NEWS Smart #1 ride
We’re in pole position to s
● First taste of new Smart #1 ● EV has 273 miles of range
FIRST DRIVE
Yousuf Ashraf
Smart #1
Yousuf_Ashraf@autovia.co.uk @ashrafoncars
WE’VE been here before, to a point. The Smart brand is launching a vehicle that’s not a super-compact city car, but this time, the new, all-electric #1 crossover hopes to spread the rebooted brand’s wings a little further than the ForFour that came before it. And we’ve been for a ride in a prototype. The #1 has a similar footprint to the MINI Countryman. It’s a bigger car than pictures might suggest, the benefits of which are apparent when you climb aboard. Despite a tall, Mercedes-like centre console that cocoons the front occupants, the cabin is spacious and accommodating, with plenty of rear legroom and a 411-litre boot. Smart claims that there’s as much room in here as you’ll find in a Mercedes E-Class, and while we can’t verify that without putting the two side by side, the #1 is a very spacious car for its size. Some of the trim materials are still being finalised, but perceived quality is high, too. The leather-trimmed facia is nicely padded and the swooping dashboard looks thoroughly modern. The #1 is the first model to use the new Geely-developed SEA platform, and it sets the trajectory of future electric Smarts. It will initially be available with a rear-mounted 268bhp electric motor and a 66kWh battery offering a range of 273 miles. The car’s 400V architecture enables 150kW rapid charging, too, with a 10-80 per cent charge taking around half an hour. The road was wet during our passenger ride and our pre-production test car had a windscreen seal issue, so we’ll reserve judgement on overall refinement until we get behind the wheel of the #1 in production
Price: Powertrain: Power/torque: Transmission:
£32,000 (est) 66kWh battery, 1x motor 268bhp/343Nm Single-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive 0-62/top spd: TBC/112mph Range: 273 miles Charging: 150kW DC/ 10-80 per cent 30 mins
ONSALE Dec
GROWTH
Smart #1 is similar in size to MINI Countryman, while EV drive boosts interior space
form. Even so, the car does feel solid and relatively well isolated at town speeds, with smooth, near-silent running typical of an EV. One or two foibles emerge when picking up speed. The car’s suspension calibration has yet to be signed off, but as it stands, the #1 struggles to contain all of its 1,820kg over undulating roads. A quick sequence of bumps can send the car jostling around, and we’re hoping that the final production car is more settled. Sharper imperfections are absorbed fairly well, though, and the #1 rounds off the worst jolts. Given that the battery pack is contained within the floor, the #1 doesn’t roll as much as you might expect in faster corners. You
are conscious of the car’s weight as the chassis fidgets over mid-corner bumps, but it feels mostly secure and stable from the passenger seat. According to Smart’s engineers, the #1’s chassis is surprisingly adjustable with the ESP system slackened off, which bodes well for the rumoured dual-motor Brabus version. With 342Nm of torque on tap, the electric motor is able to mask the car’s bulk, and acceleration is punchy, if not quite hairraising. There’s plenty of performance for most situations, but power begins to tail off when the battery charge has depleted – below 30 per cent in this case – and top speed is limited to 112mph.
Hottest Golf marks 20 years of R TO commemorate 20 years of its R performance sub-brand, Volkswagen has unveiled a Golf R ‘20 Years edition’. Thanks to a 13bhp power hike that increases the VW’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine’s output to 328bhp, this is the fastest production Golf ever. It features a new ‘Emotion Start’ system that flares the revs to 2,500rpm on start up. While the mechanicals are fundamentally the same as the Performance pack-equipped Golf R, the engine and seven-speed dualclutch automatic gearbox have been recalibrated, with the latter offering more aggressive manual shifts in the sportier driving modes. The turbo is preloaded under part-throttle to reduce lag. The powertrain tweaks give a marginal improvement in the Golf R’s 0-62mph time,
12 1 June 2022
Essentials
with the 20 Years edition covering the benchmark sprint in 4.6 seconds, 0.1 seconds faster than the standard model. Golf R 20 Years cars get the R Performance pack as standard, which includes a torquevectoring rear differential, plus additional ‘Special’ and ‘Drift’ driving modes that work with the Vehicle Dynamics Manager to further broaden the model’s ability. A prominent roof spoiler and a set of 19-inch alloy wheels also feature; the latter is available with optional semi-slick tyres to improve grip and track performance. Unique ‘20’ badging on the Golf’s B-pillars and ‘20 R’ puddle lights that
illuminate on unlocking the car identify this special-edition version of the hot hatch. Inside, the Golf R 20 Years boasts carbon-fibre dash and door panel inserts to enhance its status as the sportiest Golf on sale, along with blue R branding for the steering wheel, sports seats and key fob. Pre-orders for the Golf R 20 Years edition begin this month, and while VW hasn’t given pricing details for the new car, expect a small increase in list price over a regular Performance pack-equipped Golf R. VW hasn’t confirmed if the car will be sold in limited numbers, but has outlined that it will be available until the middle of 2023.
OFFICIAL HOT HATCH Recalibrated engine and gearbox make this the fastest production Golf VW has built
“Golf R 20 Years boasts carbon-fibre dash and door panel inserts to enhance its status as the sportiest Golf on sale” www.autoexpress.co.uk
