Smart is going back to where it all started with the new Smart #2, a tiny two-seat electric car that revives the spirit of the much-loved Fortwo – a car that you could park sideways because it was no longer than most cars are wide.
Revealed at the Paris Motor Show, the #2 is the smallest member of Smart’s current electric range and and is set to cost less than £20,000 when it arrives in the UK. It comes 30 years after the original two-seat Smart concept made its debut in the same city.
At just 2,746mm long in its regular versions, the #2 is only a little longer than the original Fortwo and considerably shorter than pretty much anything else you can buy new today. There are just two seats, rear-wheel drive and a turning circle of only 6,950mm, which should make it particularly handy in busy towns and cities.
It’s not simply a modern copy of the old car, though. The #2 sits on a newly developed electric platform called Electric Compact Architecture, with a 35.8kWh lithium iron phosphate battery mounted beneath the floor.
That feeds a rear-mounted electric motor producing 80bhp and 130Nm of torque. Performance is suitably city-car rather than sports-car, with 0-62mph taking 11.6 seconds and a top speed of 87mph.
Smart is targeting a maximum claimed range of 180 miles across the range, while energy consumption works out at around 4.6 miles/kWh. Rapid charging is rated at up to 65kW, allowing the battery to be taken from 10 to 80 per cent in around 20 minutes. There’s also vehicle-to-load capability, allowing the battery to power compatible electrical devices using an optional adaptor.
Although the #2 has clearly been designed with city life in mind, Smart says it has also been developed to cope with faster roads and motorways. It gets an advanced five-link rear suspension – something Smart says is a first in this class – as well as wider tyres at the back than at the front.
Dr Tilo Schweers, Vice President R&D Europe of Smart Europe, said: “Getting the balance right in a car this compact meant tuning every detail, from chassis hard points and steering ratio to the right tyre compound for both city streets and open highways. We tested the smart #2 on proving grounds, in wind tunnels, and on public roads across different climates, because confidence behind the wheel must hold up in the real world, not just on paper.”
The shape deliberately keeps some of the features that made earlier Smarts so easy to recognise. The wheels sit close to the corners of the car, there’s the option of contrasting body and roof colours and a Range Rover-style split tailgate makes a return.
There’s more space inside than the dinky dimensions might suggest, too. Boot capacity is supermini-sized at 305 litres, rising to a maximum of 527 litres, while the car weighs just 1,140kg and has a maximum payload of 205kg.
Inside, the #2 gets a bench-style seat layout, an S-shaped dashboard and a 10.1-inch central touchscreen alongside an 8.8-inch display for the driver. There’s also something called the Smart Pillar built into the dashboard, designed as a mounting point for small accessories and gadgets, while Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity are included, with connected car services coming with an eight-year package.
As with the original Smart Fortwo, there’s an impressive safety roster in such a small car including seven airbags, while Smart’s latest Tridion Cell Evo structure surrounds the passenger compartment. Driver assistance equipment includes adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot detection, traffic sign recognition, motorway assistance, traffic-jam assistance, parking sensors and a rear-view camera.
UK buyers will initially be offered Pure and Premium versions, alongside a limited Couture Edition. Pure cars get 15-inch wheels and a 7.4kW AC charger, while Premium moves up to 16-inch wheels and adds the quicker 11kW AC charging system. Premium also gets a fixed glass roof, heated steering wheel, heated leather-look seats and ambient lighting with 256 colours, plus a seven-speaker Sennheiser sound system.
The Couture Edition is the showier one. Limited to 999 cars across Europe, it comes in matt Atelier White with a Platinum Gold roof, gold exterior details and unique 16-inch wheels with more gold detailing. There’s a black-and-gold interior, too, along with an individual “1 of 999” badge.
Wolfgang Ufer, CEO of Smart Europe, said: “The smart #2 marks the return of an automotive icon, reimagined for modern cities in Europe and around the globe. This new smart two-seater builds on the unique qualities of the brand-shaping fortwo with the advantages of today's technology solutions. to meet our customers’ expectations. It adds a new dimension to our portfolio, staying true to the smart idea of making urban mobility more relevant, practical and distinctive.”
Full UK prices will be announced later this year, but Smart has already confirmed that the range will start at less than £20,000. Pre-orders are due to open in spring 2027.
Read MoreIconic Citroën 2CV is back as a cut-price EV - complete with roll-back roof and egg storage
I drove VW's marvellous new electric Tiguan - with one key issue
Vauxhall is reinventing the estate car and it's great news for dogs
