Almost there. New two-seater smart #2 put to the test

Cada closer to being known in its final version, the new smart #2 is now undergoing a global testing phaseto ensure that everything is ready to be seen around the world.

The small electric “resurrects” the legacy of the original smart fortwo, with its very compact dimensions, urban practice and two places. The premiere will be at the Paris Motor Show, scheduled for October in the French capital.

Camouflaged, the model went to the roads to be tested on dedicated tracks under conditions representative of real urban scenarios. From the dynamic point of view, we seek to check agility – from wet floors with low adherence to emergency range changes and emergence of unexpected obstacles.

Engineers do a job to improve vehicle behavior: “From the fastening points of the chassis, the steering relationship and the rack’s course as well as the movement control of the suspension”. All to ensure a stable and agile car with an ideal response.

Different tyre compounds were tested in different types of floors and locations (such as irregular asphalt, cement with grooves or high speed zones). The objective was to find a balance between low rolling resistance and noise reduction.

Smart also wanted to ensure an ideal and comfortable experience on board, including a quiet atmosphere. To this end, validations took place in “several demanding environments” regarding noise, vibration and roughness. The brand says that the tests “covered wind noise, road noise, creaks and vibrations” and “sound quality”.

Reliability is essential, and from this point of view, tests have led smart #2 to demanding scenarios such as urban roads with holes or continuous ripples of weight. There were also collision tests to simulate the usual situations of city traffic.

Return to origins

Smart #2 marks the return to the original fortwo concept: a very compact model for cities, optimized space, with only two seats – and 100 percent electric, such as the final generation of the fortwo discontinued in 2024.

It incorporates the tridion security cell, in which the compact dimensions and robustness of the structure are combined in the same vehicle. The model was also designed with the “wheels in the corners” principle in order to maximize space.