Smart is re-entering the city car segment with something it has been developing since 2019. The #2 is a compact four-seater built on a purpose-designed platform called ECA, created specifically for this vehicle because no existing platform fit the packaging brief. The car is 2.97 meters long and 1.9 meters wide, with a turning circle radius of 6.95 meters. Range is claimed at 300 km on the WLTP cycle, or 400 km on the Chinese CLTC standard. V2L is included, letting the car export power for appliances or camping use. DC fast charging is confirmed, though specific power figures were not disclosed at this showing. The concept seen here is close to production; the version shown today was developed in Europe by Smart's European design studio. A finalized production-ready variant debuts at the Paris Motor Show in October 2026, with sales expected to begin early next year.
The original Smart Fortwo set a benchmark for packaging efficiency: wheels pushed to the corners, minimum footprint, maximum urban usability. The #2 returns to that logic while scaling up to four seats and meaningful range. At under 3 meters, it is considerably smaller than the #1 crossover. The two-tone body panel design references the original car's interchangeable panel concept, though whether panels will be swappable on the production version has not been confirmed. The long development timeline, from 2019 concept to 2027 production, reflects both the pandemic-era disruptions the presenter cited and the practical challenge of building an entirely new platform from scratch. Smart had no suitable existing architecture for a car this small at this specification level, so the ECA platform is new work. The EV city car segment in Europe has been underserved, with most competitors either too small to be practical or too expensive to justify.
A second vehicle was also shown at the same event: the Smart #6, a sedan-form hybrid with a claimed combined range of over 1,700 km. The #6 uses a 1.5-liter petrol motor alongside a battery pack, and comes with LiDAR, radar, and self-driving capability built in. The interior is more developed than the #2 shown today, with three screens, a floating center console, and proper rear seating. The #6 is a significant departure from what Smart has historically stood for. It is currently planned for the Chinese market only, with no confirmed date for international availability. Whether it eventually travels to Europe or other markets will depend on reception in China. The #2 is the global product and the one the segment has been waiting for. The #6 signals that Smart's backers, Mercedes and its Chinese partner Geely, are exploring whether the brand can carry a full vehicle lineup rather than a single niche product.
Bottom line: The city EV segment has needed a car like this for years: genuinely compact, enough range for real use, V2L, and a proper fast-charging port. The 2019 development start explains the wait. If Smart prices it sensibly and the Paris reveal confirms what was shown here, this is the kind of urban EV that could actually move volume in European markets.