Sino-German marque smart is gearing up for the return of its iconic two-seat city hatch, the smart #2, as the production version of this mini EV hatch undergoes its global testing programme.
Unveiled in its concept form earlier this year, the #2 is slated to make its world premiere at the upcoming Paris Motor Show 2026, set to take place later in October this year.
Rigorous Testing Ahead of Debut
Despite being draped in black-and-white camouflage, the #2 seems to stick rather close to its concept twin, the smart Concept #2, plus some minor design changes such as a revised front grille, conventional side mirrors, traditional door handles, and many more.
Despite its all-electric get-go, smart promises the #2 to offer “unmatched urban agility, driving stability, elevated NVH refinement, and uncompromising safety.” To achieve this, the automaker focuses on refining the chassis hard points, steering ratio, and suspension movement control to ensure stability, responsiveness, and agility.
Some extra measures are also taken into the tyres, where smart tested several multiple compounds on rough asphalt, grooved concrete, and high-speed straights, with an ultimate goal of achieving “optimal balance between low rolling resistance for maximum range and exceptional noise reduction”.
Speaking of noise reduction, extensive NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) validation across multiple demanding environments was conducted, including wind tunnel, acoustic chamber, temperature-controlled four-post rig, proving grounds and public roads.
All-Electric Successor to the smart ForTwo
Dubbed the all-electric successor to the smart ForTwo, the upcoming smart #2 is said to underpin the new Electric Compact Architecture, which, unlike other smart EVs, has been developed specifically for this hatch.
Although no detailed specifications were shared for now, the model is targeted to have a battery capacity of around 35.7 kWh that should provide around 300 km of range and can be charged from 10% to 80% in less than 20 minutes.
