Smart will enter a new era with the launch of its first 100% electric SUV. A model anticipated through a conceptual model and whose final design has been filtered through patents registered by the brand. This new model, whose name is unknown, will go into production in 2022.
About a month ago, within the framework of the 2021 Munich Motor Show, the Smart Concept # 1 was presented in society, a really important conceptual model that we must bear in mind. And it is that it lays the foundations of the new Smart model that will hit the market in a short time. Go ahead what the first electric SUV from Smart will look like. An SUV that will allow the brand to enter a new era.
The design of this 100% electric SUV, which is currently under development, has been leaked through patents. These patents, which have been released in the European Union Intellectual Property Office, allow us to discover many of the keys to both the exterior and interior design of a model whose official name is, for now, unknown.
Smart Electric SUV Patents
Just take a quick look at the patents and compare them with the aforementioned Smart Concept # 1 to realize that there is a great similarity between the two vehicles. And it is logical that this is the case, since the company itself already indicated that the concept car advanced the final design by a high percentage. The changes made allow ‘Streamline’ the design of the model.
The most obvious changes are located in the frontal. And especially in the bumper. The rear view mirrors have also taken on a new form more typical of a series production car. At the rear, and more specifically in the bumper, there will also be news. Also, the side skirts will be less prominent and the rims will be smaller.
For their part, the patents that show elements and components of the cabin, are equally revealing. For example, the design of the air vents will be maintained. Unfortunately we can not appreciate the steering wheel, instrument panel or the touch screen that will star in the center console.
The autonomy of Smart’s electric SUV
Smart’s long-awaited SUV will make use of the new SEA platform. An architecture developed by Geely and specially designed for 100% electric vehicles. It will equip a lithium-ion battery whose capacity will be around 70 kWh. It is foreseen that it can homologate a autonomy greater than 400 kilometers on a single charge.
The production version will be presented sometime in 2022. It will fight in the B segment and will have to face such important models as the Peugeot e-2008 or the Hyundai Kona Electric. It will not be easy at all.