► Smart confirms #2 city car is on the way
► Two-seat EV will launch in ‘late 2026’
► Part of even-numbered new model offensive
Smart has begun testing its new #2 city car, publishing official images of a camouflaged prototype out on a test track in China.
The new platform it runs on is named Electric Compact Architecture, and Smart confirms it’ll be rear-wheel drive, will only have two doors and will only seat two people – just like the original City Coupe and ForTwo models.
Smart says that the new car will feature a ‘redesigned interior and exterior from the Mercedes-Benz design team’ and will launch using the most up-to-date electric motor and battery technology.
The new #2 – nicknamed ‘Project Two’ internally – is in its final stages of development. It makes up a trio of new car launches – one per year from 2026 onwards – that will catering to ‘more diversified customer needs.’
Smart says its new city car will be an EV and ‘build on the rich heritage of the ForTwo,’ and Europe will be ‘a key market’ for it. In keeping with Smart’s modern way of working, the new #2 will be designed by the Mercedes-Benz design team but will use technology and engineering from Geely and will be manufactured in China. Smart also says the new #2 ‘will feature new technology for the segment.’
European CEO, Dirk Adelmann, told CAR earlier in 2025 that Smart had decided to keep naming its SUVs with odd numbers, and had ‘reserved the even ones in between for something non-SUV.’
In a statement at the confirmation of a new ForTwo successor named #2, Adelmann says the new car ‘will shape a new era of individual urban automobility, especially in classic smart cities like Rome, London or Paris. The decision comes at the right time, as we benefit from the respective strengths of our main shareholders Mercedes-Benz and Geely, and strong backing by new investors, along with the successful market launch of the smart #5.’
That effectively means the #4 and #6 that will follow will likely tap into new segments not currently part of Smart’s portfolio.
We’ll have to stay tuned for more info, and will update this page when we know more.
Jake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
By Jake Groves
CAR's news editor; gamer, trainer freak and serial Lego-ist
