Smart ForTwo gets 100% electric successor, revealed in a curious way

Smart has unveiled the definitive design of the #2, its new two-seater electric car, through an unconventional route: urban art murals painted in six metropolises — Berlin, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires and Melbourne. The action, released on Tuesday (4), anticipates the world premiere of the model, scheduled for the Paris Motor Show, in mid-October.

#2 marks the brand’s return to the format it was known for. The ForTwo, launched in 1998, stopped being sold in the United States in 2019 and was discontinued for good in 2024, in the EQ ForTwo electric version. Since then, Smart — now a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely — operates only with SUVs and crossovers: the #1, #3 and #5.

Ten centimeters larger than the ForTwo

Despite the familiar silhouette, the two-seater has grown. It is 2.79 m long, against 2.69 m of the last generation of the ForTwo and 2.50 m of the original model, which makes the #2 the largest representative of the lineage. The gain does not compromise urban agility: the manufacturer reports a turning circle of 6.95 m, made possible by the arrangement of the wheels at the four ends of the body, characteristic of the ForTwo since its debut.

Even larger, the model should reassume the position of the smallest electric car for sale in Europe, according to Autocar, being almost one meter below the Fiat 500e. Shorter rivals, such as the Citroën Ami, are classified as quadricycles.

Technical leap over predecessor

The most relevant difference is under the bodywork. The #2 uses the ECA (Electric Compact Architecture) platform, developed only for electric vehicles, while the EQ ForTwo derived from a design designed for a combustion engine. The battery, estimated at 35.7 kWh, should yield about 300 km in the WLTP cycle — more than double that of its predecessor — and accepts fast recharging in direct current from 10% to 80% in less than 20 minutes, a feature that the electric ForTwo has never offered. The tridion safety cell, another family heirloom, has been redesigned.

The murals also deliver the style. The front features a body-colored grille, thin horizontal openings and teardrop-shaped headlights. Elements of the concept shown at the Beijing Motor Show in April, such as LED screens and leather door handles, have given way to conventional solutions. At the back, there are circular taillights and a discreet spoiler on the hatchback body.

The works were signed by the global design team of Mercedes-Benz, in Berlin, and by local artists in other cities, including the Argentine Martín Ron and the French Brusk. The interior remains unprecedented: Smart only says that there will be an S-shaped panel, a direct reference to the original ForTwo, and a bench seat with storage compartment and window controls in the center. The final numbers will only be confirmed after European homologation.