Smart #2, Successor Of ForTwo, Will Launch Next Year

JAKARTA - The joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely, Smart, announced that it will launch a two-seat mini electric vehicle (EV), Smart #2, next year. This car will be the successor to the legendary ForTwo iconic model.

Smart ForTwo, the first-generation two-seat city car, debuted in 1998 and has sold more than 2 million units to date.

Smart itself launched in 1998 and targeted the premium compact car segment as a Mercedes-Benz urban mobility solution in major cities. On January 8, 2020, Mercedes-Benz and Geely set up a new joint venture under the Smart brand, headquartered in Ningbo, Zhejiang, to accelerate the transition to electrification. Under the agreement, Mercedes-Benz designers created Smart vehicles while Geely's engineers were working on it.

This latest model will enrich the Smart product portfolio and will join the Smart #1, #3, and #5 ranks.

Currently, Smart models sold in mainland China include Smart #1, Smart #3, and Smart #5, with prices ranging from 154,900 to 368,000 yuan or equivalent to Rp357 million to Rp848 million.

CnEVPost reported Tuesday, September 2, the fully new Smart #2 is scheduled for its debut at the end of 2026 in China, Europe, and other overseas markets. The vehicle is designed as a two-door and two-seat urban car, marking Smart's entry into the compact car segment. As an ultra-compact A-class vehicle, Smart #2 will be an upgrade to the first generation Smart ForTwo.

Designed by the Mercedes-Benz design team and built on a new architecture developed by the R&D Smart team specifically for the ultra-compact model, Smart #2 will be equipped with new technology solutions leading up in its class. Currently, Smart #2 is in the final design and development phase and is planned to be produced in China.

The CEO of Global Smart, Tong Xiangbei, stated that developing ultra-compact vehicles on top of a purely new electric architecture is much more complex than building medium to large cars, but Smart is now fully ready.