New Smart #6 is coming to rival BMW's 3 Series, just not in the UK
Smart’s first saloon has been unveiled in China featuring plug-in hybrid power
There are no plans to bring the all-new Smart #6 to the UK, Auto Express can reveal.
Company insiders have confirmed that the sleek, luxurious, electrified saloon is only going to be sold in China, where the BMW 3 Series rival was unexpectedly unveiled earlier this week.
The #6 is Smart’s first saloon and the biggest car the brand has made yet, following on from the #1 compact SUV, #3 coupe-SUV and the newly launched #5 family SUV, which is now available through our Buy A Car service from less than £40,000. The #5 is the model that the #6 has the most in common with.
One reason the #6 won’t be coming here because it's a plug-in hybrid, and Smart is an electric-only brand in Europe. We had assumed there would be an EV version that could be launched in the UK and other markets, but Smart told us categorically there are no plans for such a model.
Smart claims the ‘Super Hybrid’ set-up in the #6, plus the #5 EHD that was launched in China in October 2025, offers better stability, smoothness, quietness, fuel-efficiency and range than typical plug-in hybrids or range-extenders. However we’ve been told there are currently no plans to bring it to the UK or Europe.
Either way, the ‘Super Hybrid’ set-up in the #6 uses a highly efficient, 1.5-litre petrol engine capable of returning around 72mpg after the battery is fully depleted. It works together with a three-speed DHT automatic transmission and an electric motor, with the car producing a combined 429bhp.
Smart claims the #6 offers a pure-electric range of up to 177 miles and a combined range of 1,125 miles. That’s enough to get from London to Inverness, and back, without having to stop – although those figures are based on China’s CLTC test cycle and not the WLTP standard used in Europe.
There are some familiar styling traits, such as the smooth surfacing, subtly sculpted bonnet and flowing headlights. Meanwhile, unique details include a LiDAR sensor located at the top of the windscreen and a large active rear spoiler. The black bar connecting the headlights presumably houses more sensors for advanced driver-assistance systems.
At 4,906mm long, 1922mm wide and 1508mm tall, the Smart #6 is bigger in every dimension than the BMW 3 Series, and its 2,926mm wheelbase is longer, too, which should mean more space for passengers.
However, we’ve yet to get a look inside the new saloon to see if that’s true, or to find out if it features the same tech-centric interior design as the #5, which includes a massive 13-inch central touchscreen and 10.25-inch driver’s display, plus the potential for a separate passenger display.
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