Smart to reveal urban pick-up at Detroit Show

Dec 14, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Detroit - The small car division of the Daimler concern, Smart, is hoping to turn the automotive world 'upside down' at the Detroit Motor Show in January with a tongue-in-cheek concept of an urban pick-up.

Fitted with a 55 kW electric motor, the smart for-us translates the practical loading concept of a pick-up to the reality of the 21st century, measuring 3,547 millimetres in length, 1,506 mm in width and 1,701 mm in height. The concept model has room for two people and space for two smart electric bikes in the loading area. A docking station in the loading area provides energy for the bikes.

The tailboard at the rear is electrically driven. When it opens first of all the cargo floor including tailboard retracts by 280 mm, then the tailgate slides down in a parallel position. The cargo on the 900 mm cargo area is then easy to access.

In place of a conventional rear-view mirror, the smart for-us features a smartphone accommodated in a holder on top of the instrument panel support. The driver can see what is happening on the road behind with the help of an integrated video camera.

Smart lists 130 Newton metres of torque and a maximum speed above 120 km/h. The lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 17.6 kWh.