Smart enters the world of SUVs – here’s Concept 1
The first SUV from the brand and a model that will show the future. At the IAA car show in Munich, Smart unveiled the electric car Concept # 1.
When the Smart brand was once started, it was a collaboration involving Volkswagen and the Swiss watch company Swatch. The goal then was to produce a small two-seater city car. Later, Daimler took over as a whole and at the end of the last millennium, the Fortwo model was launched.
But there have been some problems for the brand and when Geely joined as a partner in 2019, many saw it as the beginning of a new era.
And now the first model from the Daimler / Geely collaboration has arrived – Smart Concept 1.
The concept is described as “close to production” and is a next generation electric car for cities. In addition, it is gigantic – at least for being from Smart.
The design is by Mercedes-Benz, but the upcoming crossover is built on a Geely platform.
So how can you describe the car? Well, it has a lot of eye-catching design choices. Like that there are rear doors with the hinge in the rear edge, a panoramic glass roof as big as the roof, 21-inch frames and luminous LED inserts in the floor and gold accents in the interior.
Smart Concept # 1. Photo: Smart
But as so often, vision and production are not always compatible. Expect a lot of these flashy details not to follow when it comes to production.
In terms of size, the car measures 4.29 meters long, 1.91 meters wide and is 1.70 meters high – dimensions that no Smart has been near before. On the other hand, it is a growth that will make it more useful for a larger crowd. And see what Mini has done over the years – their Countryman is a clear example that even small can grow into big.
In the concept version, the car is strictly four-seater with nice armchairs, but Smart says that in the series car it will be converted to five-seater with a sofa in the back seat. Furthermore, the manufacturer says that the model will be connected with remote updates and technology as a parking assistant and various driving aids.
In addition, you should bring a “virtual friend” when you buy the car. The driver must be able to converse with this ai so that Smarten can learn and adapt to its owner.
When it comes to the time aspect for when the car can be launched, there is nothing that Smart reveals at present.
