Smart #5 Summit Edition review: 400 kW charging, the best electric SUV of 2026?

Smart #5 Summit EditionWith this, Smart is reinventing itself once again. While the brand was previously known primarily for tiny city cars like the iconic Fortwo, the pendulum is now swinging in a completely different direction. After the successful relaunch with the Smart # 1 and the slightly grown Smart # 3 Now, the largest model in the company's history stands before us: the Smart #5. We tested the particularly striking "Summit Edition" for two weeks in everyday use.

tl;dr: Is it really still smart?

The Smart #5 is the brand's largest and most powerful electric SUV to date, and we tested it in the robust, off-road-ready "Summit Edition." With a formidable 589 hp thanks to its all-wheel drive, this hefty vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in under 5 seconds, although its fuel consumption is naturally higher due to its bulky design and roof rack. The truly remarkable feature, however, is its charging performance: at up to 400 kW with a DC fast charger, the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in an unbelievable 15 to 16 minutes.

Inside, the Smart #5 also scores points with its enormous amount of space in all seats, up to almost 2.900 liters of cargo space with the seats folded down, excellent material quality, and lightning-fast infotainment hardware including an AMD processor and brilliant OLED displays. Among its few weaknesses are a currently very error-prone charging route planning feature in the navigation system, a somewhat sluggishly closing frunk, and the hefty curb weight of 2,4 tons, which is naturally noticeable on the road.

Video report:

Design and exterior: Off-road charm meets imposing dimensions

The Smart #5 Summit Edition makes it clear at first glance that it's no longer your typical city car. The design is angular, robust, and packed with numerous off-road elements. The striking matte paint finish suits the car perfectly, but requires some care when it comes to maintenance – it's best to avoid traditional car washes with matte paint to prevent scratches. A real highlight of the Summit Edition is the optional roof rack for around €2.000 extra, complete with a distinctive side ladder. This ladder, which can be unlocked and folded down using a special key from the center console, gives the car a true expedition look. True to Smart's style, there are also charming Easter eggs, such as a small printed panda bear that appears to be climbing the ladder, while the Smart logo adorns the sturdy roof cage.

The front is dominated by deeply sculpted full-LED headlights, which unfortunately lack active cornering lights. A truly cool tech feature is also sadly unavailable to us in Europe: the Chinese version has a projector integrated into the front bumper that can project a 100-inch image onto a wall, allowing you to watch movies while charging. This feature was omitted for our market due to maintenance and cost considerations. Nevertheless, the front end, with its Jeep-inspired design elements, looks extremely imposing. The muscular exterior is rounded off by 20-inch wheels and an extremely steeply raked rear window, which lends the powerful rear end a unique dynamic.

Trunk, frunk and camping qualities

An electric SUV of this size also needs to deliver in terms of practicality and storage space. The Smart #5 offers a so-called frunk under the front hood, which can be conveniently opened via a dedicated button on the new, significantly more classically designed key fob. While the frunk isn't huge, it's easily large enough to store the charging cable. The only drawback is closing it, which requires a fair amount of pressure and a bit of care with the hood to avoid putting unsightly dents in the metal.

The actual trunk in the rear is all the more impressive. In its standard configuration, it swallows almost 600 liters of volume. Folding down the rear seats creates a gigantic cargo area with over 2.000 liters. Smart has also cleverly designed the vehicle so that the front seats can be folded down completely if needed. Add a mattress, and you have a flat sleeping surface an impressive 2,90 meters long. Together with various 12-volt sockets and the integrated vehicle-to-load function, which allows you to operate external electrical devices, the Smart #5 becomes the perfect companion for your next camping trip. Towing is also taken care of, as the electrically extendable trailer hitch can pull up to 1,6 tons (braked). Given the vehicle's substantial weight of 2,4 tons, we might have wished for a slightly higher towing capacity, but for the vast majority of uses, this should be perfectly adequate.

Interior: Luxury, endless space and smart details

Stepping into the Smart #5, you're greeted by a spaciousness that sets absolute standards in this class. The rear seats, in particular, offer seemingly endless legroom. Even tall passengers have what feels like three fists' worth of space in front of their knees, even with the front seats pushed far back. Headroom is excellent, and the rear seats are electrically adjustable, allowing for a very comfortable reclining position on longer journeys. A large panoramic glass roof stretches overhead, complete with an electric sunshade that can be conveniently opened via voice command. However, the view of the sky is significantly obstructed in the Summit Edition by the bulky roof rack. The adjustable LED reading lights in the rear, reminiscent of small camera lenses, add a very modern touch.

In terms of material selection, Smart has made a huge leap forward, delivering a truly premium feel. Even the lower door panels around the speakers are finished in soft synthetic leather; you won't find any hard, scratch-prone plastic here. The build quality is impeccable; nothing creaks or rattles, even after the car has been sitting in direct sunlight for a long time. Up front, the driver and passenger sit comfortably in olive-green seats. A substantial center console separates the two seats and, in addition to ample storage space, offers two wireless charging pads for smartphones. These charge at a powerful 50 watts and are actively ventilated to prevent the devices from overheating during fast charging. It's also a welcome touch that even the glove compartment is completely lined with fine velour.

