Daimler and Geely to unveil a new Smart eSUV

KUALA LUMPUR: Owned by Daimler Group and Geely, the Smart car brand is known for its ultra-compact electric cars that run on the narrow streets of Europe. It includes the smart EQ fortwo and a smart EQ forfour. Recently, the company announced its plan of rebuilding the product portfolio that involves the successor of the said models as well as an all-new fully-electric compact SUV.

Said to be much larger than the earlier tiny cars, the unnamed SUV will underpin Geely’s all-new SEA dedicated electric architecture. The automaker released some sketches of the model on its Instagram account with the caption, “The shape of things to come – here’s a never-before-seen glimpse of the next chapter of the Smart brand.”

Under the guidance of Mercedes design head, Gorden Wagener, the upcoming SUV is designed by Smart's own design team, It does not appear to have a grille on the front because of its electric drivetrain. Further, the SUV’s size seems to be the same as the Mini Countryman. 

In an interview with Auto Express, the Merc design boss stated that bringing an all-new electric SUV is a way to transform the compact marque for the modern era. “We have taken the opportunity to reinvent the brand,” Wagener said. The new Smart would be “cool, sexy and grown-up instead of cute and playful,” he added.

As far as the interior design is concerned, the design sketches do not reveal any clue. However, the expectations hover around a funky cabin with hi-tech features like the latest infotainment unit with Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) system. Regarding the interior space, Wagener said, “Just like the current smart models, the first car of the new era will also offer a better ratio of length to interior space than conventional vehicles.”

On the power front, the Smart SUV is likely to get up to three electric motors delivering a range of up to 700 km on the WLTP cycle.

The upcoming smart eSUV concept is slated for reveal at the Munich motor show in September this year. After which, it will be introduced in the European market by 2023.

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