What game does Smart play? A famous German brand, before the owner of mini-city carsnewly became fully electric. A normal transition in the current context, but what makes us question is where it is headed in the future. The mind is in our mind above all else a small chip of the city. A friendly, colorful, customizable two-seater. Smart City-Coupe was released in 1998after several years of difficult development.
Nicolas Hayek, CEO of Swatch at the time, struggled to find a manufacturer willing to industrialize his small city car project. Mercedes Benz started dancing in 1994, and the car finally saw the light of day. S for SampleM for mercedesand ART to emphasize the unique and whimsical side of the car.
20 years of fun and unusual designs
In 2002, it became a Fortwoit decreased by a the second generation of 2007then at one the third in 2014. Other models were introduced to the market after its launch, e.g Roadster (2003-2005) and Forfour (2004-2006, 2014-2021). The Smart went 100% electric in 2019, and is no longer in the range today. more than a two-seater Fortwo.
the same year, Chinese Geely bought half of the company’s capital from Mercedes-Benz. At the same time, the transfer of production from Hambach (Mosel) to China. Following this new strategy, this year the brand launched a new model and his first crossover under the name #1and of course also collected in China.
The second (sad) SUV of 2023
As novelty never comes alone, Smart is preparing an even bigger electric SUV called #3. It Compact SUV who will hold the position ahead of the upcoming electric Mini Countryman. It should be run in during 2023. It will be available in a two-wheel drive version with 272 horsepower. As in one sports version of Brabus with all-wheel drive with 428 horsepower. The biggest Smart model in its history, #3, has not yet been officially unveiled, so details are rather scarce. We still do not know its autonomy, its price, as well as the main technologies with which it will be equipped.
If we’re wondering what game Smart is playing, it’s because the sight of this Smart #3, another electric SUV, makes us wonder where did the DNA of the first Fortwo go? which created all the charm and whimsy of the brand. It’s classic, even fresh, he’s not taking any chances as electric SUVs have been raining in recent years. Like Volvo, MG or Lotusthem European brands now fly under the Chinese flag do not have really nothing more attractive…
Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.