{"id":59989,"date":"2026-07-23T17:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T17:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/59989\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T17:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T17:41:16","slug":"smart-has-finally-revealed-its-awesome-city-car-prototype-but-as-smarts-biggest-fan-theres-one-thing-that-makes-me-really-sad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/59989\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart Has Finally Revealed Its Awesome City Car Prototype, But As Smart’s Biggest Fan, There’s One Thing That Makes Me Really Sad"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week, the Smart #2 (that\u2019s the Hashtag Two for you adult-sized children snickering in the crowd) showed off its heavily camouflaged curves for the first time. The little car<\/a> is shaping up to be a great successor to the old Fortwo with decent range for a city car and a reemergence of Smart\u2019s trademark quirks. As Smart\u2019s biggest fan, I was stoked. Now I have a frown on my face, but it\u2019s not the car\u2019s fault.<\/p>\n

The old Smart Fortwo died quietly in 2024 without much fanfare or celebration. At the time, Smart\u2019s weird city car wasn\u2019t even a proper resident of Hambach, France, anymore. When Mercedes-Benz sold off half of its Smart subsidiary to Geely in 2019, Smart\u2019s home factory for its two-decade existence was handed over to Ineos, which proceeded to build the little car under contract. The Fortwo became a guest in its own home.<\/p>\n

\"Vidframe<\/p>\n

\"Vidframe<\/p>\n

Smarts are now built in China, with Geely offering platforms and production and Mercedes coughing up engineering expertise and design. Those cars? Three electric crossovers<\/a> and a hybrid sedan. Smart also sort of reinvented itself. Gone was its iconic slogan of \u201cOpen Your Mind,\u201d gone was the emphasis on visualizing safety as a design element, and even Smart\u2019s Saturn-esque plastic panels were thrown in the trash bin of history. But Smart is correcting course somewhat. Smart\u2019s city car is coming back! It\u2019s going to be weird, too.<\/p>\n

\"Default\"Smart<\/p>\n

Smart says it will unveil the production version of the Fortwo\u2019s replacement, the #2, at the Paris Motor Show in October. The news cycle<\/a> on the car has been rapid: first came a doodle, then a shadow, a development mule based on the old Fortwo, and then finally, a concept car. Smart was finally back to its roots. While Smart fans are still chatting about the concept car, Smart hit us with its first images of the Smart #2 prototype as the car undergoes durability testing, and it looks great.<\/p>\n

But a part of me is sad. Smart left America in 2019. I recently just realized that, if Smart ever did try to come back, winning the hearts of Americans might be harder than I thought, even with this sweet new car.<\/p>\n

The Prototype Is Here
\n\"Hashtag2front\"Smart<\/p>\n

As it turns out, I was right on the money. The #2 prototype follows the overall shape of the concept.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also a real car. It doesn\u2019t have comically oversized wheels, it doesn\u2019t have a grille that looks like it\u2019s eating a briefcase, and, look at that, it even has real door handles.<\/p>\n

Smart has also kept the two-box shape that was introduced in 2014 with the third-generation Fortwo. Here, check out my 2016 Smart Fortwo Edition #1:<\/p>\n

\"\"Mercedes Streeter<\/p>\n

This design still somewhat divides Smart fans today, as many, including myself, still prefer Smart\u2019s old-school one-box design. But Smart claimed that there was a practical reason behind the look, and it\u2019s that the two-box design made the Fortwo look grown-up and sporty. I suppose it does make the car look bigger without actually increasing its size.<\/p>\n

Personally, I think it\u2019s still cute, like a pug!<\/p>\n

I also like how Smart has kept with tradition and added a little kink at the end of the doors. In the past, the kink was a sort of functional design, as that\u2019s where the door handles were. That isn\u2019t the case here, but it\u2019s still a neat throwback.<\/p>\n

\"Hashtag2back\"Smart<\/p>\n

The rear end looks like a lot of fun, too. Smart has had these tall hatchback rears since the beginning, and this is just an evolution of it. There\u2019s a cool little spoiler, a prominent bumper, and circular taillights.<\/p>\n

If you zoom in on the image of the rear, you\u2019ll also see that it seems like Smart is honoring its past in another way, too. See the huge panel gap between the tailgate and the bumper? Every Fortwo from 1998 to 2024 had a split-folding tailgate where the glass went up, and the gate went down. It looks like the new car is getting it, too.<\/p>\n

\"82765f2882213f25f195c469c93959f6\"Mercedes Streeter<\/p>\n

Still unconfirmed is whether the bench seat<\/a> that was recently unveiled in Rome will make it to the production car. Smart likes the idea of a bench seat to make the interior feel more inviting. I like it, too, because I can picture myself driving around with my wife by my side, just as we do in pickups with bench seats.<\/p>\n

As I said in an earlier update, the seat is actually two independent seats linked through a center section, which allows the two occupants to set their optimal seating position. The center section is a console that has the car\u2019s window switches and locking switches.<\/p>\n

