Size, range ...

Smart Fortwo successor is coming – this is how it should be

The last Smart Fortwo for the time being has already rolled off the production line - the successor is being planned.

(Bild: Daimler)

It is tiny, but apparently indestructible: because neither a billion-euro loss nor the end of production can stop the Smart Fortwo. While the production lines in Hambach have been stopped, the new development is already underway in Hangzhou. However, it will be some time before the premiere.

The Smart Fortwo is history, but the idea of an ultra-compact two-seater lives on. Because instead of just shouting a few warm words after the Bonsai-Benz, which is still only 2.70 meters short even after three generations, at the end of production shortly before Easter, Smart Europe boss Dirk Adelmann gives hope for the future. "We have launched Project Two and want to offer a two-seater in the spirit of the Fortwo again in the future," he promises.

Smart is developing a new electric platform specifically for this purpose, which is to be smaller than anything on the market to date, says Adelmann. This architecture is therefore not only relevant for several Smart models, but is also attracting interest from companies within and outside the Geely Group.

"The Smart Fortwo was ahead of its time "
Two million Fortwos in almost exactly 25 years may have been too few for the accountants in Stuttgart. It is not for nothing that the Smart is considered a billion-dollar grave that has cost Mercedes more than the failed merger with Chrysler. But Adelmann sees this as an obligation: "The Smart Fortwo was ahead of its time - unconventional and innovative at the same time. The concept of the compact two-seater proved its worth in the European markets in particular," praises the manager and therefore wants to start again here.

The new model should be ideal for everyday use
Smart's fortunes are now determined in China, since Mercedes has incorporated the brand into a joint venture with Geely and is now only responsible for styling. But because the two-seater in particular meets European needs and will probably also find 80 percent of its customers on the continent, Adelmann has a lot to say in the design of the new model: His specifications are a length that should be as close as possible to the recent 2.70 meters and an electric everyday range of at least 250 kilometers, which is twice as long as the now discontinued model.

He also has clear ideas about the price: Well below the approximately 30,000 euros of the Final Edition and as close as possible to the last entry-level price of 21,490 euros. Only where exactly it will end up on the production line, "we still have to do a bit of calculation," admits the European boss. Never mind, he still has time: the successor to the Smart Fortwo is not expected before 2028. (Benjamin Bessinger/SPX)