Smart has recently been partly in Chinese hands and is completely changing course. The internal combustion engine was banned two years ago and a harbinger of a completely new model recently showed off in Munich. We talk about it with Daniel Lescow, who leads the brand.
We can say that Smart as a brand is on the eve of a new era.
“Absolute. That’s what we’re building on with concept car #1, which offers a very clear view of what kind of car you should be thinking about. But of course there is much more behind it. It will be a very new step for the brand, for which we founded a completely new company in 2019, Smart Automobile Co. Ltd., which became operational in April last year. Shortly afterwards, we set up Smart Europe GmbH, the European branch, with which we now have a presence in more than ten important European countries. We already have almost six hundred people working, eighty of whom are in Europe.”
But now another car…
“Of course. We will present the production version of the concept we have now in the first half of next year. That is very fast, we owe that in large part to our Chinese colleagues. I am impressed with how well the collaboration has worked out.”
Smart as we know it so far had a very headstrong, deviant image. Can you describe what the objective of the new Smart is?
“Of course. To look back first: the old Smart has always been very successful, both in Europe and in China. We have sold 2.5 million cars. Our new direction means, among other things, that Smart should no longer be a single model brand. In the past, the Smart brand was almost synonymous with the product among the public. There should be more models in our new chapter. Moreover, Smart new style should also stand for a certain lifestyle, an urban lifestyle and urban mobility. Because a Smart is still a city car, although it has grown, and so it remains true to the character of the brand and product. Even though Smart will soon be in a larger segment, a Smart still combines extremely compact exterior dimensions with considerable interior space. We are making this possible with the development of the electric platform aimed at this purpose, with which the interior space is one or even two segments higher than the car in which it is located.”
You mentioned it yourself: an electric platform offers much more freedom than an ICE. Nevertheless, the #1 still looks quite old-style from the side, with its hefty nose and even a grille. Can you tell me what the thinking behind that is?
“That’s a funny way to look at it. The production version gets a frunk, where you can not only store your luggage, but also, for example, your charging cable. And a grille is still an excellent method to let a car radiate character. In the #1, it also includes lighting effects that allow the rider to express their individual style by adjusting the colors through the app or even adding music to it. Such personification is still one of the core values of our brand.”
Smart Concept #1
Another special feature on the #1 are the so-called suicide doors. Will they be on the production version?
“New. They are on the concept car to better show the considerable space on the show floor. For serial production, we simply have to comply with a large number of requirements and restrictions in the field of safety, among other things, which we have to comply with. We are going for five star EuroNCAP, that would be difficult with such style jokes. So normal doors for the production car, no doubt about that.”
Many brands want to stop with compact city cars or have already done so. How do you view that?
“It is always important to grow with the trends and to anticipate them. To this day, we are the only existing brand that has completely phased out the combustion engine. Two years ago we already became electric only. We look at the segment of compact, electric, connected SUVs with the same progressiveness. In all the future scenarios that we study, that part of the market continues to grow enormously. These are cars that offer space for young families and all kinds of applications and they are becoming increasingly popular, both in Europe and in China. That is why we believe that with the car that we presented in Munich, we are reaching the heart of our customers’ needs.”
The new Smart gets Chinese technology in a German design. How do you combine two so different worlds?
“It especially offers great opportunities. In the Mercedes stable we have excellent designers who drew something that is impressive and smart at the same time, that radiates future and technology. In addition, we have the high-tech, fully electrically developed platform. It is highly scalable and connected. The production version will have a central computer unit of which three quarters of the software can be kept up-to-date over-the-air and with which you can activate certain functions or hardware of your choice. This makes the Smart a fully connected electric car of the future, with a very strong brand. In China, more than 90 percent of people know us.”
Smart Concept 1
I see quite a few Mercedes traits in the concept car …
“Well noticed. Mercedes-Benz is still an important partner of the Smart brand and we do not want to deny that. On the contrary. Despite the new corporate structure, we feel a close connection and although we have grown into a somewhat more independent state, that connection remains. In Europe, you will soon be able to go to the Mercedes workshop for maintenance.”
What does the typical customer of the new Smart look like?
“Our audience has always been very broad, despite our unique position in the market. We will keep it that way, with the addition of new target groups such as young families, thanks to the greater ease of use. Also think of young people who are attracted to an urban lifestyle, to urban mobility.”
Can we expect fun, daring models like the Roadster in the future?
“A lot of beautiful things are possible on the platform. Right now we’re focused on getting the production #1 SUV ready, but by the time it’s unveiled, we’ll be lifting a corner of the veil of what’s to come.” 
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl