Smart #5 hybrid crops up online with detailed specs

Smart launched its #5 SUV in China in 2024, and is now preparing to launch an interesting hybrid version of it, described as “serial-parallel”.

The description of this new version was discovered in China’s patent database by AutoWeek.nl. It belies the company’s intention to ditch its complete electrification strategy, which likely wasn’t as much of a commercial success as it had hoped. It now looks like the #5 will be the marque’s first current-gen vehicle to adopt an internal combustion engine.

Rumors that a Smart EV was going to be hybridized using Geely-sourced powertrain tech first appeared in early 2025, but we didn’t know any specifics back then. According to the certification files, the new #5 will be known as the EHD. It will utilize a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine supplied by Geely subsidiary Aurobay. It will normally supply its 163 PS (161 hp / 120 kW) to a battery pack in serial mode, functioning as a range extender for the electric motor(s) on board. However, when needed, it may get coupled to the front axle via a 3DHT transmission, driving them in parallel with the motors.

The Smart #5 EHD is expected to become the longest-range model in the current lineup with nearly 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) of CLTC-rated range. Note that all numbers are preliminary.

In the meantime, the only Smart #5 you can buy in China is fully electric. It rides on Geely’s SEA platform and has either one or two e-motors. The RWD variant pushes 340 PS (335 hp / 250 kW) to the wheels, while the AWD version outputs 646 PS (637 hp / 475 kW). The longest range per charge is recorded at 740 km (460 miles).