The Smart #2 Is Back: Can the Electric Fortwo Still Own the City?

15 October 2026 ·5 min read

By Patrice Meignan — TRANSMISSION by TheArsenale

I have always had a soft spot for cars that know exactly what they are. The original smart never tried to be everything to everyone. It was tiny, unapologetically different and built around one clear thought: in a city, perhaps we do not need more car. Perhaps we need a better idea of what a car can be.

At the 2026 Paris Motor Show, smart brings that idea back with the all-electric smart #2, a production-intent two-seater on a dedicated electric platform. After the brand’s expansion into larger models, the #2 returns to the format that made smart a city-car original. Can the electric Fortwo still own the city? I think it has a chance—if it remembers that smallness is a purpose, not a compromise.

Three generations that made the fortwo an icon

The story began in 1998 with the smart City-Coupé, later known as the fortwo. The first-generation 450 measured just 2.50 metres long. Its minimal footprint, two-seat cabin and instantly recognisable Tridion safety cell made it a different answer to the urban car.

The second-generation 451 arrived in 2007. At around 2.69 metres, it grew in length and brought more comfort while retaining the same compact logic. Electric-drive experiments were already under way: smart’s early electric fleet preceded the production electric-drive models.

In 2014, the third-generation 453, developed with Renault, brought a wider, more mature interpretation of the formula. It kept the rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive character and the two-seat layout. Across all three generations, the fortwo became a playground for special editions, BRABUS versions and collaborations. The brand later moved into larger electric models—the #1, #3 and #5. The #2 is a new chapter in the two-seat lineage, not simply a fourth-generation carry-over. smart’s heritage timeline offers a useful look back at the three fortwo generations.

Small enough to matter

The smart #2 measures 2,746 mm long and pairs rear-wheel drive with a quoted 6.95-metre turning diameter. That last number matters to me more than a headline power figure: it speaks directly to why a two-seat city car exists—to make tight streets and small parking spaces feel less like a negotiation.

A rear-mounted 60 kW electric motor delivers 130 Nm to the rear wheels. The 35.8 kWh LFP battery is targeting up to 290 km of combined WLTP range. Smart says DC charging at up to 65 kW can take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes under favourable conditions. The car is still subject to final European homologation, so I would treat these as preliminary figures, not the last word.

Pre-orders opened in Europe on 13 October 2026. In France, the Pure starts at €19,990, with online orders expected in the first half of 2027. smart’s Paris premiere release and its pre-order announcement provide the full preliminary specifications and market details.

A city car with a point of view

One reason I remember the fortwo so fondly is that it never felt like a blank appliance. Its proportions gave it personality before anyone added a colour, a wrap or a sound system. That made it a natural meeting point for design, fashion, music and street culture.

I’m especially reminded of a project that still feels close to me: the ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart collaboration, which we helped bring to life through TheArsenale Agency. To celebrate ALL GONE’s first decade, ten unique fortwo cars took their visual cues from the book’s covers. Ed Banger Records brought the music, curated by Busy P. The project connected automotive design, publishing and music in a way that felt entirely at home in Paris. It made the fortwo a moving canvas for a decade of street culture—and a reminder that a city car can have a life beyond the street.

The Mercedes-Benz press release documents the French creative partnership; the ALL GONE archive preserves the campaign and its images.

ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart: the ten fortwo interpretations

Overview of the ALL GONE and Ed Banger smart fortwo collaboration — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 1 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 1 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 2 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 2 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 3 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 3 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 4 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 4 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 5 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 5 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 6 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 6 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 7 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 7 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 8 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 8 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 9 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 9 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Smart fortwo from the ALL GONE and Ed Banger collaboration, archival image 10 — ALL GONE × Ed Banger × smart — archival campaign image 10 Source: ALL GONE / La MJC.

Can the electric fortwo still own the city?

The city has changed since 1998. Electric cars are familiar, urban space is more contested, and “small” is no longer enough on its own. The smart #2 will have to prove that its footprint, turning circle, charging experience and price make sense in daily life—not only in a launch photograph.

But the underlying idea still feels relevant. A two-seater does not need to pretend it can do every job. It needs to do its own job exceptionally well. The first three generations gave the fortwo a rare clarity of purpose. The new #2 has the chance to bring that clarity into the electric era. That is what I want from it: not a miniature version of a bigger car, but a confident little original again.

Campaign imagery: ALL GONE / La MJC, via the official ALL GONE archive. New smart #2 technical information: smart newsroom; specifications remain subject to final homologation.