This is the smart concept #1, a “clear insight into the first production model in Smart’s new generation of all-electric vehicles,” claims the brand, which will become the #1 SUV when it reaches production in 2023.
Concept #1 is 4,290mm long and 1,698mm tall – so slightly longer than a VW Golf overall, with a roofline that sits much more than 10cm higher than the current Nissan Juke’s. The wheelbase is 2,750mm, though, which is much more than 10cm longer than that car’s larger SUV stablemate, the Qashqai. smart is clearly hoping that the production model will have enough space to carry out as an all-electric family SUV. As such, while the concept is a four-seater, the company says the final automobile will accommodate five people.

Smart #1 EV crossover’s cabin seen in new spy shots

Geely is responsible for the car’s technical aspects and for developing the platform that the production automobile will be based on. Daimler, meanwhile, is responsible for the car’s interior and exterior styling. The firm’s chief design Officer, Gorden Wagener, said, “The concept #1 is a redefinition of the smart brand in a very cool, grown-up way. We’ve created a completely new design DNA that has the potential to establish smart as the leading design brand.”
12

The concept #1’s overall look is far removed from that of any previous Smarts – a sign of how the firm is being relaunched from the ground up. The overall profile has short front and rear overhangs – common of an EV on a bespoke platform – while frameless doors and blacked-out A-pillars achieve a ‘floating roof’ effect. 
Advertisement – short article continues below