Smart #6 unveiled as plug-in hybrid saloon to rival BMW 3 Series

Smart has unveiled the #6, a sleek new plug-in hybrid saloon that becomes the brand's biggest model to date.

The #6 is Smart’s first ever saloon and only its second model to offer a PHEV powertrain after a new version of the #5 SUV was launched in China earlier this year. A fully electric #6 will follow next year.

The #6 PHEV - badged EHD, standing for Electric Hybrid Drive – joins the #1, #3 and #5 SUVs in Smart's model range.

UK sales are yet to be confirmed for the #6, but officials in China say that exports are on the cards as part of an effort to grow sales as EV interest stalls worldwide. In the UK and Europe, Smart is currently an EV-only brand. 

Despite representing a decisive break from the city cars that originally defined its brand, Smart said its new BMW 3 Series rival still carries elements of its design DNA, including short overhangs and a clean, aerodynamically focused profile. 

The interior has yet to be shown, but it's expected to mirror that of the larger #5, which features a 13in central touchscreen and 10.25in digital driver's cluster.

At 4906mm in length, 1922mm in width and 1508mm in height, with a 2926mm wheelbase, the #6 has similar proportions to the Zeekr 07, launched in China as a saloon in 2023.

Indeed, this isn't only the largest Smart yet but also one of the longest vehicles built on Geely’s PMA2+ platform. Its dimensions push it directly into a saloon segment dominated by the BYD Seal DM-i and Xiaomi SU7 in China.

The new #6 adopts Geely’s NordThor Hybrid 2.0 system, which pairs a 161bhp turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor. Power is sent through a three-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT). Smart quotes combined output of up to 429bhp.