Three years after dropping their Forfour hatchback, Smart may be returning to the marketplace with a vehicle that's suitable for more than two passengers.
Autocar reports that patent drawings from Smart parent Daimler AG show a three-seater concept that seems to mimic both the dimensions of a microcar and the seating position of a McLaren F1. According to Autocar, the drawings show a rear-engined car with a driver up front flanked by two passengers in V-formation. The driver's seat is on a swiveling base that allows easy entry and exit, and a "complex seatbelt arrangement" protects the front seat occupant.
The resultant vehicle would be perfect for Stooges, Musketeers or a bumbling bachelor chef and his two female roommates.
The yet-to-be-named three-seater may join a premium hatchback sourced from Renault, according to Automobile Magazine. Daimler AG chairman Dieter Zetsche (you may know him as Dr. Z) told participants in a recent conference call that a four-door, four-seater might get built "if the conditions are right." While the previous Forfour was built in the Netherlands and shared a lot of components with the Mitsubishi Colt, the new car would be more closely related to the Renault Twingo.
