Smart #2 suggests a Fortwo reprisal

Is the Fortwo city car about to be resurrected by smart? If it can find the right mix of affordability and premium feel then the chances are good, according to AutoExpress.

Smart’s European CEO, Dirk Adelmann, promised us earlier this year it has the potential to “define the A-segment”. And smart’s head of design, Kai Sieber, was even more emphatic, calling it the core of smart’s brand. He added that the company has a “very clear intention to bring it back into the range.”

The company isn’t looking to make a cheap town car though.

UK CEO Jason Allbutt said it would “help almost bring the brand together”. It would for sure be electric as well, though no details are available on that front. And it would mean a new platform, possibly borrowed from owner Geely. It has a small city car on sale already.

Cost will be important but so will a premium feel. “We still want to make sure we’ve got a premium product, and of course, one that has got a good range for a small electric car.”

It needs to be “affordable enough to generate volume, but not move too far away from our heritage or what we stand for” Allbutt explained. 

Currently, the smallest offering in its range is the nearly 4.3-metre #1 small SUV, while Smart #5 mid-size SUV that’s launching soon is more than 4.7 metres long. 

Regarding a return to a city car, he said “Customers see Smart as a trusted brand, in terms of quality, premium and innovation. So I think they definitely see that part, and then they can see that replicated in the cars that we’re providing today.

A Smart #2 will likely retain the tiny footprint and spacious interior of its predecessor, but won’t be lumbered by retro design, according to Adelmann. Anyhow, he added, “Smart doesn’t do retro – we are looking at what’s next,” he said.

Expect a new city car styling direction from the company. But the frameless doors are not negotiable. And there will be wheels right out in the corners. He added: “Interior space, functionality and versatility are essential”, as are turning circle and ease of parking.

Expect a full width lightbar up front and back, and a near vertical window and a tall roofline to boost interior space.

The two-seat layout will feature good head and legroom. Expect a twin-screen layout like in the other smart models. 

There may even be a Forfour revival as well, to go up against ID.1. It will likely take the #4 badge.

Meantime, asked about progress with #2, and Adelmann says ‘We’re working on it”, dubbed Project 2. Odd numbers are for SUVs, and even numbers for “other products”.