Smart has released the first images of the Concept #2, which will be unveiled on Wednesday, previewing a successor to the Fortwo city car.

The production #2 was announced in September and will arrive later this year as a Europe-focused two-seater developed jointly by parent companies Geely and Mercedes-Benz.

Sketches of the concept reveal a look that stays true to the 1998 original Smart car and even appears to build on the facelifted third generation model – which went out of production in 2024 – suggesting that Smart sees this as effectively a continuation of the model line.

New elements are a more bulbous overall shape and larger wheel arches – cues that define the Smart brand’s new-era #1, #3 and #5 EVs.

Smart said the #2 is a “reinvention” of the Fortwo that will sport a “fresh identity”, penned by Mercedes, albeit with the same “wheels-at-the-corners” stance.

It noted that the concept shows a “reinvention of the brand's iconic two-seater city car”, adding that it carries the “core genes” and is “unconventional – again”.

Further details will be revealed on Wednesday when the concept will be unveiled at the Beijing motor show alongside the #6 – Smart’s first saloon which, following initial sales in China, is expected to come to the UK.

Smart #2: What we know

The electric two-seater will be Smart’s new entry model and will use the new Electric Compact Architecture (ECA). 

In a first for Smart, the platform is being developed jointly by Geely and Mercedes, 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 and designed by Mercedes.

During first testing in December (pictured below), the platform was paired with a third-generation Fortwo body. Smart said this confirms that the #2 will offer similar proportions to the car it replaces.

Smart has also confirmed the #2 will be offered with the same two-door, two-seat, rear-wheel-drive configuration as its predecessor, resulting in the same “core driving dynamics”. 

Former Smart CEO Dirk Adelmann told Autocar last year 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 powertrain.

“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,” he added.