Iconic city car loved in the 2000s to make comeback with bold new look – just a year after it was discontinued
ONE of the most iconic little motors of the late 1990s and 2000s could be set for a revival – just one year after it was discontinued.
The much-loved Smart ForTwo – the quintessential ‘park anywhere’ city car of the noughties – may be reinvented in the coming years after being pulled from the market in 2024.
The famous small car specialists are weighing up the possibility of bringing back the two-seater by the end of the decade, with a price-tag from around £20,000.
Speaking to Auto Express, Smart’s European CEO Dirk Adelmann said fans should “stay tuned” for more information on the next-gen model.
He added: “The A-segment is, for us, very interesting, because it is growing.”
Smart’s head of design, Kai Sieber, added: “The ForTwo is the core of our brand. It’s still our very clear intention to bring it back into the range.”
Should it return, the ForTwo will likely once again be both compact and spacious inside – but won’t feature the retro design that other brands have adopted in recent years, like the Renault 5 or Fiat 500.
Adelmann said: “I really like the R5 from a design perspective; when you sit inside – it’s cool.
“But if we come back with a vehicle that is significantly smaller in size than #1 and #3, then we will make sure it’s a true Smart.
“That doesn’t have to be retro; Smart doesn’t usually do retro – we are looking at what’s next.”
However, the next version would retain many of the features that made the Smart brand a household name when the ForTwo first launched in 1998.
Adelmann said: “We will definitely have some Smart-family elements.
“Like frameless doors or the space concept; we’ll put the wheels in the corners. That we will keep, if we go in that direction.”
Indeed, the new car’s shape was teased in a sketch posted on social media by design boss Sieber in October last year.
It showed the new car’s side profile – which greatly resembled the original ForTwo – alongside another supermini design.
He also listed certain features that a future ForTwo successor should have: “Interior space, functionality, versatility.
“Depending on the segment, also the turning circle, parkability and so on.
“If we are going in that direction, then of course we try to not lose those values, but maybe find another step of enhancing those values.”
What will power the next ForTwo has yet to be confirmed, although like the majority of car brands in 2025, Smart is committed to being electric-only.
Adelmann added: “If you want to take the traffic decarbonisation seriously, you have to do electric.
“I’m 100% convinced that we go that direction – all of us in the industry”.
Auto Express also suggested a souped-up Brabus version could be made as well, just like before.
Smart, which is jointly owned by Chinese giants Geely as well as Mercedes-Benz, currently sells three models.
The #1, a fully electric compact crossover SUV, the #3, an all-electric compact SUV coupe, with a focus on sporty design and performance, and the #5, a mid-size, all-electric SUV designed for both on-road and off-road driving.