\"\"Smart<\/p>\n

I also like the spec sheet. Here\u2019s what I said before:<\/p>\n

Smart said that the ECA platform is targeting 186 miles of range, DC fast-charging, the ability to top up from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 20 minutes, and Vehicle-to-Load capability. The concept vehicle measures about 9.16 feet long, or only 3.8 inches longer than a second- and third-generation Fortwo. Smart didn\u2019t reveal anything else at that time.<\/p>\n

This time around, Smart says that the new car should have a 35.7 kWh battery. Now, on its own, this battery isn\u2019t all that big. I mean, GM will sell you a truck with a 205 kWh battery system. But 35.7 kWh is pretty hefty for such a tiny car. Consider that the outgoing Smart Fortwo EQ had a 17.6 kWh battery. The Fiat 500e, which is two feet longer than this Smart, has a 42 kWh battery.<\/p>\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n

Other good news is that the new model will be able to turn a full circle in only 22 feet, which is exactly as sharp as the third-generation Fortwo was able to turn. Finally, Smart has also confirmed a return of Smart\u2019s famous \u201cTridion Safety Cell,\u201d which is just Smart\u2019s marketing name for its high-tensile safety cage. Sadly, if the concept car is any indication, the safety cell is now hidden rather than proudly displayed as a design element as it was in the past.<\/p>\n

\"\"Smart<\/p>\n

To say I\u2019m excited is an understatement. I\u2019m so happy to be an auto writer during the launch of a new two-seat Smart. As I have written about many times before, I currently own five Fortwos and plan to own at least one of every model of Smart ever built. I\u2019m counting down the days until I can import a Roadster. I\u2019ve been so deeply invested in Smart since 2008 that, at one point, Smart USA planned to make me the star of an ad campaign about how dreams come true. There\u2019s no debate about how much I love these silly cars. I even used to debate haters in the comments of the old site for years.<\/p>\n

But then, the more I think about this car, the more that smile gets turned upside down.<\/p>\n

Toilet Humor
\n\"\"Smart<\/p>\n

My first concern is the obvious. Smart previously attempted to sell two generations of the Fortwo in America, and both were unholy failures in sales. In theory, selling the crossovers here would help that. Smart could use the crossovers and the hybrid sedan as cash cows.<\/p>\n

Maybe there\u2019s even niche-level interest in a Fortwo-sized car. Our own president recently fell in love with Japanese Kei cars and promoted the sale of them in America. Then, I remember that Smarts are made in China, and that would bring on some baggage, and I don\u2019t just mean tariffs.<\/p>\n

But then we get to the name, and I just shake my head like a disappointed parent.<\/p>\n

\"\"Smart<\/p>\n

Back when Smart rebooted itself under half Geely ownership, it announced a new naming scheme. All cars will be called Hashtag, followed by a number. At the time, Smart said it was about being a trendsetter, like viral topics on social media. This was already sort of exhausting. Smart\u2019s past names were practical. The two-seater was called the Fortwo, the roadster was called the Roadster, and the four-door was the Forfour. It was simple, and it worked.<\/p>\n

These new names were visualized with a \u201c#\u201d sign. To those who aren\u2019t aware of the \u201chashtag\u201d part ahead of time, or are old enough to have been around since before social media, there are a few unfortunate interpretations. At best, the new names lead to people saying things like \u201cNumber One\u201d or \u201cNumber Three.\u201d At worst, those of us who were kids once, and I think that\u2019s quite a lot of people, will recall schoolhouse jokes about what numbers are associated with what you do in the bathroom. Some American car publications are already<\/a> slinging some poop jokes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Smart<\/p>\n

Smart\u2019s first production crossover? Ah, that\u2019s number one<\/a>, or pee. The Fortwo replacement? That\u2019s number two, or a classic, steaming dump. The coupe-like crossover? When I was a kid, the joke was either that number three was going one and two at the same time, or was the result of a bit too much Taco Bell.<\/p>\n

Granted, due to cultural differences in toilet humor, this seems to be a mostly American problem. Still, it is just another thing to consider. In theory, this could easily be fixed. Smart could just revert to its classic name scheme for an American return. Other automakers do that all the time.<\/p>\n

\"\"Smart<\/p>\n

Still, as much as I am so pumped about this new car, the more I think about it, the more I understand why Smart has shown no plans or interest in coming back here, and that makes me sad.<\/p>\n

But the #2 itself is shaping up to be a worthy Fortwo successor. Based on the projected spec sheet alone, the new car is going to be twice as good, but only slightly larger. If pricing projections of 20,000 pan out, it might even be cheaper than the old electric Fortwo was.<\/p>\n

Maybe, with some luck, I could be there in Paris in October to witness the birth of some forbidden fruit. Until then, I\u2019m going to be glued to my screen, watching for updates.<\/p>\n

Top graphic image: Smart<\/p>\n

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