Smart Fourjoy concept unveiled ahead of Frankfurt Motor Show
The Smart Fourjoy concept car is revealed, previewing an all-electric four-seater that does without doors
Smart has revealed the all-new Fourjoy concept car ahead of its Frankfurt Motor Show premiere. The all-electric four-seater is a preview to what we can expect from the next-generation Forfour will look when it arrives in late 2014.
It also gives us a good idea of exactly how big the next-generation car it’ll be, and at 3494mm long and 1978mm it’s fractionally shorter than a VW up! but about 60mm wider. The Fourjoy gives us our latest look at the new face of Smart, previewed by concepts like the Forstars and For-us, featuring a 3D perforated grille and oversized headlights.
There are a few touches from the original Forfour, too, such as the tiny overhangs and the tridion safety cell. The interior has room for four people and features a touchscreen for operating the infotainment. This removable touchscreen tablet will be a feature on the future production car, as will the spherical instrument cluster – a trademark Smart design feature.
And while many of the features are destined to remain as pure concept, Dr Annette Winkler, Head of Smart, claims that items like the tridion safety cell and redesigned front end will be translated on to the full production model. The Fourjoy also previews the new two-box design that will underpin both the two- and four-seater models.
The Fourjoy does without doors – a bit like the mad Crossblade Fortwo – and while the production car won’t be quite so extreme when it comes to weight reduction Smart is looking to keep weight as low as possible with thin seats and composite plastics for the bodyshell. The next-generation Forfour is being developed alongside Renaut’s next-generation Twingo.
Renault has all-but confirmed there will be an electric Twingo and the Forjoy’s zero emissions powertrain only serves to cement that fact. It uses a 55kW/73bhp electric motor, which is located at the back and drives the rear wheels. It’ll take seven hours to charge from a standard house wall socket but can be charged in less than one hour from a quick charger.
When the production car hits the road late next year it’ll probably also be available with a 900cc turbocharged engine from the Renault-Nissan alliance. It’ll be part of an expanded Smart family that will include the Fortwo, Fortwo convertible and a Smart compact crossover.
