smart may have preempted any leaks with the new #2 by revealing it in murals ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut on October 12, but these first images give us a first proper look at the reborn two-seater electric city car, billed as the successor to the seminal fortwo.
Photos in a filing with China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT), posted by Autohome, show a car that is exactly as those murals – exceedingly compact with a minimalist design in line with the brand’s SUV models. Styled by Mercedes-Benz as part of the now seven-year-old joint venture with Geely, it too has fluid surfacing and a contrasting baseball cap-esque floating roof, previewed by the Concept #2 in Beijing in April.
At the front, you’ll find teardrop-shaped headlights that flank a protruding “forehead” of sorts, sitting above a large body-coloured grille with perforated openings. Like its forebear (no, that’s not the name of another old smart model), there are frameless windows, but not only are the door handles not “hidden” like the old fortwo’s, they are also conventional pull-type units instead of being flush like, say, the updated #1.
The rear end is fairly simple, featuring round taillights, a tailgate-mounted number plate recess and a bumper-mounted reverse light. Interestingly, the rear windscreen appears to have a handle for it to be lifted separately from the tailgate. There’s no rear wiper (at least, not as standard), but there does seem to be a provision for it.
Looking at the list of options and accessories, the #2 will be offered with either 15-inch steel wheels with hubcaps or 16-inch alloys with aero fairings, along with a choice of finishes for the roof and badging. There also looks to be a bodykit inspired by the one on the Concept #2, including even a monogram grille with fake leather “straps”.
Initial specs reveal that the #2 measures just 2,751 mm long, 1,669 mm wide and 1,555 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 1,875 mm long. That means this entire car is one millimetre away from fitting within the wheelbase of smart’s next smallest model, the #1. It’s also uncommonly light for an EV, at 1,130 kg.
While the interior hasn’t been shown yet, smart has confirmed that the #2 will feature an S-shaped dashboard akin to the original fortwo, plus a “bench seat” that incorporates covered storage and the window controls in the centre.
The company has also revealed initial specifications – the #2 will be built on a bespoke scalable Electric Compact Architecture (ECA) and feature a redeveloped tridion cell for improved crash safety. Under the floor lies a 35.7 kWh battery that is targeted to achieve a WLTP-rated range of around 300 km.
smart claims the #2 can be DC fast charged from 10 to 80% in under 20 minutes, and it also touts a turning circle of just 6.95 metres curb to curb for the 2,792 mm long vehicle. With the brand being represented in Malaysia by Proton subsidiary Pro-Net, could we see this car here as an alternative to the five-door Proton eMas 5?
GALLERY: smart Concept #2
smart #5
from RM209,800 
smart #3
from RM175,000 
smart #1
from RM169,000 
A car made by dumb-assess in a committee when no body asked for this turd.