Smart with tongue-in-cheek concept of urban pick-up

Jan 18, 2012, 3:06 GMT

Detroit - Smart presented at the Detroit Motor Show a tongue-in-cheek concept of an urban pickup aimed at the younger generation fitted with a 55 kW zero emission electric motor and offering space for two people and two smart electric bicycles.

Compared with the series-produced fortwo, the smart for-us has an appearance playing with the martial image of conventional mega-pickups. It features convex-shaped body surfaces. The large brand emblem is sported on the grille and the front has a pronounced three-dimensional design with an underride guard finishing off the lower part of the front end.

The longer wheelbase (2480 mm/plus 613 mm) and the track that has been widened by 50 mm on each side also emphasise the robust look of the study. At the same time the extremely short overhangs at the front and rear give it a compact look.

The tailboard at the rear of the smart for-us is electrically driven. When it opens, 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.

The maximum speed is listed at 120 km/h with the lithium-ion battery having a capacity of 17.6 kWh.