First look at new Smart #2: ForTwo successor being prepared for launch in 2026
After launching three electric SUVs, next year Smart will finally unveil the successor to its iconic ForTwo city car
This is our first look at the all-new, pocket-sized Smart #2 – the long-awaited successor to the brand’s famous ForTwo city car – which will make its world debut in late 2026 and could cost from around £20,000.
Smart announced it was returning to its city car origins only a few months ago, and testing is well under way on the new #2. However, the prototypes in these images are test mules sporting the body of the old ForTwo as a disguise, to keep up guessing about the final design.
They do prove the new #2 will stick to the ForTwo’s ultra-compact dimensions, though, with almost non-existent overhangs at the front and rear, and the wheels pushed right out to the corners of the car. It’s also going to be a two-door, two-seater like its predecessor.
However, Smart says the #2 will have a “fresh identity”, courtesy of a new look and interior from the Mercedes-Benz design team. The car will sit on a brand-new platform called the Electric Compact Architecture (ECA), use a next-generation electric drivetrain and offer “an urban driving experience that is unlike anything else”, the company says.
The ECA platform is a bespoke creation for the #2, and developing such a thing is a massive challenge to undertake in 2025. So the brand is leaning on its two key shareholders, Mercedes and Chinese giant Geely.
“We will grab from the shelf, whatever we can,” Smart CEO Dirk Adelmann told Auto Express. “Mainly on the Geely side. We benefit from both sides in this adventure.”
Smart has said the #2 “will set new benchmarks for the city car segment that we defined almost 30 years ago,” but it can’t dawdle on the development. The finished car will be revealed to the world in less than a year's time.
Adelmann said: “We have learned a huge amount about developing cars quickly from our partners at Geely. There used to be this requirement to make sure a car was at 100 per cent from the moment it was launched, but the Chinese are more than willing to leave that one or two per cent on the table, which can be fixed later on with over-the-air updates.”
This suggests a changing of priorities to ensure that cars make it to market quickly, which is essential in an age of Chinese competition. However, despite this emphasis on speed, the new #2 will be targeted primarily towards the European market.
When the new #2 arrives, it will become the brand’s entry-level model meaning, rather confusingly, that it will sit below the Smart #1 small SUV, which you can currently lease for less than £400 per month through our Buy A Car service. Also above it will be #3 coupe-SUV and the #5 family SUV. The #6 saloon revealed in China recently won’t be coming to the UK.
Will the new Smart #2 be electric?
Adelmann confirmed that Smart is committed to being an electric-only brand. “If you want to take traffic decarbonisation seriously, you have to do electric,” he told us. “I'm 100 per cent convinced that we go that direction – all of us in the industry”.
It won’t just align with the brand’s sustainability mantra, but will also make the car easier to package and build. The original Fortwo, initially known as the MCC Smart City Car, was innovative to the point of extremes due to its ingenious packaging of an internal combustion petrol engine and gearbox between the rear wheels.
This time around, though, a relatively compact e-motor will most likely be mounted between the rear wheels, with a small battery likely to be placed underneath the cabin floor. It could lead to a slightly higher driving position than in previous generations, which will improve outward visibility as well as the sense of interior space.
Adelmann also gave us some indication of range, telling us “our target is around double that of the old electric Fortwo”, suggesting that the new model will offer around 180-200 miles of range. In addition, the brand has a target to ensure the new #2 is no bigger than the last Fortwo, which is 2,695mm long.
What will the new Smart #2 look like?
Previous two-seat Smarts weren’t just known for their clever packaging, but also a distinctive look designed around an exposed safety cell. This wasn’t just for style’s sake either, but a visual cue that it was still a safe car at all speeds, despite its tiny size.
Smart’s head of design, Kai Sieber, told Auto Express: “We loved the original monovolume, but today it’s very difficult to recreate due to pedestrian safety regulations.” Instead, expect a design that is both a successor to the previous ForTwo, and one that sits comfortably within the brand’s existing model range.
The original’s extreme proportions will be applied to the new #2, though, including flared wheelarches, big wheels and shrinkwrap-like bodywork to emphasise its solid stance. Our exclusive images give you some idea as to what the new #2 could look like with contemporary design details seen on Smart’s current models.
There are certain non-negotiables, according to Adelmann. “We will definitely have some Smart family elements, like frameless doors or the space concept,” he told us. “We'll put the wheels in the corners. That we will keep.” The European boss added: “Interior space, functionality and versatility are essential. Depending on the segment, also the turning circle, parkability and so on.”
Smart has not been afraid of integrating large digital interfaces into any of its contemporary models, and we suspect that will also be the case with the new #2. This will be combined with bright colours and playful details in other parts of the cabin design.
How much will the Smart #2 cost?
While Smarts have always been funky, they’ve never been particularly cheap. We expect this new generation of the city car to cost in the region of £20,000 to £25,000. Some European companies are in the process of bringing low-cost EVs to market at under that figure, to which CEO Dirk Adelmann responded: “there’s no reason we can’t being [the #2] in at that price.”
We discussed the possibility of a ForTwo successor with Smart UK CEO Jason Allbutt in an exclusive interview, and he said the return of the cult-favourite city car could “help almost bring the brand together in a way, and I think it definitely could be a positive if it were to happen”.
Allbutt acknowledged that cost will be key for an entry-level model like this, but added that while “starting price is certainly important, I wouldn't say it's the be all and end all”. He added: “We still want to make sure we've got a premium product, and of course, one that has got a good range for a small electric car.”
The UK boss pointed out that the original ForTwo wasn’t created to be a bargain-priced model, and it would be a similar story with a #2. “We're not necessarily looking to have the cheapest car available in the market, but we are looking to make sure that we're affordable enough to generate enough volume, then not move too far away from our heritage or what we stand for,” Allbutt explained. “I don't necessarily see a difference completely between affordability and premium – I think you can be both.”
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