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#1 Prices Slashed As Smart Retaliates In The Local EV Price War

The result of this price cut now sees for a smart #1 to possibly be had for as little as RM 169,000. 

The local EV price war has seen yet another battler enter the fray, as smart has recently announced a healthy slash in the price of its #1 in Malaysia. 

This Sino-German e-crossover can now be had from RM 169,000 for its base Pro trim, which represents a healthy RM 20,000 cut over what its original asking price was when it locally late last year. Smart has also since slashed RM 10,000 off its mid-range Premium variant, with it set to now retail for RM 209,000. 

Interestingly however, the top-tier (and incidentally top-selling) BRABUS did not witness any trim in its pricing, with smart still selling this particular red hot spec of e-crossover at its prior retail price of RM 249,000. 

And just for a little bit of added context here too, the latest round of price cuts from Tesla for the Model 3 has seen the base Rear Wheel Drive and mid-spec Long Range All-Wheel Drive trims of this entry-level Tesla to now retail for RM 181,000 and RM 210,000 respectively. The newly-introduced Performance trim meanwhile has landed locally wearing a price tag of RM 242,000. 

Now much like what the rest of the players have done before it, smart has attempted to placate those who have already bought their #1s by announcing the offer of a complimentary 4-year service package to existing owners of Premium and Pro trims of its e-crossover. It should not perhaps go unmentioned though for one of the main ownership benefits touted for EVs is their lower maintenance requirement. So it really does make this mea culpa ring a bit hollow for those who have just seen their resale values seemingly plummet overnight. 

In any case, for those who might now have their interests piqued by these newly-lowered prices on a #1, the lowest-tier Pro variant packs with it a 49 kWh LFP battery pack that is capable of a WLTP-claimed range of 315 km. Jumping up to the higher-end Premium trim instead nets a larger range on a single charge of 440 km, courtesy of a larger 66 kWh NMC battery pack. 

Both Pro and Premium trims of the #1 nevertheless feature the same rear-wheel drive layout, with the sole rear mounted motor developing 220 kW and 343 Nm of torque. The mid-spec variant is however differentiated on the kit front by featuring CyberSparksLED+ matrix headlights and an illuminated front grille, in addition to leather upholstery and ventilated front seats, a 13-speaker 640 W Beats sound system, illuminated door sills and a 10-inch colour head-up display. 

As for the BRABUS spec on the other hand, its dual motor powertrain churns out a total of 315 kW and 543 Nm of torque. This DSF.my 2024 e-crossover of the year also has a maximum range of 400 km from its 66 kWh battery pack, which can then be topped up either by way of 22kW AC charging (0 – 80% in 3 hours) or 150kW DC fast charging (0 – 80% in 30 minutes).

Differentiating the BRABUS trim from the rest of the lineup are red exterior accent pieces, which accompany the decorative letter-box vents on its bonnet and rear tailgate spoiler to emphasise its performance pedigree. Stiffer dampers and wide 19-inch dual tone alloy wheels also make an appearance on this sporty smart #1 variant, as does a similarly crimson-accented cabin. 

Joshua Chin

Automotive journalist. Professional work on dsf.my and automacha.com. Personal writing found at driveeveryday.me. Instagram: @driveeveryday

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