Smart, the joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely, will launch a new two-seat electric vehicle (EV) called the Smart #2 in late 2026, the company said on Monday. The model will succeed the ForTwo city car and be rolled out in China, Europe and other international markets.
The all-new Smart #2 will be a two-door compact urban vehicle built on a dedicated electric platform developed by the company’s research and development team, with design led by Mercedes-Benz. Production will take place in China, Smart added.
The company said the new vehicle will mark its entry into the A-class ultra-compact segment and expand its product portfolio, joining the Smart #1, #3 and #5. “Developing an ultra-compact vehicle on an all-new pure-electric architecture is far more complex than building mid-to-large-sized cars, but Smart is now fully prepared,” said Tong Xiangbei, Smart’s global chief executive.
Smart executives highlighted the historical significance of the new model. “Twenty-seven years ago, the original Smart ForTwo became an iconic model for the brand and the entire industry and the new Smart #2 will breathe new life into Smart’s two-seater model,” said Zhang Mingxia, the brand’s global chief marketing officer.
Launched in 1998, the Smart ForTwo sold more than 2 million units worldwide. The Smart joint venture was established in 2020, with Mercedes-Benz responsible for design and Geely for engineering, as part of a push to accelerate electrification.