Since its inception in 1994, auto marque Smart has been known for producing compact, economical commuter models that put a European spin on the traditional Kei car formula. And while it has thus far exclusively focused on urban-focused offerings, the Mercedes-owned outfit has now taken things in a markedly different direction with the debut of its latest factory-backed concept car, the off-road-focused smart Concept #5.
The smart Concept #5 is a fully-electric off-road vehicle that’s powered by a set of electric motors that draw from an 800V high-voltage battery platform that supports 4C superfast charging and allows the cell to gain a 10% to 80% charge in just 15 minutes. The battery also affords the Concept #5 with a range of over 430 miles per charge. The concept also features an advanced all-wheel-drive system, as well as several dedicated off-road modes including sand, snow, mud, and rock modes. Being designed from the ground up for off-road exploration, the concept unsurprisingly comes loaded with a slew of go-anywhere bits. This includes a set of limb risers (hood cables), all-terrain tires, front and rear skid plates, flared fenders at all four corners, a hidden integrated winch, a folding rear step for roof access, and a roof-mounted light bar, and a unique figure-eight-shaped roof rack.
Taking a high-tech approach to off-road vehicle design, the Concept #5 is brimming with state-of-the-art onboard hardware and technology including plus an NVIDIA DRIVE Orin SoC-powered Lidar system, smart Pilot Assist 3.0, a built-in front-facing projector, and a cutting-edge generative AI-based in-car assistant developed in collaboration with Cerence. Surprisingly spacious for being a smart car, the interior of the concept boasts rear-hinged rear doors, a removable portable Bluetooth speaker, dual OLED interior screens running off of a high-performance AMD V2000 chip, and Zero gravity seats that use the industry’s first cushion airbag system.
The smart Concept #5 is slated to make its official public world-debut at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition on April 25.
