Perhaps a little bit overlooked in the media frenzy surrounding the revival of the Citroën 2CV (and then further crushed by the inevitable attention given to dubious aerial stunts), the all-new Smart #2 is a city car that revives the spirit of the original. Smart has returned to its roots, putting the rebooted brand back into the heart of the environment it was originally created for.
As is increasingly the case for car makers, Smart spans the worlds of Europe and China. The partnership make the most of brand equity and manufacturing nous, with the design elements handled by Mercedes-Benz and the engineering overseen by China’s Geely Group. This arrangement, set up in 2019, kicked off with the Smart #1 in 2022, followed by the Smart #3 and Smart #5, with each model getting successively larger and, well, less ‘smart-like’.
The company hopes to put that straight with the return of the #2, announced last year and swiftly followed by the Smart Concept #02, which in turn has led to the final reveal of the production model at the 2026 Paris Motor Show.
Although it’s not quite as white and chunky as the concept, the Smart #2 should shoot straight to the top of the fast-growing micro-city-car segment. From the days of the original Swatch-inspired two-seater, Smart’s smallest model has always tried to cram a big-car sensibility into a tiny package.
Smart #2 is no different. Even though it’s not the first electrified two-seater from the brand (back in 2007 there was an EV that eventually evolved into the niche Smart EQ Fortwo EV), the new car joins a market awash with competitors, and not just in the ultra-compact and legislatively incomparable quadricycle category led by the Citroën Ami. In Paris, there were a number of new microcars on display, none of which quite managed to steal the spotlight away from Smart.
The main reason the #2 trumps its rivals is that it successfully continues the ethos of not compromising conventional car characteristics like safety, space and performance, whilst still offering a truly tiny 2.74m footprint. Sitting on the company’s Electric Compact Architecture (ECA) platform, the new car retains the original’s silhouette and four-square stance, with an interior configured to maximise space.
An S-shaped cockpit ensures passengers don’t get short-changed in the space department, with a bench-style front seat and split rear tailgate for added practicality. With a car this scale, the details are all important, with everything from the turning circle (just 6.9m) to the range (290km/180 miles on the WLTP scale) going into the pot to make this machine as practical as it is lovable.
The original Smart quickly became a cult car in congested European city centres and Smart wants to retain a piece of that action. To that end, it’s launching the #2 with a special Couture Edition (999 units in Europe and 999 units in China) inspired by the concept car. Featuring Atelier White Matte paint and a Platinum Gold roof, it’ll be shipped with the most upscale interior equipment package, including heated seats and a glass roof, along with a specially developed seven-speaker Sennheiser Sound System.
In the endless quest for the ultimate personal mobility machine, smart thinking is definitely back.
Smart #2, price tbc, more information at UK.Smart.com, @Smart_Worldwide