Smart is on the verge of a renaissance with a new design philosophy, a new range of products, and new naming conventions all coming soon. Today, it revealed that the first car in its new era will be called the #1. That sets the tone for the coming series of vehicles, which will be sold in Europe and China in the near future. Designed in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz‘s global design team, the new model seeks to be a “trendsetter.” Not only, then, does the name follow the alphanumeric naming convention that is so popular with other electric vehicles, it also uses the hashtag symbol that “is evocative of trendsetting in the digital era,” explains smart.
The automaker also revealed that the #1
will have a drag coefficient of just 0.29, which should help it go farther on
the highway. That aero efficiency comes as a result of the concealed door
handles, the active grille shutters, and the sleek shape. The design isn’t just
a result of aerodynamic, though, it also expresses smart’s design philosophy,
which is rather unfortunately called “Sensual Producty.”
Smart has been paying attention to the
news, though, and has used its winter testing to design some clever features.
Those concealed door handles come with a special ice-breaking function that
allows them to work even when the car is covered in a thin layer of ice. The
battery, meanwhile, comes with a pre-heating setting to ensure optimized
charging output efficiency as well as optimal working temperatures when the
vehicle is in motion. The all-electric powertrain is supported by a robust ESP
system by Bosch to ensure driving comfort, handling stability, and braking
performance when the weather gets tricky.
