smart's New SUV Is for the Road Less Traveled
Hear that? No, neither do we. But that's kind of the point.
According to smart, that sound you're not hearing is actually the sound of the future, and—in line with its all-electric, SUV-sized, nature-oriented new model, the smart #5—that future, it seems, is pretty quiet.
The smart Concept #5—the concept car that introduced the design of the smart #5—made one of its rare European appearances at the 520M booth at ISPO Munich. 520M is a platform created to explore the intersection of style, culture, technology and the outdoors, making it the perfect place for this nature-navigating vehicle to be on display.
What makes the car different is that it isn't designed to drive a wedge between its driver and the world outside, like so many other vehicles supposedly made for life in the Great Outdoors do. Instead, the Concept #5 is built to bring them closer—to make getting out of the city and into nature a much less daunting task for the modern driver.
And so, nestled among other 520M exhibitors and seeming to have either sprouted from a patch of shrubbery or perhaps even seeded a fresh one of its own accord, the Concept #5 was very much at home as a standard bearer for both the new vanguard of outdoor technology and as a prime example of 520M's theme for 2024: The Augmented Outdoors.
By seeing the vehicle in person, visitors to the 520M booth were able to better understand the visionary concept vehicle’s more functional aspects—from its ultra-practical roof light bar, 34 storage compartments, and electric trailer hitch to its astronomy-ready combination of 121-degree reclining seats and panoramic roof. Through an immersive virtual reality experience, visitors also got an exclusive sneak peek of the interior of the upcoming series-production model, the smart #5.
Again, though, it's worth mentioning that while the smart Concept #5, in particular, blends nature and driver, it also isn't necessarily about disconnecting from the modern world entirely.
Not only does this unique one-off vehicle boast an aurora-like audiovisual display for listening to your favorite tracks and a stacked-out projection system for watching your favorite movies, but as Wolfgang Würth, smart Europe's Head of Brand & Communications, pointed out on a 520M panel, this all-electric car also has a powerful battery that takes you wherever you want to go.
Perhaps more than anything else, the series-production model of the smart #5 is a car designed for recharging—in more ways than one. The anticipation for this vehicle is building, as the all-new smart #5 is set to be launched in Europe within the first half of 2025.
Explore the smart #5 and stay updated on its European launch here.
