Smart #2 Makes Global Debut in Paris, Couture Edition Lands in China First

Smart has revived its two-seat city car formula as a fully electric model, pulling the wraps off the production Smart #2 at the Paris Motor Show while simultaneously opening sales of a launch-spec Couture Edition in China. The compact runabout marks a return to the layout that originally put the brand on the map, now reworked around battery-electric underpinnings.

The Couture Edition carries a Chinese retail price of 112,999 yuan, roughly $16,790 at current exchange rates, and production is capped at 999 units. That same 999-unit ceiling applies to Europe, though the two regions receive separate allocations. Buyers in China will eventually be able to choose between the Couture Edition and a Premium variant, with pricing for the latter set to be revealed in November. Order books in both China and Europe are scheduled to open progressively.

Styled by Mercedes-Benz’s global design team and built on the Electric Compact Architecture — a platform engineered specifically for very small EVs — the #2 pairs a matte white body with a gold roof, gold accents, dedicated 16-inch wheels and a numbered commemorative badge. The interior takes an unusual turn with bench-style seating and an S-shaped cockpit layout. A split tailgate returns as well, and its lower half can fold down to serve as a seat rated to hold up to 120 kg when the car is parked. Safety comes via the next-generation Tridion Cell Evo structure alongside a suite of driver-assistance features.

Chinese-market cars draw energy from a 35.8-kWh lithium iron phosphate pack using cells from CATL, rated for 410 km on the CLTC cycle. Drive goes to the rear wheels through a single motor producing 60 kW (80 hp) and 130 Nm of torque, and the chassis uses a five-link rear suspension. European versions carry the same 35.8-kWh LFP battery but target 290 km on the WLTP combined cycle — a different measurement standard, so the two figures should not be compared directly. The European car also accepts 65-kW DC fast charging, recovering 10% to 80% in about 20 minutes, with equipment, pricing and availability to be confirmed market by market.

The #2 traces its lineage to the original ForTwo, which arrived in 1998 and went on to sell more than 2 million units. Chinese regulatory filings for the model surfaced in August, and production is handled by Geely’s Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile Manufacturing. Smart itself is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely Auto, and the new car slots into the same two-seat urban niche the brand once owned — a segment that has largely emptied out as makers chased larger, more profitable EVs.