The Smart ForTwo was a much-loved microcar that came with an array of customization options over the years, but its biggest strength was its small footprint. It practically took up half of a parking spot, and I’m happy to say its successor follows that same recipe.
Recently unveiled as a concept at this year’s Auto China Expo in Beijing, the Smart #2 picks up where the ForTwo left off. The two-seat city runabout will be powered by an all-new Electric Compact Architecture (ECA) developed in-house by Smart.
Let me remind you: Smart is co-owned by Mercedes and Geely. So it’s only natural that the car will sport technology from the German and Chinese carmakers. And that’s actually the case, with the #2 designed by Mercedes and engineered by Geely. So what all does it get?
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Let’s start with the quirky design. Beware: it’s as quirky, if not more so than the ForTwo. Triangular headlights, a floating roof, and rounded tail lamps.
The design is perhaps a bit more aggressive than before – largely thanks to the trick DRLs with #2 lettering. Out goes the gaping grille and in comes a monogram of the brand logo on a blocked grille that looks like a Louis Vuitton suitcase.
The car’s quirky appearance is enhanced by a sporty body kit and big wheels that are pushed to the farthest edges. The door handles are leather with an embossed “styled by Mercedes-Benz” to make sure you don’t forget Merc’s input to the car.
The rear end sports a small matrix screen that can display whatever you choose. That matte white and gold color scheme does give it a show car feel. I think barring the extra-wide tires and digital lights, most of what’s on there will likely make it to production.
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With the #2, Smart CEO Xiangbei Tong and Head of Design Kai Sieber outlined a plan to take back the micro-vehicle industry by positioning it as a “real car” that will outperform the current wave of low-cost “mini EVs” that are taking over the Chinese market.
Sieber also pointed out that the emphasis has not just been on the exterior but the interiors as well. He notes that the cabin will maintain a high-end feel while the footprint will stay as small as before to enable a turning radius of less than 7 meters (23 ft).
The concept is only 110 inches (2.79 m) long, and that size would pretty much carry over to the production version as well. That still makes it about 4 inches (10 cm) longer than the previous model, the ForTwo. However, even then, it would be around a meter shorter than typical city cars while still being able to seat four people … how roomy that will be, I’m highly doubtful.
At those dimensions, it’s about 33 inches (84 cm) shorter than the Fiat 500e and 39 inches (99.7 mm) shorter than the Renault Twingo E-Tech, making it one of the smallest EVs in Europe’s A-Segment.
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“I have driven almost all the micro-cars currently on the market, and I can tell you: the Smart #2 is a real car; the others are not,” comments Tong. He’s been extremely direct about the competition, stating that every rival micro-EV currently available on the market lacked the structural and dynamic integrity of a true microcar.
All of that is just words if the crux of the car itself isn’t solid. And it looks like it is … the Electric Compact Architecture (ECA) apparently is good for around 250 miles (400 km) CLTC or around 186 miles (300 km) in WLTP figures. If that does turn out to be the case, it would be a significant improvement over the Smart ForTwo’s 90-or-so-mile (150-km) range.
The battery on board will also support DC fast charging, which would enable it to go from 10 to 80% in under 20 minutes. A vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature will also be offered.
The production version of the Smart #2 will premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October later this year, ahead of its market launch. The EV will likely be launched in Europe and the UK at first, but there’s a real possibility it will eventually find its way into other markets around the world thereafter.
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Honestly, I love the trajectory Smart is on. Small, city EVs make all the sense in the world. Ample range for the city, small enough to squeeze through tight spaces, cute, modern styling, and fast charging. Now all that’s left is to see how it’s priced. Fingers crossed.
Source: Smart