2024 Smart #3 approved for sale in Australia

The 2024 Smart #3 has received Australian Design Rule certification ahead of its local release in three months.

With order books set to open next month and first examples of the compact battery-electric SUV due to arrive in September, it seems Smart is looking to offer almost the full range of #3 variants Down Under, given five variants have been homologated thus far – the Pro, Pro+, Premium, Pulse and Brabus.

The former three offerings will all come with a 200kW single-motor powertrain, while the latter two will offer dual-motor set-ups, the Pulse offering 256kW and the Brabus a peppy 315kW.

All versions besides the Pro feature a 66kWh battery pack that provides a WLTP range of up to 435km (Pro+ and Premium), whereas the base model will have a smaller 49kWh unit good for up to 325km.

Nineteen-inch wheels shod with aggressive 245/45-profile tyres will be standard across the core range, except for the Brabus with its 20-inch rims and lower-profile 245/40 rubber.

The #3 is the bigger of Smart’s two globally established EVs, acting as the bigger and sportier sibling for the boxier #1, though both models are compact electric SUVs that should compete with the Volvo EX30 and C40, Hyundai Kona Electric and Peugeot e-2008.

Both models are heading to Australia in the coming months, with the #1 likely to gain its own ADR approval in the coming days and expected to largely mirror the preliminary #3 line-up.

Aussie pricing and specification details for both Smart models will be announced in the coming weeks, with local importer and distributor LSH Auto Australia hinting at an aggressive pricing model on par with “current non-premium EV offerings of similar size”.

The country’s biggest Mercedes-Benz retailer has previously confirmed it will sell and service Smart vehicles via its established Mercedes-Benz CBD dealerships in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, where the majority of EV sales take place in Australia.

However, there are plans to expand Smart’s presence into Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania next year.

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