Smart #2: first images of Fortwo successor ahead of 2026 launch

Smart has released the first official pictures of the #2, the incoming successor to the Fortwo which is arriving late next year.

The two-seater will be Smart’s new entry model, slotting below the #1, #3, and new #5. 

These new images, released on Monday, show early mules testing the incoming EV’s new Electric Compact Architecture (ECA). 

In a first for Smart, the platform is being developed jointly by partners Geely in China and Mercedes in Europe, given that the car is built mainly with a focus on the European market. This differs from the rest of the line-up, which were all engineered by Geely but designed by Mercedes.

This platform has, for the testing phase, been paired with a third-generation Fortwo body – something Smart says confirms that the #2 will offer similar proportions to the car it replaces.

While it has yet to show an official design, Smart says the #2 is a “reinvention” of the Fortwo which will sport a “fresh identity” penned by Mercedes, albeit with the same “wheels-at-the-corners” stance.

Smart has also confirmed the new #2 will be offered with the same two-door, two-seat, rear-wheel-drive configuration as the original car. Indeed, Smart claims the new model will offer the same “core driving dynamics” as the Fortwo. 

Smart CEO Dirk Adelmann earlier this year told Autocar that creating such a platform isn't cheap, and suggested that another vehicle would need to use it in order to justify the huge cost of creating it. “We need the economies of scale,” he said. “The tricky part was to get it small enough for the #2; it’s much easier to expand slightly.” He suggested that Smart could even consider a Forfour successor.

While further technical details are yet to be confirmed, Adelmann said the #2's platform could also accomodate a dual-motor set-up. “The wishlist features we gave to engineering was a very small turning cycle – the same as the last Fortwo – to make [the #2] really practical in city centres.”