drawing on hybrid solutions already used in China. Choices that seem incomprehensible, considering the difficulty of the electric car on the same European market which objectively rewards cars more plug-in hybrid cars, as the Byd case teaches.
strategy
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The smart brand has repeatedly made it clear in recent months that it intends not to import the #5 model with rechargeable hybrid engine to the old continent. Ehdalready on sale in the eastern country and capable of reaching i 250 km of autonomy in electric-only mode. New smart #6 uses the same scheme, which therefore proves to be equally interesting for Europe.
Advanced plug-in
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The Ehd system Electric Hybrid Drive of the car, according to data already communicated on the Chinese market, is able to guarantee a total power equal to 435 HP thanks to the coupling between a 1.5 turbo petrol from 163 HP and a electric motor of 271 HP, combined with a 3-speed automatic transmission. On paper, the data corresponds to that of the smart #5 Ehd, but the autonomy in electric mode rises to 285 kmwith fuel consumption for alone 3.9 l/100 kmall evaluated according to the CLTC measurement cycle which is at least more vague than the European WLTP one.
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