Meet the Smart Concept #1. In an era when every carmaker makes SUVs, even holdouts like Smart have to give in. Known for tiny, quirky cars, Smart is now going mainstream. In 2019, Geely and Daimler entered a 50:50 joint venture project to make EVs for the Chinese market; the Smart Concept #1 is the first offspring of this new partnership. Daimler doesn’t have an “entry-level” brand like BMW with Mini; reimagining Smart seems to be a step in the right direction.
And now it seems the Smart and Mini have
one more thing in common – their spy shots were exposed. From the front, we’re
not sure if the intake is cosmetic or functional, given a pure EV drivetrain.
Thin, sharp headlights give the car a mean and aggressive look, a significant
change from current Smarts. Inside, spy shots show a clean and minimal
interior- fitting the outside theme.
Aimed at young families, the Smart Concept
#1 keeps Smart’s fun and lively design while looking more minimalistic. Concept
#1 is fully electric, the design is now fluid and flowing instead of upright
and cute. Production vehicles will be built on Geely’s SEA platform; this fully
electric platform also underpins the Zeekr 01.
