“We have #1, 3 and 5, so there is still some room for the even numbers. There is more to come,” he said. If the two-seater does take the #2 badge, we can only assume Smart is saving #4 for that aforementioned ID.1 alternative – much like we saw with the now-defunct ForTwo and ForFour, which ended production last year after a decade on sale.
Little is known about what might power the next-generation ForTwo, but Adelmann confirmed that Smart is committed to being an electric-only brand. “If you want to take the traffic decarbonisation seriously, you have to do electric,” he told us. “I’m 100 per cent convinced that we go that direction – all of us in the industry”.
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He was also keen to point out that his engineers would need to make sure “the range is what we think it should be – not what the ForTwo had. What’s the next level in that segment?”, he asked.
Given that both the Renault 5 and MINI can manage around 250 miles of range fitted with the larger of their two battery options, it’s likely Smart would target a similar figure, comfortably surpassing the Fiat 500e’s 199-mile maximum. The old ForTwo couldn’t even manage 100 miles on the WLTP test cycle.
However, while Smart has moved the goalposts with its new #5 by fitting a hi-tech 800-volt electrical architecture and ultra-rapid 400kW charging speeds, it’s likely things will be kept more modest for the impending #2. Peak speeds of around 100kW would keep things competitive; given the car’s urban focus, anything more might be considered superfluous.
As with other models in the Smart range, there’s even the possibility of a racier Brabus model, with more power and bespoke drive modes. Don’t expect the 400bhp-plus you get on the #1 Brabus, but even 150-200bhp would ensure peppy performance without too much compromise on range or efficiency. Like the firm’s existing Brabus cars, the go-faster #2 would almost certainly get bigger wheels and a subtle bodykit, plus red detailing inside and out.
Admittedly, Adelmann did keep emphasising the word “if” in his comments about a city-car successor to the ForTwo, but insisted his team is “working on it” becoming a production reality. If the boss thinks he can make it financially viable, we could see further sketches over the next 12-18 months, before the inevitable concept car and full reveal later down the line.
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