Remember the Smart Car? That tiny little city car may be making a comeback. However, it probably won't be small, and it will probably ditch the gas tank and install a battery.

At the IAA Mobility Show in Munich, a brand new smart EV concept was unveiled that shows what kind of car parent company Mercedes is planning. And it bears no resemblance to the Smart car you remember.

This new design is more akin to a Mini Countryman than the Smart car it once was. That is, it features four seats, aerodynamic styling, a glass roof, and (most importantly) a large interior space.

However, its larger size has a hidden advantage: increased range potential. While it seems counterproductive to increase the size (and weight) of a car in order to increase its range, a larger car makes room for a larger battery. Generally speaking, the larger the battery, the farther you can drive in an EV before you even think about charging it.

The interior of the new smart concept has all the conveniences one would expect from a modern EV: the 12.8-inch touchscreen panel, minimalist design, and gold accents make the car look like it was designed to be shown off in a high-end department store.

Other notable features include rear scissor doors that facilitate getting in and out, even if impractical in the real world. There are also 21-inch wheels, LED light bars front and rear, and a design that says, "Look, I'm an EV." It's pretty outlandish and one of those things that I hope gets scrapped before this car goes into production.

And this car is going into production thanks to a partnership between Mercedes' parent company, Daimler, and Geely Automobile, which owns brands like Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus. The car will be built on the same Geely sustainable architecture as its own brand and will support the usual features such as fast charging and wireless updates.

Multiple versions, including a long-range model, are also planned, but no other details have been revealed. The best part? The smart EV will be launched in China next year, with plans to expand to Europe. No word so far on a US launch, especially since Smart abandoned the US market in 2019, but we'll keep our fingers crossed.

Just remember that the final production model will probably look quite different. How different? We don't know that. So it will be interesting to see what the card actually looks like when it goes into production next year.