New Smart #5 mid-size SUV to be previewed by Beijing Motor Show concept

Still best known to many for its dinky city runabouts, the Smart car brand is preparing to launch its largest model yet: a new electric SUV called the Smart #5. According to Smart, the #5 “goes beyond urban boundaries” and is ready for “any kind of outdoor activity”.

We’ll get our first glimpse of the potential MINI Countryman rival at the Beijing Motor Show, when the Smart Concept #5 is revealed on 25 April, before the road-going version makes its debut in the second half of 2024. 

We can see from some of the sketches Smart has shared that the Concept #5 will be more square-jawed and boxy than the softer, more flowing design of the Smart #1 compact SUV. The wheelarches will be pronounced like on some 4x4s, while the front end and tailgate are almost vertical.

Feeding into the adventure-ready character, the Concept #5’s roof rack also features a light bar, inflatable chairs, a folding shovel and recovery boards in case you get stuck in tough terrain. The extremely short overhangs at the front and rear will help maximise interior space, with Smart touting this as its “most spacious and versatile vehicle to date”. 

Considering how few changes were made to the Smart #1 when it was turned from a concept into the road car, we expect the Smart Concept #5 will be almost identical to the production-ready model we’ll see later this year. 

The new Smart #5 will probably use the same Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) that sits underneath the Smart #1, its more rakish sibling the Smart #3 and the Volvo EX30, among others. 

The platform can accommodate single-motor, rear-wheel drive and dual-motor, all-wheel drive configurations, as well as various battery sizes. We may also see a high-performance Brabus version of the Smart #5, as with the #1 and #3 it will sit above.

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