Everyone knows the original Smart car, that dinky little EQfortwo twin-seater that could squeeze into parking spaces normally reserved for motorcycles or shopping carts. Now though the automaker is being reborn as an all-electric brand and this is its first dedicated EV, the Smart #1.
It's an all-new compact crossover SUV, so not as tiny as the original Smart or the four-seat EQforfour either, but the EV still isn't huge either. We've had a look at it up close and it's reminiscent in size of, say, a slightly smaller Mercedes-Benz EQA or, perhaps, the Mini Countryman.
That's hardly surprising in a way, considering the Smart #1 has been lovingly crafted by Mercedes-Benz designers. Meanwhile, Geely will assemble the car in China due to both manufacturers owning a 50 percent stake in the company.
In terms of likely European customers the #1, or hashtag 1 is a practical family car, which should appeal to those considering the likes of the Kia e-Niro , or the Peugeot e-2008. The car will not make it to the US though since Smart exited the American market back in 2019.
A whole new direction
This car is the first fully electric model from smart and is designed to take the company in a whole new direction.
If you've always been keen on the quirkiness of the Smart brand there is much to like with the #1. It's been designed from scratch on Geely's all-new Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform too, so there's plenty to discover.
The 66kWh battery in the Smart #1 launch specification offers 268 horsepower, 253 pound feet of torque and a top speed of 112 mph in a rear-wheel drive setup.
It will be capable of CCS Type 2 AC charging from 10-80 percent with 22kW in 3 hours. DC super-fast charging will reduce that to under 30 minutes, while the Smart #1 range is expected to be in the region of 273 miles.
Beefy on the outside
One of the biggest differences with the Smart #1 compared to the company's previous output is the space on offer.
The car is 4.27 metres long, 1.83 metres wide and 1.6 metres high with a wheelbase of 2.75 metres, so it's certainly chunky enough to appeal to anyone with a family who needs space on the inside.
There are beefy 19-inch wheels too, which have been pushed right to the four corners of the car because it's sits on that purpose-built SEA electric architecture. This adds to the stocky but upright look of the car.
Out front, there are triangular-shaped LED headlights, which is a design theme that could feature on subsequent new models too. The look is similar at the back, with cool wraparound taillights.
In-between, the smooth lines are enhanced by recessed door handles. Meanwhile, a really nice design flourish is the floating roof, which is made all the more effective by being finished in a contrasting color.
Zany on the inside
The interior of the Smart #1 is certainly inviting. You're immediately drawn to the floating center console, which is funky enough to remind you that you're sitting in something from the Smart brand.
There are plenty of handy little covered storage bins here, while the seats either side look inviting and will come with vegan trim options.
There's a central 12.8-inch touchscreen featuring 1920 x 1080 resolution and it looks great thanks to graphics that underline Smart's slightly zany edge. This offers access to a raft of infotainment settings including personalized driver profiles, navigation, climate controls and audio.
AI-based voice controls should prove popular too, as will the ability to use your phone as a key.
If you're sitting behind the wheel you'll get a 9.2-inch full HD digital instrument cluster, plus a 10-inch head-up display.
A suite of driver aids is also available, which includes adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go function, active lane keeping system, blind spot assist, highway and traffic jam assist plus auto parking assist and adaptive high beam assist for good measure.
Family friendly all-round
The Smart #1 has been designed to provide all of the everyday necessities and definitely seems family-friendly, especially when it comes to keeping passengers entertained.
It's an open and airy environment inside too, which is always a bonus if you frequently carry small children who get travel sick on a regular basis. The halo glass roof on the models we've seen helps on that front by enhancing the spacious feel.
If you're in desperate need of a distraction for tetchy kids you'll be able to keep them entertained easily thanks to the ambient lighting. This comes with a selection of 64 colors and no less than 20 different illumination levels, offering the chance to lift the mood inside.
Handy if you're trying to raise morale on a longer journey while having to make many stops for the toilet en route.
As you'd also expect from a car aimed at families, the luggage capabilities of the Smart #1 are solid, with the boot offering between 273 and 411 litres of space, depending on if you need to fold the seats or not.
The rear seats also slide forward for extra flexibility. A 15-litre frunk offers supplementary storage up front should you need it.
An impressive start for Smart
We haven't had a chance to drive the Smart #1 yet, but the car looks impressive. It should be available to buy later on in the year and, based on presentations at the Berlin unveil, there could be other cars to follow.
Again, these will be based on the SEA platform, which offers the smart designers scalability. That could, theoretically, mean bigger or smaller models to help boost the all-electric rebirth of smart.
However, it seems there are no immediate plans for smart to relaunch the brand in the United States. A shame perhaps, especially seeing as the Smart #1 seems ideally suited to the future needs of American motorists.
Canon's most exciting camera of the year gets rumored release date
The Canon EOS R7 topped our hotly-contested guide to the most exciting cameras of 2022 , and now fresh rumors have given us a possible release date for the mirrorless camera.
