First, an update on Smart. It’s no longer an offshoot of Mercedes making those tiny cars that can be parked sidewise along the street. Now it’s an ‘international brand’, a joint venture between the German giant and Geely, the mighty Chinese conglomerate of brands like Volvo, Lotus, Polestar, Zeekr and even LEVC, which makes London Taxis.

That also means Smart models share bits and pieces with those aforementioned brands and that the cars are built in China.

Smart does hashtags in its names not even numbers, so the line up includes the Smart #1 and Smart #3, with the Smart #5 being the biggest car in the range so far.

At 4,695mm, it’s yet another new Tesla Model Y rival, slotting into the hugely popular and lucrative mid-size SUV market. Other recent arrivals into this hotly contested sector include the BYD Sealion 7, Changan Deepal S07 and Xpeng G6 – with more to come.

At least the Smart #5 doesn’t follow the same design theme as its rivals. The new Smart ushers in a new look for the brand, with a boxier, 4×4-style look. It comes complete with big wheels, wheel arch extensions and short overhangs that are more in keeping with the Mercedes EQB or Ford Explorer.

The off-road look isn’t just for show, either. The Smart #5 can come with up to five off-road driving modes to adjust the drive to different surfaces.

However, it’s the tech underneath that the big story. The Smart #5 features advanced 800V technology that helps boost charging speeds, with a claim of up to 400kW fast charging if you can find a powerful enough charger. That means top-spec models with the largest 100kWh battery get a claimed maximum range of 366 miles and the ability to get a 10 to 80 per cent charge in just 18 minutes.

Entry-level cars, badged Smart #5 Pro get a 76kWh battery, while the #5 Pro+ gets the 100kWh battery and 800V tech. The #5 Pulse adds all-wheel drive, plus a heat pump for added efficiency in cold weather, while the Smart #5 Summit Edition ups the off-road ante with a side ladder, roof platform and electric trailer hitch. Sitting at the top of the range is the more luxuriously specced Smart #5 Premium, which gets leather seats and oak wood trim.

Inside you can cover the entire dash in screens with a 10.25in digital driver display, a 13in OLED central infotainment screen and the option of another screen of the same size sitting in front of the passenger with video streaming capability. If that’s not enough, there’s also a 25.6-inch augmented reality head-up display that will make it look like navigation instructions are being beamed onto the road ahead.

There’s an AI-supported voice control called Leo and a 20-speaker Sennheiser audio system with full Dolby Atmos that syncs with the 256-colour ambient lighting for a full in-car disco experience.

Also inside are a total of 34 storage compartments, while maximum boot space with seats folded is 1,530 litres, plus an additional 72-litres under the bonnet in an illuminated frunk.

The usual selection of advanced safety and driver assistance systems are on board, while for safety there are novel V-shaped curtain airbags and seat-integrated safety belts.

First UK deliveries of the new Smart #5 are expected towards the end of the year, and although prices are some way off being finalised, we’d hope that the entry-level car would come in just under the £40,000 mark (missing the Expensive Car Supplement) with top-spec models likely to cost over £50,000.