The Smart brand entered a new era at the IAA Mobility 2021 event in Munich, as it showed its Concept #1, which is said to preview the first production model in its new generation of all-electric vehicles. The SUV concept vehicle signals a move up for Smart into the high-growth small- and compact-car segments. It is 4290 mm (168.9 in) long, 1910 mm (75.2 in) wide, and 1698 mm (66.9 in) tall, on a  2750-mm (108.3 in) wheelbase.

The “near-production” vehicle is meant to take the brand’s design into a new realm with significantly more premium and higher tech features. This is underlined by details such as LED light strips at the front and rear with a rhythmic light show, ambient lighting including in the footwells, and a UI/UX (user interface/user experience) concept using AI (artificial intelligence).

“We’re celebrating an important milestone with the smart Concept #1, which is the forerunner of the next Smart generation,” said Daniel Lescow, Vice President Global Sales, Marketing & After-Sales of Smart Automobile Co, Ltd. “The near-production study is an exciting taste of what our customers can expect from the smart brand. The new smart Concept #1 is the first glimpse of our vision of new and sustainable mobility. It’s characterized by progressive design, premium equipment, and advanced technology.”

Smart was founded in 1997 as an urban mobility brand with a very small but innovative car for its time—the Fortwo. In 2019, it says it was the world’s first car manufacturer to switch completely from combustion engines to electric drives only. At the end of 2019, its parent, Mercedes-Benz AG, joined forces with Geely Automobile Group to establish the 50/50 joint venture called Smart Automobile Co., Ltd.

The partners are developing Smart to be a global provider of connected, battery-electric premium vehicles. Development of the next generation of Smart vehicles will take place in Geely’s global engineering network, with exterior and interior design by the global Mercedes-Benz Design network. The more progressive design of the concept emphasizes the brand’s transformation.

“The new sporty Concept #1 is a redefinition of the Smart brand in a very cool grown-up way,” said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer, Daimler Group. “We have created a completely new design DNA that has the potential to establish smart as the leading design brand.”

The car has the usual-for-Smart short overhangs at the front and rear, but most other things have changed. One of the central design features of the concept is the large panoramic glass roof. Another is the smooth transition from the windshield, to the window surfaces of the frameless doors, to the rear glass—all meant to make the roof appear to float above the body. Contrasting design elements in anthracite and black in the lower body area emphasize SUV robustness, accentuated by large 21-in wheels.

The rear doors of the four-door concept are hinged at the back and open in the opposite direction from the fronts. With no B-pillar, the portal-door arrangement makes it easy to get in and out of the SUV. Concealed door handles are indicated by light elements.

The LED headlamps and taillights are fundamental components of an attention-grabbing light display around the vehicle. The front light strip divides into small triangles, which flicker in rhythm, starting from the illuminated radiator grille, with light effects moving in time to music along the sides of the vehicle to the rear diffuser.

Despite compact exterior dimensions, the interior of the concept is spacious thanks to wheels pushed out to the corners. The vehicle’s BEV architecture also means that, as with the future five-seat production model, the four-seat study offers legroom and elbow room on par with vehicles from higher segments along with a lot of storage space. In addition, the light from the panoramic glass roof helps to magnify the subjective sense of space.

Sophisticated details such as ambient light integrated into the vehicle floor and elegant air vents are meant to provide a premium feel to the new model generation. One of the interior design highlights of the concept is the center console, which seems to float between the front seats and merges with the dashboard.

The central control element on top of it is a free-standing 3D touchscreen with a 12.8-in display. A unique control interface, shown for the first time in the Smart concept, is a three-dimensional globe serving as the central menu. An avatar helps the user navigate through menus and functions, with artificial intelligence enabling the virtual companion to constantly learn from the user’s behavior and adapt to their individual preferences.

The new Smart app enables a smartphone to function as a digital key and provides for the integration of various connected services and functions into the user’s digital ecosystem. The premium sound system is powered by audio brand Beats.

The next-generation platform underpinning the Smart concept and production vehicles is said to include a long-range battery, fast-charging functions, cloud-based OTA (over-the-air updates) for vehicle software, state-of-the-art infotainment features, and innovative driver assistance systems. Dynamic OTA software updates can update more than 75% of all ECUs. The new generation has a powerful central computer that controls four main domains for infotainment, driver assistance, electromobility functions, and the (E/E) electric/electronic vehicle architecture.

The range of comfort and safety features is designed to be extensive, with plans for next-generation Smarts to be leading all-electric vehicles in their segment in terms of assistance systems. For example, features such as a parking assistant, evasive steering assistant, motorway assistant, and emergency lane assistant will be available.

Smart is also undertaking an extensive revision of the sales structures for the new model generation. The brand says its data-driven approach will redefine omnichannel commerce and enable it to engage directly with customers and fans, creating “meaningful interactions at every touchpoint”—in pre-sales, in-sales, and after-sales. The goal is to improve the overall user experience both offline and online and offer a more transparent and convenient customer journey.

The first new-generation SUV model will be presented in 2022.