Once upon a time, back when Smart cars roamed every metropolis and city around the world, they were well-known for making super tiny, almost pocketable city cars. However, following the brand’s revival in recent years, Smart cars have been getting bigger and more spacious. It has since culminated in the unveiling of their latest model, the Smart Concept #5, the brand’s largest, most versatile vehicle to date. It marks Smart’s entry into the mid-size, premium SUV segment, guaranteeing maximal interior passenger space and its vast boot capacity.
So, if you’ve had trouble fitting inside a Smart car in the past, the all-new Concept #5 ought to solve that. Additionally, besides expanding the interior volume, the Concept #5 also displays a pretty uncharacteristically aggressive, sporting, and bold exterior design. It almost looks like a tiny G-Wagen, with its boxy, upright, chunky silhouette. You might’ve also noticed the Concept #5’s protective front and rear skid plates, a light bar on the roof, and even a folding step ladder to access the roof. And, if you get stuck, it even comes with an integrated winch!
Smart Cars Get Bigger, And More Capable
Conceived as a mini off-roader and SUV befitting an active lifestyle, the new Smart Concept #5 isn’t all show and no go. Adopting Smart’s all-electric platform that we’ve seen in some of their other cars, the Concept #5 utilises an 800-volt architecture, and a battery capacity in excess of 100kWh (no specifics just yet). But, what we do know is its impressive range; over 341 miles of all-electric driving, which is really good for a compact mid-size electric SUV. And, if the battery does die on you, its super-fast charging tech allows a 10%-80% charge in just 15 minutes.
To further fine-tune how you’d like your Smart Concept #5 to drive, you could pick and choose between five driving modes. Combined with a comprehensive ADAS suite, the new Concept #5 is made to be an easy-going, effortless highway cruiser and urban runabout, with just enough off-road capability to take you off the beaten path every now and then. Smart is among some of the more enigmatic brands we’ve seen come about recently, so I’m quite interested in just how well they can execute these ideas. For now, they make for a compelling vehicle.
Your AI Overlords Will See You Now
They’ve focused a lot on the interior, too. Aside from that enlarged passenger space and boot, the Smart Concept #5 will unveil a new HMI design for the brand. It entails two OLED displays, both allowing you to control its in-car functions; I’m guessing one of them is the infotainment, while the other display will be used for the gauge cluster. Other neat features of the interior are the ambient lighting around the cabin and even a portable speaker that tucks away inside the centre console. A set of zero-gravity seats in the front adds to the comfiness of the interior.
Aside from that, in keeping up with the times, Smart is hyping up the use of AI inside their new Concept #5 electric SUV. A generative AI will help power the in-car virtual assistant, so it’s now basically a Smart version of Siri. For added ease of use, it does help in controlling key functions around your car, like managing the A/C, phone calls, media, satnav, and more. As its name suggests, the Smart Concept #5 is just a concept car for now, but a production-ready version is set to premiere in the second half of 2024, so keep your calendars marked, folks!
