Smart unveils Concept #2 ahead of production Smart #2 Paris debut

Smart used its 2026 Global Brand Event in Beijing today to introduce Concept #2, a design study that previews the electric two-seater that will replace the long-running fortwo when the production model reaches showrooms later this year. The brand also lifted the cover on the Smart #6 EHD, a fastback sedan aimed at the Chinese market, and confirmed that its global lineup will grow from three to five models before the end of 2026.

Held under the slogan “Change of Perspectives,” the event positioned the Concept #2 as the first physical sign of the production Smart #2, which will make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October. Smart says the car will be sold in Europe as the spiritual successor to the fortwo, the compact two-seater that defined the brand for more than two decades before production ended. Concept #2 is a designer-led study, so its final specifications and features are subject to change, but the company used the car to outline the direction of both the styling and the underlying engineering of the series-production vehicle.

A two-seater on a new platform

The production Smart #2 will be based on the company’s Electric Compact Architecture, a new in-house platform developed for small electric vehicles. Smart says the ECA is the first architecture the company has engineered specifically for this segment, and it used Concept #2 to show how the hardware translates into usable interior space. The concept measures 2,792 millimeters from nose to tail, which works out to roughly nine feet, two inches, and places the wheels close to each corner. Smart claims a turning circle of 6.95 meters, or about 22.8 feet, which would put the car on par with some of the tightest-turning vehicles currently on sale in Europe.

The electric range on the concept is quoted at up to nearly 300 kilometers, or roughly 186 miles, on the WLTP cycle. The brand notes that this figure is an internal estimate rather than a certified result, and WLTP numbers are generally higher than comparable EPA ratings used in the United States. DC fast charging is projected to take the battery from 10 to 80 percent state of charge in under 20 minutes, and the car includes vehicle-to-load functionality that allows owners to use the high-voltage battery to power external devices. That combination of short charge times and bidirectional output has become a baseline expectation for new European city cars, with Renault now offering a similar feature set on the Twingo E-Tech Electric, a budget city EV.

Design led by Mercedes-Benz

Styling for the Concept #2, and the production model that follows it, is the work of the Mercedes-Benz Global Design Team. Smart is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz AG and Geely Holding Group, and the two companies split the work: design in Europe and production engineering in China. Kai Sieber, who heads the Smart design studio at Mercedes-Benz, said the Concept #2 carries forward the original fortwo’s philosophy, and described the car as a translation of the brand’s bold personality into a new era. Sieber also characterized the design approach as one in which “Function becomes Fashion,” a reference to the way the Concept #2 blends utility-driven packaging with premium finishing.

The exterior is finished in matte white paint with warm gold accents on the wheels, mirrors, and door hardware. Surface treatments are softer than on existing Smart models, with translucent panels that reveal graphic detailing underneath when light catches them at certain angles. Inside, the company has used fine leather for switchgear and functional elements, a departure from the hard plastics that defined the earlier fortwo. The two-tone palette and material choices are consistent with the direction Mercedes-Benz has taken elsewhere in its electric lineup, including on the Vision Iconic show car that set out the brand’s plan to shape electric luxury vehicles.

Wolfgang Ufer, chief executive of Smart Europe, described Concept #2 as a vehicle shaped by the way European Smart customers live and move. Ufer said European sales of the production model will be the focus of the brand’s autumn launch calendar, with the Paris Motor Show serving as the centerpiece of its reveal strategy.

A second new model for China

Alongside Concept #2, Smart unveiled the #6 EHD, a fastback sedan sold only in China. The #6 EHD is the brand’s first vehicle in the premium sedan segment, and the company described its profile as inspired by the silhouette of a shark. Like the other models in the lineup, styling is the responsibility of the Mercedes-Benz Global Design Team. Smart did not disclose powertrain specifications for the #6 EHD at the Beijing event, but the model sits above the existing Smart #5 in the portfolio, which until now had capped the brand’s range.

With the Concept #2 and the #6 EHD added to the existing #1, #3, and #5, Smart will field five models globally by the end of this calendar year. The company currently operates in 40 markets, and says it will launch a dedicated customer service arm, called Smart care, across Europe from the middle of 2026. Smart care is already in place in China and several other markets.

Context for the Paris launch

The production Smart #2 will arrive at a time when the European small electric vehicle segment is becoming increasingly crowded. Renault, Dacia, Volkswagen, and Citroën have all either launched or confirmed new budget and subcompact EVs in the last year, and budget-focused newcomers have pushed down the entry price for a new battery-electric vehicle in Europe. Smart’s positioning is different, since the brand sells itself as a premium option built on Mercedes-Benz design, and the Concept #2 preserves that strategy despite targeting the smallest end of the segment. The production model is expected to reach European showrooms following its Paris debut.

The V2L capability in Concept #2 aligns with the parent company’s broader bidirectional roadmap. Mercedes-Benz confirmed last year that it will launch bidirectional charging technology in 2026, and Smart expects the production Smart #2 to carry similar functionality when it enters series production. How deeply those capabilities are integrated, including whether owners will be able to feed energy back to the grid in markets where regulations allow, has not been confirmed.

Smart has not released pricing for either the production Smart #2 or the Smart #6 EHD. Final specifications for the Smart #2 will be confirmed in Paris in October.