"Smart started out as a cheap minicar brand thought up by the watch company Swatch. When it was sold mostly to China's Geely (with Mercedes-Benz retaining a stake), it morphed into a premium brand that seems to have lost its way more than some say Mini has. Its minicar roots are gone, replaced with not-so-small hatchbacks and crossovers sold for a not-so-cheap price."
"The forthcoming two-seat car will be called the #2 and will be built on an entirely new vehicle platform different from the existing #1, #3, and #5. Tong Xiangbei, global CEO of Smart, said it is much harder to develop a new model and architecture for a small car than it is to make a larger one. Smart says this model architecture was developed specifically for ultra-compact minicars."
"Other than that, we don't know too much more about the forthcoming #2. The preview images show a parking space markedly shorter than its existing models, with the text "reserved for #2". A silhouette of the #2 suggests it'll be roughly the same shape and size as previous Smart city cars, so it should deliver the same legendary parkability as those earlier models. Smart says the vehicle is in its final design and testing phases and will launch in late 2026."
Smart will reintroduce a two-seat ultra-compact minicar called the #2, designed by Mercedes-Benz and built in China, with sales planned in China, Europe, and other global markets. The #2 uses an entirely new vehicle platform engineered specifically for ultra-compact minicars, distinct from the existing #1, #3, and #5 models. Preview imagery indicates a markedly shorter parking footprint and a silhouette similar in shape and size to earlier Smart city cars, promising exceptional parkability. The vehicle is in final design and testing phases with a planned launch in late 2026. Short wheelbase constraints limit battery capacity in such minicars.
Read at InsideEVs
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