What does Smart play with the concept #5?

A concept car is often used to analyze public reaction to a new stylistic or technological direction. With Smart, it’s even more experimental…

Now fully electric, the Smart line is preparing to welcome a new unexpected member. Smart announces it as larger and squarer, the complete opposite of the Fortwo which has made the brand successful over the last quarter-century. Or how to kill the father!

The Concept #5, 100% electric, thus marks a real break from Smart’s traditionally city-centric design philosophy. Created for urban outdoor enthusiasts, the vehicle is envisioned as a contemporary adventurer, inviting users to free themselves from city constraints and explore the outdoors with confidence, style, and comfort. Not easy to guess from a simple drawing, as you’ll agree.

But #5 isn’t just a car; it’s also a wide range of accessories, all with a very nature-oriented focus. Inflatable furniture and mattresses, camping hammer and shovel, outdoor lamp—nothing is missing for a forest getaway. The break is thus stylistic but also intellectual, as until now, Smart was strongly associated with urban chic. A large segment of customers may feel destabilized, but after all, Smart doesn’t mean “small and urban,” but rather “clever.”

Before unveiling the production version of #5 in the second half of 2024, the Concept #5 will have its world premiere at the Beijing International Auto Show on April 25. It will then be easier to judge.

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