The production of the Smart #5 is inching closer, and the company has just released some photos from its various tests in the wilderness. The official premiere is still three weeks away, but we do have some early technical data thanks to the Chinese Ministry of Industry database.
Touted as the best Smart for off-road enthusiasts ever, the #5 first hit the spotlight as a concept car in April (see video). Back then, the company generously dressed it out with sturdy-looking bumpers, auxiliary lighting all around and mud tires. When it patented the model in China, Smart didn’t include any of these add-ons. Still, judging by the new photos seen below, the company may want to keep the “rugged” aesthetic alive for the production SUV.
Sized 4,705 x 1,920 x 1,705 mm with 2.9 meters of wheelbase, the #5 is shaping up to be the company’s largest vehicle ever. It’s basically on par with the BMW X3 in terms of size. Customers will be choosing from four powertrains rated from 340 to 646 PS (from 335 to 637 hp; from 250 to 475 kW, respectively). For the battery, the only pack registered so far stores 100 kilowatt-hours or power and yields up to 550 km (342 miles) of range per the Chinese standard.
The full reveal will be held on August 28, but in Australia instead of China where the car is being designed. Smart argues that it plans to sell the #5 all over the world, with Australia, China and Europe all being the priority markets, so it won’t make much of a difference.