Smart considers miniature ute

Smart, the company that produces tiny For Two city car is toying with the idea of building a modern day version of the iconic Suzuki ute.

The eco-friendly arm of Mercedes-Benz has released sketches of a concept ute it intends to reveal at next month's Detroit Motor Show. Smart says its special concept vehicle, dubbed the For Us, challenges the idea of what an urban `pick-up' should look like.

It certainly is smaller than any other ute available in the US, measuring just 3547mm from nose to tail. The For Us is 1506mm tall and 1701mm wide.

Smart says it is the compact nature of the For Us and especially its narrow width that would enable it to reach destinations that out of bounds for cars including "isolated park trails". It would also be able to drive into areas that could ban vehicles with regular combustion engine, such as the centres of some large cities, because the For Us is powered by an electric motor.

Using a similar set-up to the For Two Electric Drive, which is due to be launched early next year, the For Us concept uses a 55kW motor with 130Nm of torque fed by a lithium-ion battery with a 17.6kWh capacity.

Smart says the For Us shouldn't have any trouble keeping up on highways as it would have a top speed of 120km/h. Don't expect to get too much in the tray because it is less than 1 metre long (900mm). However, the Smart's electronically operated tailgate does slide down out of the way so long items can be placed on the bed.

The two-seat cabin is futuristic, with a smart phone cradle replacing the rear-view mirror. A rear-mounted camera captures what is happening the vehicle and the footage is shown on the phone's display.

The Smart ute sits up higher off the ground compared to For Two hatch and has a slightly masculine design theme. Smart adds that the concept car has a "friendly but assertive" face. There is no word on whether the For Us could end up in production or whether it is simply a fun design study.