The usually reliable Canon Rumors claims that it's confirmed the camera will definitely be called the Canon EOS R7 , and that "we have been told that the Canon EOS R7 is now scheduled for a Q4 of 2022 announcement".
Confusingly, the site says that "this tends to fall in line with the usual late August/early September announcements that Canon is known for", even though Q4 traditionally covers the October-December period. But either way, the camera is expected to land later this year in time for the holiday season.
Right now, there are very few leaked or confirmed specs for the Canon EOS R7. But the reason why it's an exciting launch is because it's expected to be the the first camera in Canon's EOS R system to have an APS-C sensor.
APS-C sensors are smaller than the full-frame ones in current models like the Canon EOS R5 , which brings a couple of advantages. Firstly, APS-C cameras like those from Fujifilm tend to be cheaper than full-frame alternatives, which would be a large part of the EOS R7's appeal given how pricey Canon's current range is.
Other bonuses are that APS-C cameras usually allow for smaller lens designs and also multiply the focal length of any lens you attach to them by 1.6x, which makes them popular for wildlife and sports snappers. This is why an APS-C DSLR like the Canon EOS 90D, for example, ranks highly in our guide to the best wildlife photography cameras .
The Canon EOS R7 is actually expected to be a spiritual successor to the Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR, and potentially mark the end of Canon's EOS-M series. The latter, which has produced popular models like the Canon EOS M50 , has seen very little development in the past few years, and it seems Canon may instead adopt Sony's simple one-mount strategy for both full-frame and APS-C cameras.
Analysis: one of many Canon launches?
The Canon EOS R7 is the most anticipated camera of the year because of its significance, but it probably won't be the only new arrival from the camera giant this year.
Earlier this year, Canon was tipped to launch three mirrorless cameras in 2022 with more affordable price tags than its current EOS R range. Those included the Canon EOS R7, a successor to the full-frame Canon EOS RP , and a more mysterious third model that could even dispense with the electronic viewfinder.
It remains to be seen how much chip shortages and supply chain issues, which continue to affect mirrorless camera stock and launches, will hit those plans, but it's reassuring to hear rumors from a reliable source predict that the EOS R7 is still on track for a 2022 release.
The only real question mark, or potential weakness, of a Canon EOS R7 would be the current lack of native lenses. Using full-frame lenses on APS-C cameras is perfectly fine, but the downside is that they tend to be heavier and more expensive than APS-C lenses. A wide range of native APS-C lenses is what makes Fujifilm's X-series so popular among hobbyists and pro landscape photographers.
Of course, Canon could well be working on a few high-quality APS-C lenses to go with the EOS R7. If that's the case, it could turn out to be one of its popular cameras, and a major rival for resurgent Micro Four Thirds cameras like the OM System OM-1.
Warzone devs are fixing the Season 3 Xbox Live glitch
Developer Raven Software has announced it’s investigating a bug in Call of Duty Warzone that’s currently preventing some players from logging into the game after the release of its third season of content.
Following the rollout of Warzone Season 3, some Xbox players have reportedly been unable to log into the battle royale without an active Xbox Live Gold membership. When they try to join a multiplayer game, they are met with an error screen, informing them they can't play the multiplayer game without an active Xbox Live subscription.
Like other free-to-play games on Xbox , the Call to Duty title didn’t previously require players to have an active Xbox Live Gold membership to access its multiplayer side.
Developer Raven Software has now acknowledged it is working to fix the Warzone Season 3 issue. “We are investigating an issue where Xbox Live Silver users are unable to play Warzone,” the developer tweeted , linking to a post in its public Trello board that collects the various issues it’s currently working to resolve.
Xbox Live Silver – sometimes called Xbox Live Free – is the lite version of Xbox’s premium subscription service. If you’re struggling to log into Warzone and being told your profile can’t connect without an Xbox Live membership, you’re likely an Xbox Live Silver member who’s bearing the unfortunate end of this glitch.
Raven hasn’t said when it suspects the bug will be resolved, but its acknowledgment of the issue is a good sign the devs are actively working to fix the problem.
Weapon nerfs
Warzone Season 3's rollout has thrown up a couple of other issues, too. According to Raven’s Trello board, equipping the Legendary Ancestral Spirit Daniel Skin will cause players' “vision to be obscured in-game”. Contracts have also been temporarily disabled for solo players as the developer investigates an unnamed issue.
The update has introduced some big changes to the free-to-play battle royale. Chief among them is a nerf to sniper rifles , which drastically reduces their effectiveness. While the weapons could previously one-shot virtually any target, many sniper rifles will now only do so up to a maximum distance of 90 meters, and others won’t be able to at all. Raven said the nerf has been applied to create some diversity among the weapons.
“Snipers may now use damage ranges as a defining characteristic of their one-shot potential,” the developer said. “This not only brings more identity to each weapon but means attachments that provide the lighter and quicker sniper rifles the Damage Range stat will increase their ability to one-shot at increased distances.
“Our ultimate goal is to enable a wider range of viable playstyles and really push the potential of each weapon.”