2023 Munich Motor Show - Inovev forecasts 75,000 units per year of the new Smart #3
- Smart (formerly subsidiary of Mercedes and now of the Mercedes-Geely 50-50 joint venture) has started producing in China (Ningbo) at Geely the new Smart #1 which is a battery electric four-door B-segment sedan of 4.27 m long, very different therefore from the battery electric Smart Fortwotwo-door A-segment of 2.70 m long which nevertheless continues to be produced in France (Hambach) until April 2024. As for the battery electric Smart Forfour four 3.50m long A-segment doors, it ceased production in 2022, the Smart #1 can be considered as its replacement.
- At the 2023 Munich Motor Show, Smart will be present and will unveil its new #3, 4.44 m long, which places it in the C-segment. This model produced in China will undoubtedly be more suitable for the Chinese market, which prefers C and B-segment cars. On the other hand, in Europe, the B-segment is still very much in demand and competition is fierce in the C-segment, especially since the price of the Smart #3 should be quite high as the #1 fluctuates between 40,000 and 45,000 euros depending on the version. It will be necessary to count on prices between 45,000 and 50,000 euros in the best case. However, a Volkswagen ID4 is worth between 45,000 and 50,000 euros, and a Tesla Model 3 of the upper segment (D-segment) is worth between 42,000 and 50,000 euros. A Renault Megane E-Tech is priced at 38,000 euros in its basic version. As for Chinese carmakers, an MG 4 is worth 30,000 euros in its basic version.
- The mission of the Smart #3 will be to relaunch the brand's production, which fell to 43,000 units in 2022, compared to 145,000 in 2016 and 123,000 in 2019. Inovev forecasts 75,000 units per year of the new Smart #3 produced in China.