All-new smart #2 teased ahead of 12 October Paris Motor Show debut

smart released the latest teaser images of the all-new smart #2 on 9 October, confirming that the all-electric city car will make its global debut at the Paris Motor Show, which opens on 12 October.

The new smart #2 is built on the ECA (Electric Compact Architecture) platform. It uses a 35.8 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery supplied by CATL, with a claimed CLTC range of up to 410 km.

Two-door design carries on the fortwo legacy

The new smart #2 retains the design cues of the original smart fortwo while introducing styling features suited to the electric era. The front end has a closed-off grille area and distinctive triangular headlights, giving the car a lively appearance.

Viewed from the side, the ECA platform allows for compact proportions with a clean, elegant profile. The car also retains conventional mechanical door handles.

Its dimensions are reported as 2,751 mm (or 2,764 mm) long, 1,669 mm wide and 1,555 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 1,875 mm.

All variants use a staggered tyre setup, with narrower tyres at the front and wider ones at the rear. This configuration is intended to provide light steering, secure grip and improved resistance to rollovers.

The ECA platform also makes efficient use of the cabin space. smart claims an interior space utilisation rate of 78%. Compared with the previous fortwo, the floor is 25 mm lower, while vertical space utilisation reaches 64%. Headroom is more generous too, reaching up to 1,000 mm.

16 active and passive safety features

Safety remains a key focus for smart. The new smart #2 can be equipped with up to seven airbags, including front and side airbags, side curtain airbags and a far-side airbag.

The car also offers 16 active and passive safety technologies. These include adaptive cruise control (ACC), blind spot detection (BSD), lane departure prevention (LDP), lane keeping assist (LKA) and lane departure warning (LDW).

The systems cover a range of everyday driving situations, including cruising, emergency braking, lane departure, blind spots, approaching traffic from behind and warnings when opening the doors. They are designed to detect potential hazards and intervene where necessary.

The new smart #2 also features pyrotechnic lap pretensioners (PLP) and a clamping locking tongue protection system (CLT).

Working together, these systems are designed to improve protection for the pelvis and lower body by limiting forward movement during a collision — an important consideration in the car's compact two-seat cabin.

Electric performance and faster charging

The smart #2 uses an integrated 11-in-one electric drive system with a power density of up to 5 kW/kg. It can accelerate from 0 to 50 km/h in 3.8 seconds. The 35.8 kWh CATL LFP battery provides a claimed CLTC range of 410 km.

Charging is another area of improvement. The battery can be charged from 30% to 80% in less than 15 minutes. The car also features intelligent energy recuperation, adding an adaptive Auto mode to the conventional low, medium and high settings.

Using information from the driving sensors and navigation system, the car can respond to traffic ahead, traffic lights, bends, downhill sections and speed limits to adjust its deceleration. This will improve energy recovery while making the car slow down more smoothly when the driver lifts off the accelerator.

Mercedes-Benz tuning for nimble handling

The ECA is described as the world's first production electric platform developed specifically for two-seat cars. It provides the foundation for the smart #2's handling characteristics.

The car uses MacPherson struts at the front and a five-link independent suspension at the rear, with tuning carried out jointly by smart and Mercedes-Benz. Its turning radius is just 3.35 metres, which should make manoeuvring through crowded city streets and parking in tight spaces easier.