What was not communicated back then is that high ranking officials at both the German and French car makers are also considering design proposals for a third new Smart model: a replacement for the stillborn ForMore.
Further details and images of the original Smart ForMore after the jump
Word out of Mercedes-Benz's headquarters in Stuttgart suggest the increaseing attention being cast on cars like the Nissan Juke, Dacia Duster and Volkswagen CrossPolo has prompted boss its Dieter Zetsche to resurrect plans for an an affordable Smart SUV. Speculation points to Smart relying on a Renault-Nissan engineered platform for the range topping Smart model, with the global B-segment structure used beneath the Juke most likely. With Smart already hardouring plans to spin a four door model off the Nissan Micra for the US market, a more unique looking SUV using the same underpinnings seems to makes good sense.
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| Official sketch of Smart ForMore generated in 2004. |
The original Smart ForMore was based on the same underpinnings as the Mercedes-Benz GLK and previewed in an official sketch in 2004(see left). Plans were for it to be built at Mercedes-Benz's Brazilian plant in Juiz de Fora. But after reaching production maturity it was axed just six months before it was due to go on sale in 2006. At least two full sized styling models of the still born SUV now resides in Mercedes-Benz's storage facility in Stuttgart (see accompanying image).
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| Secret full sized models of original Smart ForMore. |
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| Smart's new four-door model for North America, due out in 2011, is a lightly re-styled and rebadged Nissan Micra. |
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