The RX-8 Hydrogen RE...
The RX-8 Hydrogen RE can swap between the alternative fuel and petrol to power its rotary engine, and is already available to lease in Japan.
Using the underpinnings...
Using the underpinnings of the recently launched ForFour, the newcomer will feature jacked-up suspension, chunkier styling, flared wheelarches and larger rims. Tracing its heritage back to the TRIDION4 concept car unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2001, the ForMore follows Smart"s favoured design technique - bolting interchangeable plastic panels to a steel frame.
It will boast the safety cell for which the brand has become famous, while the easy-swap panels will make any off-road knocks simple to repair.
The look isn"t the only talking point, though: the ForMore stands out from anything else Smart has offered before because it will get a new engine and a permanent 4x4 system. Its 1.5-litre four-cylinder motor is expected to deliver a power output of 100bhp, while our sources have suggested that a diesel model is also on the cards.
The all-wheel-drive set-up has been co-developed with Mitsubishi, alliance partner of Smart"s parent firm DaimlerChrysler. It will go on to underpin some of the Japanese company"s products, starting with a Colt-based estate, which is also due in 2006. The transmission will be mated to a choice of two boxes: a standard five-speed manual or Smart"s trademark six-ratio sequential unit.
Inside, the ForMore will be given a more rough-and-ready appearance than the ForFour on which it"s based. The seats will be trimmed in a wipe-clean material to make mud stains easy to remove, while the dash will include a compass and an altitude meter as a nod to the model"s off-road ambitions.
The ForMore is expected to make its first appearance at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. It will go on sale in Britain early the following year, priced from around í‚á£15,000.
Smart"s newcomer is also likely to spearhead the company"s assault on America. US versions of the ForTwo have already been spotted testing, but it"s the SUV that"s expected to become the best-selling ma- chine in that market. The firm hopes that American buyers, whose love for SUVs is well known, would want an AWD model with off-road styling, and plans to launch the brand across the Atlantic are already well advanced.
The move Stateside will also see further additions to the Smart range, with a six-seater people carrier, known as the ForAll, due to debut in 2007.