► Concept #2 previews new two-seat city car
► Dinky EV to channel original ForTwo spirit
► Production #2 to be revealed at October’s Paris Motor Show
Smart is returning to where it started with a new dinky city car that channels the original ForTwo spirit, and this new Concept #2 is a first preview of what it will look like.
Revealed at an an event coinciding with this week’s Beijing Auto Show, it’s our closest look yet at the eventual production model, following an initial teaser and spy shot images of the forthcoming city car shown last year.
While the revived Smart brand, a joint venture between Geely and Mercedes, has so far only focused on crossovers with its #1, #3 and #5, the #2 is a successor to the renowned ForTwo.
Designed by Mercedes and engineered by Geely, the Concept #2’s silhouette closely mirrors the eventual production model, with clear lineage to its predecessors with its bubble-like shape, distinctive lighting and – of course – its tiny dimensions. While the wide stance and digital lights are unlikely to make production, the rest looks ready to hit showrooms.
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.
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 cater to ‘more diversified customer needs.’
Smart says the #2 is designed to ‘illustrate how to deliver uncompromised urban mobility’, with its wheels pushed right to the corners. The concept’s footprint, which isn’t expected to change much for the production car, measures just 2.792m. While it’s around 10cm longer than the previous-generation ForTwo, it’s still getting on a metre less than most city cars, albeit with four seats. That said, it’ll keep the remarkable 6.95m turning circle of its predecessor.
Full figures are still to be confirmed but Smart says the production #2 will offer an electric driving range of ‘nearly 300km’ (186 miles), with 10 to 80 per cent rapid charging in 20 minutes.
Wolfgang Ufer, CEO of Smart Europe: “For me personally, it is a very special moment to present the Concept #2 as the first concrete outlook on the reinvention of our iconic two-seater. It marks an important starting point for this new chapter of Smart, which will culminate in a strong peak in Europe this autumn.
‘The Concept #2 combines the creativity and passion of our Mercedes-Benz design team and provides a clear vision of the future qualities of the smart #2. It is a vehicle shaped by the way European smart customers truly live and move — effortless, agile and efficient.”
The production Smart #2 will make its debut at October’s Paris Motor Show.