Infotainment & Software: AMD Power and OLED Brilliance

The digital experience in the Smart #5 is an absolute highlight. The entire system is powered by an extremely high-performance AMD processor, ensuring incredibly smooth operation. Swiping and zooming on the high-resolution navigation map feels so lightning-fast, as if the display were running at a 100 or even 120 Hz refresh rate. The driver has a clear driver information display behind the steering wheel as well as a huge head-up display that overlays the road with augmented reality content.

The real show, however, unfolds on the two massive 13-inch OLED displays that stretch seamlessly across the center to the passenger side. The passenger thus has their own dedicated screen and can watch movies via Bluetooth headphones using Amazon Prime or Apple TV, DJ using the native Spotify app, or even connect a Nintendo Switch via cable and play games. The operating system offers delightful features, such as a highly detailed 3D model of the vehicle on the home screen or, alternatively, an animated planet with a cute lion avatar.

Unfortunately, we must strongly criticize the navigation software at this point. The charging route planning still makes some completely absurd and unusable errors. Although the car can fully charge in just a few minutes at extremely fast DC charging stations, the system sometimes plans inexplicably long charging times of almost two hours at a 360 kW station or unnecessarily directs the driver to slow AC charging stations on long journeys. Smart urgently needs to address this with an over-the-air update, as the car's superb hardware is being severely hampered by the immature software in this respect.

Driving dynamics and assistance systems: 2,4 tons that are (actually) fun

With 589 hp from two electric motors, the Smart #5 Summit Edition is an absolute rocket in a straight line. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in under 5 seconds. In Sport mode, the SUV accelerates so brutally, especially beyond 100 km/h, that the front motor seems to unleash an extra boost, making you almost forget its immense curb weight of 2,4 tons during sheer acceleration. The suspension, in keeping with its off-road design, is rather firm, but it absorbs bumps with rock-solid precision and provides an absolutely secure feeling in fast corners. Special off-road driving modes also dynamically adjust the power distribution to suit surfaces like snow, sand, or rock.

The driver assistance systems, collectively known as "Smart Pilot," perform their tasks in everyday driving with pleasingly unobtrusiveness and reliability. The lane keeping assist keeps the vehicle confidently centered in its lane and can even perform automated lane changes if desired. The adaptive cruise control brakes extremely smoothly and reliably detects vehicles ahead, which is even visualized on the display by flashing brake lights or turn signals. A particularly convenient feature for everyday use is that the often-criticized EU speed warning chime can be instantly deactivated with a simple, sustained press of the star button on the steering wheel.

On country roads, the interior remains pleasantly quiet. However, on the motorway, the massive struts of the roof rack cause noticeable wind noise at higher speeds. Due to the combination of its considerable weight, the aerodynamics of a brick wall, and the unfavorable roof design, energy consumption on the motorway is correspondingly high.

Fuel consumption: Relatively high, but expected

The fuel consumption is, to put it mildly, relatively predictable for the size and blocky shape of the #5. In everyday use, we recorded an average consumption of [value missing] throughout the entire test period. 25 kWh per 100 kmOn the motorway at 130 km/h, you'll often see a consumption figure in the 3s. The large battery and very fast charging speed compensate for this, but it's worth mentioning. Everything is aerodynamic, except the Smart #5.

Charging power: The undisputed 400 kW champion

Let's move on to the Smart #5's absolute forte: charging. Thanks to its extremely advanced 800-volt architecture, Smart promises a DC charging capacity of up to 400 kW. In our test, we connected the car to a fast charger with 12 percent battery remaining, after having manually pre-conditioned it via the infotainment system. Within seconds, the charging power shot up to absurd levels, and we saw an incredible peak value of [value missing] on the charger's display. 395 kW proTocollate. This is simply top-class and easily outclasses many far more expensive luxury electric cars.

Even more impressive than the mere peak value is the stable charging curve. The charging power is maintained at an extremely high level for an exceptionally long time. Even with a charge level already at 83 percent, an astonishing 168 kW still flowed into the large battery during our test. As a result, a standard charge from 10 to 80 percent takes only around 15 to 16 minutes in real-world driving, even beating Smart's own factory specification of 18 minutes. While waiting at the charging station, you can practically watch the percentage points climb every second on the car's central display. At home wallboxes or public charging stations, the Smart #5 also accepts a very good 22 kW via AC charging as standard. These extremely short DC charging times completely negate the potentially higher motorway consumption on long journeys, since charging breaks are barely long enough for a coffee anyway.

My personal conclusion: The new benchmark in its class?

The Smart #5 Summit Edition is a truly impressive piece of engineering. It definitively marks Smart's successful transformation from a small car manufacturer to a serious premium brand. The interior space is phenomenal, the material quality is beyond reproach, and the AMD-powered infotainment system is lightning fast in everyday use. The massive 589 hp performance is incredibly fun, but the undisputed and most outstanding feature remains the blazing-fast charging capacity of nearly 400 kW, which reduces charging times to an absolute minimum.

Of course, there are also valid criticisms, such as the immense weight of 2,4 tons and the sometimes unusable charging route planning software, which urgently needs a bug fix from the manufacturer. But apart from that, Smart has put together a complete package that will massively shake up the market. For a similar budget to what a fully equipped combustion engine SUV currently costs, the Smart #5 offers a vastly superior vehicle with one of the most advanced electric platforms on the market. Anyone looking for a spacious, tech-savvy, superbly crafted, and above all, extremely fast-charging family SUV simply can't ignore Smart's new flagship.