Smart Autos just dropped a bombshell: the #5 EHD, China's first Mercedes-co-developed PHEV SUV, opens presales at RMB 189,900 (USD 26,200). That's Li Auto L6 territory — with a Sindelfingen pedigree thrown in for free.
The powertrain story is genuinely clever: Geely's 3DHT system paired with a 1.5TD engine delivers 1,615km CLTC range and 4.4L/100km fuel consumption. Smart calls it "Thor EHD 2.0" — bold name, but the 252km BEV-only range and 170+ sound dampeners earning China's "engine vibration-free" certification suggest there's real engineering behind the marketing.
Inside, you get dual 13" AMOLED screens, AMD V2000 chip (faster than Snapdragon 8295), ByteDance's Doubao LLM for voice AI, and a 20-speaker Sennheiser 3D audio system. The boxy "micro-G-Class" body sits on a 2,900mm wheelbase — bigger than a Tesla Model Y. Deliveries start October.
Smart's message is clear: hybrid doesn't mean compromise. The #5 EHD bundles S-Class NVH, AMD compute muscle, and NVIDIA Orin-X ADAS into a package priced to fight the big domestic players. Whether Chinese buyers agree starts in October.
need a chat about China NEV market? mail me @ sheng.ye@ipsos.com