Premium small-car brand, now a 50:50 joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz. Design is led from Germany by Mercedes; engineering and platforms come from Geely. The current range is built in China and spans EVs and EHD plug-in hybrids.
The second-generation smart #1 is a compact electric SUV smart relaunched in China from ¥149,900 ($22,080) with an 800V silicon-carbide platform standard across the range. A 61.52 kWh LFP battery gives 535 km CLTC range, with 10-80% DC fast charging in 12 minutes.
The smart #2 is a compact two-seat city EV and the spiritual successor to the original ForTwo, built on Geely's new ECA (Electric Compact Architecture) platform. At 2.79 meters long it keeps the ForTwo's 6.95-meter turning circle, with a 35.7 kWh battery good for up to 300 km WLTP and 10-80 percent DC charging in under 20 minutes. European pricing is expected to start below 22,500 euros (about $24,300).
The smart #6 EHD is the brand's first sedan and its largest model yet, a fastback plug-in hybrid for China built on Geely's SEA platform. The EHD powertrain pairs a 1.5T engine with an electric motor for 435 hp, with up to 285 km of electric range (CLTC) and a LiDAR unit as standard. Prices run from 179,900 to 229,900 yuan (about $25,100 to $32,100).
Models on this page are sold in China and Europe.
| Model | Price from | Market | Body | Powertrain | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | ¥149,900(~$22,273) | ChinaAug 2026 | SUV | EV | On Sale |
| #2 | €22,500 | EuropeJul 2026 | Hatchback | EV | Coming Soon |
| #6 | ¥179,900(~$26,731) | ChinaJun 2026 | Fastback | PHEV | On Sale |
Starting prices in the market each car is sold in, on the date shown. USD figures are approximate conversions.
smart relaunched the second-generation #1 in China on August 6, moving the whole range onto an 800V silicon-carbide platform for the first time. The 61.52 kWh LFP battery gives 535 km CLTC range, with 10-80% DC charging in 12 minutes, from ¥149,900 ($22,080).
smart is preparing to reveal the #2, its first compact two-seat city EV in years and spiritual successor to the ForTwo, on a new Geely- developed ECA platform with the same 6.95-meter turning circle. World premiere is set for October at the Paris Motor Show, with European sales starting in spring 2027 from below 22,500 euros (about $24,300).
smart's first sedan, the #6 EHD, is on sale in China. The plug-in-hybrid fastback is the brand's largest car yet, built on Geely's SEA platform with Mercedes-led design, a 435 hp powertrain, up to 285 km of electric range (CLTC), and a LiDAR unit as standard. Prices run from 179,900 to 229,900 yuan ($25,100 to $32,100).
China's car market runs on a handful of giant groups, each fielding a stack of brands. Here is who owns what - the parent companies, the sub-brands, the Huawei alliance, and why the chart keeps changing.
The Volkswagens sold in China are built by two companies, and one of them is Chinese. That arrangement started in 1983 as a condition of entry, and it has since produced badges that exist nowhere else: Jetta, Wuling, and AUDI in block capitals with no rings. Who holds which half, which brands the ventures invented for themselves, and which of the old partnerships have quietly ended.
Twelve European badges whose nationality does not match their ownership: Cupra, Vauxhall, DS, Opel, Lancia, Alpine, Abarth, MG, Ebro, DR Automobiles, smart and Leapmotor. Some are Spanish or British names owned in Germany or the Netherlands, some are revived badges on Chinese hardware, and several are assembled in a third country again.
Most European badges trace back to about five mega-groups - Volkswagen, Stellantis, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Renault. But several beloved European brands are now owned abroad, in China, India and the UAE, and a few Chinese and joint-venture names now sell under European flags. Here is who owns what in 2026.
smart began in 1994 as a Mercedes-Benz project for ultra-compact city cars, and for years it was known almost entirely for the two-seat ForTwo. In 2019 the brand was relaunched as smart Automobile Co., Ltd., a 50:50 joint venture between Geely and Mercedes-Benz, and moved its operations to China.
Under the joint venture the division of labour is fixed: Mercedes-Benz leads exterior and interior design from Germany, while Geely supplies the engineering, the SEA electric architecture, and the EHD plug-in-hybrid system. The cars are developed and built in China.
The modern smart line-up has grown well beyond the original city car. It runs from the #1 and #3 compact crossovers up through the larger #5 SUV and the #6 fastback, offered as both battery-electric models and EHD plug-in hybrids for the Chinese market.
