New Smart #2: quirky EV beats the Renault Twingo on range and charging
Smart is finally going back to its roots with a successor to the iconic ForTwo city car
The all-new, pint-sized Smart #2 is primed and ready for its world debut on 12 October at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, promising to deliver “unmatched urban agility”.
After Smart launched three SUVs back-to-back, the long-awaited successor to the innovative ForTwo marks the brand’s return to its roots. And at less than three metres long, the new two-seat runabout will still be about the same size as its famously ultra-compact predecessors.
Underneath is a brand-new, purpose-built platform, called the Electric Compact Architecture (ECA), which “demonstrates how intelligent use of space, agility, safety and everyday electric usability can be brought together in a vehicle of this size,” according to the brand.
Cramming everything Smart wanted onto an all-electric architecture and within a sub-three-metre-long package apparently posed a tough challenge for the engineers. However, the brand says they’ve managed to deliver generous cabin space, advanced powertrain tech, robust safety structures and agile driving dynamics, all in one super-small vehicle.
Smart says the new #2 combines its ultra-compact dimensions with unmatched manoeuvrability, and a turning circle of just 6.95 metres is the proof. That’s the same as the last ForTwo’s, far better than the Fiat 500e’s 9.6-metre turning circle, and so tight that you could do a U-turn on London’s narrow streets without touching any kerbs.
However, the #2 is not intended to be only a city car. Smart’s goal was to create a “fully capable electric vehicle” that just happens to be incredibly small, suggesting it be able to hold its own on the open road as well.
For one thing, it features five-link independent rear suspension, which is not something we’d expect to see on a city car; it’s supposed to help make the car feel more responsive, stable and agile than we might expect. The #2’s rear tyres are also wider than the fronts, to help make the steering as precise as possible, while enhancing grip and stability at the rear, clearly without compromising agility.
How much range will it have?
Thanks to a 35.7kWh battery, the Smart #2 will offer more than 186 miles of range – far better than the 128-mile Honda Super-N and also the 163-mile Renault Twingo. The brand says its new car can also be recharged from 10 to 80 per cent in just 20 minutes.
We don’t know all the performance figures yet, but it’ll supposedly sprint from 0-30mph in less than four seconds. The #2 will be rear-wheel drive and have 80bhp on tap, which doesn’t sound like much, but it will weigh in at a relatively light 1,130kg.
The dedicated architecture has been designed to make the best use of the available interior space, so it incorporates a highly compact 11-in-1 electric drive unit that crams a lot into it to make packaging less complex. The car also has incredibly short overhangs, with all four wheels pushed right out to the edges of the body.
Meanwhile, the battery under the floor should result in a slightly higher driving position than in the previous ForTwo, improving visibility as well as the sense of roominess.
Elsewhere, Smart has confirmed the new #2 will feature an evolution of the ‘Tridion Cell’ concept from the ForTwo. This was a signature component of the old Smart cars, and acted as a reinforced steel roll cage that encased the passenger compartment. This latest version is made primarily from high-strength steel, can withstand a roof load of more than four tonnes and is part of the reason this little car can complete the famous Moose test at nearly 50mph.
What does the Smart #2 look like?
While the covers will finally be torn off the Smart #2 in Paris, we already know what it looks like due to leaked images from China, not to mention a lot of teaser pictures from the brand itself that didn’t leave much to the imagination.
Styled by the Mercedes-Benz global design team, the production-ready #2 looks strikingly similar to the Concept #2 revealed last year.
We can immediately see the classic tiny ‘Smart car’ proportions and influences are present, with a simple, rounded front-end design and aggressively angled headlights containing LED signatures. The monobox shape, almost non-existent overhangs, wheels pushed right out to the corners of the car and even the bulging wheelarches were all elements that defined the ForTwo, and have been carried over to the new #2.
At the rear, the ‘floating’ roofline effect caused by the black band on the rear pillar has been taken from existing Smart models, while the simple, rounded rear lights give off an inoffensive, cutesy style.
The boot-opening button, which on the #5 is integrated within the ‘a’ of the ‘Smart’ rear badge, looks like it’s been relocated to a more conventional slot above the rear number plate housing.
The car’s patent in China, which first revealed the car’s looks, also detailed a few technical specifications. The #2 appears to have a choice of two wheel sizes – 15 or 16 inches – and the dimensions are revealed, too: the newcomer will be 2,751mm long, 1,669mm wide and 1,555mm high. That makes the Smart a metre shorter than the new Renault Twingo, but taller.
What’s it like inside?
Despite the new Smart #2 offering an uncanny resemblance to the old ForTwo, its interior should be very different. For starters, it will have a bench seat that’s meant to make the small cabin feel as roomy, open and inviting as possible, within this car’s tiny footprint. The flowing S-shaped dashboard is also designed to maximise space efficiently.
Other details include turbine-style air vents and window switches in the middle of the bench seat. Meanwhile, the white knitted fabric and other materials are contrasted by gold piping and trim, highlighting that Smart is still prioritising quality, even on its entry-level model.
One thing we can’t see in any of these interior images is a touchscreen or any type of driver’s display, although we’re assuming the #2 won’t do without – even if it’s a Tesla-style layout where a central screen handles everything.
How much will the Smart #2 cost?
The new Smart #2 will go on sale in 2027 and we’re expecting it to cost in the region of £20,000 to £25,000. So it’s not going to be fighting the Dacia Spring for the title of the cheapest car on the market, but we’re not surprised because while Smart’s cars have always been funky, they’ve never been particularly cheap.
We’re not expecting the Smart #2 to arrive in the UK until next year, but if you want a small, funky and incredibly fun electric city car, the Honda Super-N is now available from less than £19,000 through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
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