Yahoo Autos Smart #5 concept for Beijing shows how the small-car brand is thinking big
Since it left the United States after the 2019 model year, the Smart brand has inched out of its niche toward more volume-oriented segments of the market. It just unveiled an outdoorsy concept called #5 at the 2024 Beijing auto show to preview its latest push toward the mainstream.
The design study immediately stands out with a long list of off-road-ready equipment such as a winch, a front-facing roof-mounted light bar, and a folding rear step that lets users access the roof rack. Look beyond the off-roading parts and the more futuristic design cues (like the headlights and the complete lack of exterior door handles) and you've got a pretty standard crossover that's nearly ready for production.
Smart says the #5 concept is its most spacious vehicle to date. Put another way: It's the biggest Smart to date, though its dimensions haven't been published yet. Inside, there's space for four passengers on individual seats separated by a massive center console, portable speakers, and a pair of OLED screens integrated into the dashboard. The concept also illustrates how the brand — which is jointly owned by Daimler and Geely — could add artificial intelligence (AI) to its cars in the coming years. AI-powered software "enables the passengers to engage the virtual in-car assistant in entertaining conversations," which sounds like a good idea if you'd rather not talk with the folks you're traveling with.
