Five years after the discontinuation of the small classic Smart, the manufacturer confirms: It’s coming back.
Smart began its journey as a manufacturer of a small, revolutionary city car, two-seater, short enough to park sideways in a row of cars.
The brilliance, however, did not prove profitable. The project, which started as a collaboration between Swiss watchmaker Swatch and Volkswagen, eventually landed in the hands of Daimler, Mercedes’ parent company, which took it into production. But even after three generations between 1998 and 2019, the project never reached profitability, even after expanding the lineup with a four-door supermini and an independently developed roadster, and even in the latest generation produced in partnership with Renault, which used it as the base for the third-generation Twingo.
In 2019, Daimler sold 50% of Smart to Chinese company Geely, the owner of Volvo, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co. Production moved to China, and Smart became a brand of electric crossover vehicles, which reference the original city car in their name and some design elements.
A year ago, Geely announced that it was seeking a partner to produce a small Smart, and now Smart has announced that such a model is indeed on the way, with electric propulsion only.
It is unclear whether Geely found a partner or developed the new car independently, but it will enter production next year under the name #2, following the brand’s current naming policy, which includes #3, #3 Coupe, and #5. Production will remain in China, aiming to bring a more affordable car to the market. In the teaser image released, a very familiar silhouette appears: How similar will the #2 be to the Smart Fortwo? We will know soon.