Smart Concept #5 previews a rugged EV off-roader

It also, dare we say, looks like it shares more than a little bit with a similar-sized model from Mercedes, specifically the GLB but we of course digress. That is after all only in its silhouette. At the back and front are totally unique Smart identities that, along with those puffy arches, chunky tyres and that LED roof bar, take the brand in an altogether uncharted rugged direction.

The #5 could just as easily be the SWAT fleet car in a dystopian future, with a hard-edged skid-plated face and unfussy LED signatures that are also reflected at the rear. There’s even a winch! It’s all very much in service of what Smart calls the car’s ‘robust and confident appearance’ that ‘underlines the adventurous character of Smart’.

"The smart Concept #5 is the most unexpected and versatile car that our brand has ever created,” said Dirk Adelmann, CEO of Smart Europe. “With this vehicle, we leave all boundaries behind and open up a new segment for customers in Europe and worldwide.”

Being semi-production-based, the Concept #5 does have some numbers to go with it. Featuring an 800-volt architecture this car features over 100kWh of battery and a range of over 341 mikes. It can also charge from 10-80 per cent charge in just 15 minutes – half the time of the upcoming Range Rover EV.

On the inside it’s a bit more luxurious, too, with massage seats, ambient lighting, leg rests and more. Dominating the cabin, though, are those screens, with a matching pair serving as the central infotainment, and the passenger’s entertainment. The driver gets their own smaller digital display.

Is Smart really going to build a Defender buster? We can’t see this making production as it sits. Those tyres really aren’t conducive to electric range. But the marque does claim a third series production model in this car’s image is set to debut in the second half of this year. We hope it at the very least keeps the distinctive front and rear LED light signatures.