Geely joint venture set to replace four-door hatch with new Concept #1 production EV.
Smart is removing its EQ ForFour electric from sale ahead of the expected launch of the road-going Concept #1 SUV later this year.
The EQ ForFour had been on sale since 2017, when it was launched as the ForFour Electric Drive. It was given a facelift as recently as 2019, although its 60kW electric motor and 17.6kWh battery remained unchanged, giving it an uncompetitive 112km of range – significantly less than rivals such as the Renault Zoe.
Production of the electric ForFour reportedly concluded at manufacturing partner Renault’s Slovenian Novo Mesto plant in December, although the Renault Twingo Z.E with which it shares much of its underlying hardware remains on sale in many European markets.
The EQ ForTwo remains on sale in hard-top and convertible forms, although that is set to change later this year when the production version of the Concept #1 SUV arrives. The compact electric SUV, which was revealed at last year’s Munich motor show, will become the firm’s first bespoke EV. It will also be the first model launched with cooperation from Geely, which now owns 50 per cent of the Smart brand.
Under the terms of the partnership, Mercedes-Benz will continue to lead the design and styling of future Smart models, while Geely will lead the engineering.
Tom Morgan-Freelander