Even smart Wants to Become an SUV Brand
A weird thing is about to happen with smart, which was saved from extinction through a partnership between Daimler and Geely in mid-2019 before it left the North American market at the end of that year.
Believe it or not, smart will reinvent itself an SUV brand.
- Also: R.I.P. smart: No More Fortwo in North America
- Also: smart is Saved; Next-Gen Models to be Built in China
Obviously, this is a reflection how a major trend in the auto industry. Around the world, the demise of traditional cars is accelerating as a vast majority of consumers turn to pickups and utility vehicles. Buick and Lincoln have recently become all-SUV brands, at least in North America, while Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Fiat are moving forward with just one car model. Cadillac and Ford now have only two apiece.
Still, it’s pretty shocking to see smart follow the same path. The quirky brand arguably owes all of its fame to the fortwo microcar that initially entered production in July 1998.
Daimler and Geely will work together to develop and manufacture the new smart SUV, possibly two. The former will take care of the design and interior, while the latter will supply its scalable electric architecture (the same one Volvo will use for a future compact model). Prototypes have already been built and a launch is planned for 2022.
Now, don’t expect a large, spacious and adventure-ready vehicle with some off-road capability. You see, smart’s focus will remain on urban mobility. By our North American standards, we’d be talking about a sub-compact SUV like a Kia Soul or MINI Countryman.
So, will smart make a comeback in Canada? Again, don’t get your hopes up. The brand will focus on China and Europe, where there is much more potential. Daimler, like many other automakers, has to cut expenses in part to support the development of future electric vehicles, and there would be no legitimate interest in bringing back smart.
In an interview with German publication Automobilwoche, smart boss Daniel Lescow said the brand would not be returning to our shores any time soon.