After two years of emptiness and a flood of electric SUVs that didn't know whether to be a tank or a suburb on wheels, Smart has finally come to its senses. The Smart #2, premiered in Beijing, heralded the production model that we can't wait for in Paris in October.
Hand on heart – in recent years Smart acted like that acquaintance who moved to another city in high school, came home changed – in glasses, without his old jacket, with a serious face – and claimed that now works SUVs. First the #1, then the #3, then the #5, and finally the #6 EHD sedan, as long as a diplomat's car. We all asked ourselves the same question: Where is the little one? Smart, the one you could park perpendicular to the sidewalk and avoid the city patrolman because he simply took pity on her? Where is the Smart #2?!
Well, he's back. Smart Concept #2 is a preview of the new production two-seater that will make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October, and while it's still small, it's now - get ready - a fashion icon with leather straps instead of door handles and a gold roof. Yes, as if Hermès and a battery engineer had a child together.
Size: Still small enough to fit between two SUVs
Concept #2 custom 2,792 mm in length. Yes, you read that right – less than 2.8 meters. That's 292 mm more than the original Smart from 1998 and 97 mm more than the last generation ForTwo. Mercedes took over the design, and Mercedes just can't leave things alone. But before we start crying about "excessive growth", let's consider the context:
- The Renault Twingo is 997 mm longer.
- The Fiat 500e is 840 mm longer.
- The Smart is in the same weight category as the Citroën Ami and Fiat Topolino, which are technically heavy four-wheelers.
In short: still the smallest real car in the European A-segment. The turning radius is 6.95 meters. – meaning you'll be able to turn at a local intersection while the driver of the BMW X7 next to you maneuvers four times and opens Google Maps.
Drive: small sprat, but full of flavor
Smart is officially keeping quiet about the technology, which is common with concepts - everyone knows what it will be, but no one wants to reveal it. What is certain is the following:
- Range: almost 300 km (186 miles) according to WLTP – which is a pittance for Tesla fanatics, but double the number compared to the old EQ ForTwo, which only went 135 km.
- DC fast charging from 10 to 80 % in less than 20 minutes – so time for an espresso doppio and an honest conversation about football.
- V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) – a car that powers your picnic cooler. Smart, who didn't even know what a picnic was, has now discovered it.
- Rear-wheel drive, two seats, two doors – as befits a ForTwo.
- Electric Compact Architecture (ECA) platform – a completely new, proprietary development base, made specifically for small EVs.
Rumors circulating among engineers – and I don't confirm them, of course, I'm just whispering – say that it will be the battery contained approximately 30 kWh and that one rear electric motor will be able to do somewhere 75–95 kW (100–130 hp). More than enough for the city front. Top speed and acceleration? Smart is silent, but given the weight, engine and common sense you can expect acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in approximately 11–12 seconds and final speed, limited at around 130 km/h (81 mph) – this is a car that is supposed to take you to the delicatessen and back, not to the Stelvio.
Design: "Function becomes Fashion" – or how to make a handbag that drives
Mercedes' design department, which manages all aspects, went on a trip to the boutique this time. A mask that resembles a luxury suitcase. Leather straps instead of hooks. Gold details. LED lights that display daytime running lights. "#2". Matte white color combined with warm gold. This isn't a car, it's a fashion accessory with a seat belt.
Kai Sieber, Head of Smart Design at Mercedes-Benz, said:
“A city car should do more than just solve problems – it should bring joy.”
Only a Mercedes designer could say such a sentence with a straight face. And, surprisingly, he's right.
History: why do we even care?
The original Smart ForTwo came out of a partnership between Swiss watchmaker Swatch and Volkswagen – who then rejected the project, as only VW knows how, and gave it to Mercedes. In 26 years they sold approximately 2.5 million ForTwosThe last generation went down in history in 2024, a victim of the unpopularity of the electric EQ ForTwo with a range of almost 135 km and a price that broke the spirit of many a buyer.
Now Smart belongs to the joint venture between Geely and Mercedes, which in practice means: German beauty, Chinese electronics and hopefully some European soul in the middle. Wolfgang Ufer, CEO of Smart Europe, says:
“The Concept #2 is a vehicle designed around how European Smart customers actually live and move – effortlessly, agilely and efficiently.”
Translation: we know you're not ready to drive an SUV around Rome and your old ForTwo just died, sorry.
Price: half of a Tesla
According to the CEO of Smart Adelmann's race prices in Great Britain are expected to started at around £20,000 (around 23,000–24,000 euros(depending on currency fluctuations and importers' goodwill). From a European perspective, this means: realistically, the basic model could fit somewhere between 24,000 and 28,000 euros, which is for a premium two-seater with a Mercedes signature and a range of close to 300 km – honestly – solid business.
Conclusion: a little one who is not ashamed to be little
After all the tests, all the viewings, all the teasers and specification lists, the impression that remains is surprisingly friendly. The Smart Concept #2 is not a car that will break your spine at 250 km/h or set a record on the Nürburgring. No. This car is made for a specific kind of person – the urban, the impatient, the one who loves nice things and doesn’t care what his neighbor thinks about his transportation choices. The one who buys Acne Studios jeans in installments and who saw his last full tank of gas during the pandemic. Smart heard his call.
And that's good. The automotive industry has lost its sense of proportion in recent years – everything is an SUV, everything has to have 700 hp and 22-inch wheels. But not necessarily. Sometimes you just want a really small car that can turn in a narrow alley in the old town, that will get you to the store and back, and won't eat up an entire beautiful afternoon or the battery of the local hydroelectric power plant.
The Smart #2 is a promise, not yet a fulfillment – the final production version in Paris in October will probably be a shade more subdued, without the gold roof and leather straps. A the spirit remains. Smart went back to what he did best – and honestly, it was timeIf the price is decent and the range is at least about as good as promised, this could be one of the most important small cars of the decade. Paris, see you in October. And this time without the SUV, please.
