Smart has unveiled the Concept #2 at its "Change of Perspectives" event in Beijing, previewing a two-door electric city car that will replace the EQ Fortwo discontinued in 2024. The production version is set to debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.
The target range is 186 miles (300 km), more than double the EQ Fortwo's 84-mile (135 km) figure. Smart says 10-80% DC charging will take under 20 minutes, and the car will support V2L (vehicle-to-load) output. Detailed power figures are being held back for the production debut.
The architecture is a new in-house Electric Compact Architecture (ECA). Given Smart is jointly owned by Mercedes-Benz and Geely, the ECA almost certainly draws from Geely's electric platform library, the same library that underpins the larger Smart #1, #3, #5 and #6. A rear-drive layout is expected, staying faithful to the rear-engined Fortwo lineage.
Mercedes Designed It, And It Shows
Mercedes-Benz handled the exterior design, and the Concept #2 reads like a direct evolution of the EQ Fortwo rather than a reinvention. Two doors, very short hood, large wheels pushed to the corners, aggressive LED headlights, and clean surfacing free of unnecessary creases. The blocked grille is detailed like a luxury suitcase, and a small matrix screen at the rear can display messages.
The concept-car flourishes including the transparent aero wheel covers, leather door pulls replacing handles, and the shiny gold floating roof will almost certainly be toned down for production.
At 2,792 mm (109.9 inches) long, the Concept #2 is the largest two-door city car Smart has ever produced. That's 292 mm (11.5 inches) longer than the original Fortwo and 97 mm (3.8 inches) longer than the final EQ Fortwo.
The small-car purists will object, and they have a point. The Concept #2 is still 840 mm (33 inches) shorter than the Fiat 500e and 997 mm (39 inches) shorter than the Renault Twingo E-Tech, which makes it the smallest contestant in Europe's A-segment. But it is closer in size to heavy quadricycles like the Citroen Ami and Fiat Topolino than to most cars currently registered as such. The Fortwo's original argument, that a city car could be radically smaller than anything else on the road, is softer now.
Production Window and Market Focus
Smart will reveal the production Concept #2 at the Paris Motor Show in October. Europe and the UK are the lead markets, with other regions possible depending on how reception plays out. No pricing has been announced, though the EQ Fortwo's final European MSRP of around €21,000 gives a rough lower bound the production car will almost certainly exceed, given the range upgrade and new platform.