Smart will reveal the For-Us pickup at the Detroit Auto Show next month.
If Mini can come up with a crossover-utility vehicle why not a pickup truck for Smart?
That’s precisely what the Daimler division is planning to bring to the Detroit Auto Show next month. This admittedly tongue-in-cheek concept, dubbed the Smart For-Us, “translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of 21st century urban traffic for the first time,” the maker says.
Measuring just 11.6 feet, nose-to-tail, or not much longer than the extended bed on a conventional, heavy-duty pickup, the folks behind the Smart For-Us show car were intent on breaking all the rules, even opting for an electric driveline.
“We at Smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable,” proclaims CEO Annette Winkler. “With the Smart For-Us a petrol station is no longer required!”
The For-Us features a battery drivetrain and an electric tailgate.
Done up in pearl white and gray, the For-Us features a 98-inch wheelbase – 24 inches longer than the stock Smart fortwo — extremely short overhangs and a roughly yard-long cargo bed. The electrically-driven tailgate slides down and then out of the way entirely.
The open top of the cabin is reminiscent of the old Smart roadster. The two-seater gets hammock-like seats finished in a sporty yellow fabric. Instead of a rearview mirror a backup camera is linked to display on the driver’s smartphone.
Power comes from a 17.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack linked to a single 55 kW electric motor that generates a peppy 96 lb-ft of torque – the same as the current Smart Electric Drive and 23 lb-ft more than the gas-powered fortwo.
A Smart press releases makes it very clear that the For-Us was developed as a design exercise, with no plans for production. So, for those still hanging on waiting for a replacement for the largely unloved Smart fortwo, you’ll just have to keep waiting another couple years.