Smart forstars concept

The Smart forstars concept is set to be unveiled the week after next at the Paris motor show.

Clearly related to the For-Us concept seen at NAIAS in Detroit earlier this year, the grammatically-challenged Sports Utility Coupé concept, measures in at 3,550mm long, 1,710mm wide and 1,505mm high.

It shares the same ‘smiley' front face as the For-Us, complete with rhombic front lamps which stand proud of the surface and a pixellated grille opening. But the forstars is sporting where the For-Us was about utility, so there's a bonnet air intake and an eyebrow hood to the lamps which extends off the front wing.

Like the For-Us, it features convex body surfaces, but the biggest change from the Detroit car comes at the rear. The forstars features a clear glazed panel which creates a coupe roofline and encloses the rear, where the For-Us featured an open pick-up bed. Thanks to the signature Tridion safety cell forming a forward-leaning B-pillar and wrap around rear glazing, from the rear, the forstars has strong shades of Citroen DS3, which we'd say is no bad thing. It's interesting Smart has taken this direction with these two cars, using simply a roof form and colourway/graphics to create two apparently similar, yet different feeling concepts - in the same way that original Smart Coupe and Roadster were twinned.

Inside, we again see much of the For-Us's architecture, but here mother-of-pearl white and brushed aluminum dominate while ‘alubeam rouge' is used as an accent color to link to the exterior. We can't tell from the press pictures whether the delightful open fan that featured behind the gauges in the For-Us makes a return, but we'd hope so. The seats are covered in a soft fabric throw designed to make them feel like a hammock, and when the passenger throw is removed long items can fit through the seat.

The forstars is also the latest concept to feature a smartphone that slots into a holder at the top of the windscreen, which serves as a media source and display for the rear view camera and hood projector.

Gallery: Smart forstars concept

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