Smart, the car brand that belongs to Geely and Mercedes-Benz these days, plans on adding a compact van to its lineup soon. CarNewsChina has just published some spy photos of a camo-clad prototype parked on a street in China.
The pre-production vehicle is known under the temporary designation ‘HY11’. Despite the wrap, it clearly looks different from the marque’s other recent vehicles. For one thing, it has a boxier exterior than both the #1 and #3 models (see video). The headlights are also different, and the front suspension makes use of double wishbones instead of the usual McPherson struts.
Moving on to the cabin, there are multiple displays there including a rather compact digital dash and a large twin display near the middle that manages to double as a head unit and the front passenger’s screen. The gear lever sits at the steering column, and fabric appears to be the main trim material.
The finalized compact van may debut at the Beijing Auto Expo this spring and go on sale soon after that. It is quite possible that Smart is targeting the market of China specifically with this model and will not be offering it anywhere else. We should learn more in the coming months.