Reports are coming from China claiming that Geely Group will unveil the first Smart-branded crossover SUV at the IAA Mobility show coming up in Munich, Germany on September 7-12, 2021. Leaked documents seem to confirm this.
The newcomer, which goes by its internal moniker HX11/HC11 so far, will allegedly be based on a platform known as PMA-2. Geely used to call its SEA chassis the “Pure electric Modular Architecture”, or PMA. It lends itself best to Class A to E vehicles with between 1,800 and 3,300 mm (5.9 – 10.8 feet) of wheelbase. It also supports powertrain loads of up to 816 PS (805 hp / 600 kW) and 8,000 Nm (5,900 lb-ft). The clearance can vary between 150 and 220 mm (5.85 and 8.6 inches).
It remains to be seen whether the first Smart SUV will be technically related to Volvo’s recently announced EV. However it is, we expect it to share design cues with other recent Smarts (see our gallery and the video for a reminder) and make do with a powertrain rated at approximately 272 PS (268 hp / 200 kW). The NEDC-rated driving range may well exceed 500 kilometers (310 miles).
The production car – if it makes it to the market next year as expected – should become the marque’s largest on record at over 4 meters (13.1 ft.) long.