Taking center stage at Smart’s Frankfurt Motor Show stand, the FourJoy Concept is, according to the carmaker, a forerunner of a new Smart generation. A distant forerunner we could say, given that the study has no doors, no rear windor and an open roof. But ignore these and the showcar bits like the futuristic interior with a lounge-style bench and you could say you’ve just had a preview of the second-generation Smart ForFour.
That’s because Smart says “the exterior proportions already reveal a lot about the appearance of our four-seater production Smart which will be launched at the end of 2014.” The dimensions of the four-seater Fourjoy qualify it for the B-segment, as it is 3,494mm long, 1,978mm wide and 1,494mm tall (137.6-in / 77.9-in / 58.8-in respectively).
Not only the proportions, dare we say, but the front and rear ends as well offer an idea of how the upcoming ForFour will look like. The design is unmistakably Smart, featuring cues like the pronounced polished aluminum tridion safety cell, extremely short overhangs and wheels positioned on the four most outer points, among others.
The front end of the car has a “friendly” look due to the shape of the LED headlights and honeycomb grille, while the rectangular-shaped LED taillights are integrated in the tridion cell, as with the first generation Smart ForTwo.
The interior features two sculptural white seats and a rear bench profiled for two passengers. The design of the spherical instrument cluster and the single-spoke steering wheel remind of the original Smart.
The study is powered by 55kW (74hp) magneto-electric motor positioned at the rear and based on the one seen in the ForTwo Electric Drive. The unit is linked to a 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery that takes up to 7 hours to fully charge at a household socket or charging station. Charging time at a wall-box or public charging station drops to less than one hour with the 22 kW on-board charger and a rapid charging cable.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
