Smart has priced the all-electric #2 Couture Edition at 112,999 yuan ($16,790) in China, limiting the launch variant to 999 units each for the Chinese and European markets. The production car made its world debut at the Paris Motor Show, with early ordering now open in both regions.

The model revives the two-seater segment the brand abandoned when the original ForTwo wound down. That car, launched in 1998, sold more than 2 million units before the Mercedes-Benz–Geely joint venture repositioned Smart around larger crossovers. The #2 returns the nameplate to its roots — on a dedicated electric platform and with a new manufacturing footprint.

Smart China announced the launch Monday. The company will also sell a Premium variant in China, with pricing due in November.

Who builds it, and on what?

The #2 rides on the Electric Compact Architecture (ECA), a platform developed specifically for ultra-compact EVs. Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile Manufacturing, a Geely subsidiary, will build the car — a shift away from the European plants that once produced the ForTwo. Smart appeared in a Ministry of Industry and Information Technology vehicle filing catalog in August, confirming the Chinese homologation path.

Mercedes-Benz's global design team styled the car. The architecture pairs a rear-mounted motor driving the rear wheels with a 5-link rear suspension. Output is modest: 60 kW (80 hp) and 130 Nm of peak torque, consistent with the car's urban mission.

What are the battery and charging numbers?

Both the Chinese and European versions use a 35.8-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery with cells from CATL (HKEX: 3750).

• China-spec: 410 km CLTC range
• Europe-spec: target 290 km WLTP combined range
• DC fast charging (Europe): 65 kW, 10% to 80% in 20 minutes

The two range figures use different testing standards and are not directly comparable, Smart noted.

How is the launch edition positioned?

The Couture Edition marks the car out with a matte white body, gold roof and gold detailing, exclusive 16-inch wheels, and a numbered commemorative badge. Inside, the cabin uses bench-style seating and an S-shaped cockpit layout. The split tailgate carries over a classic ForTwo idea: the lower section folds down into a seat rated to 120 kg.

Safety hardware includes the next-generation Tridion Cell Evo structure and driver-assistance systems, continuing the occupant-protection focus the brand built its compact-car reputation on.

What comes next?

European market-specific equipment, pricing and availability will be announced locally, Smart said — watch for those figures alongside China's Premium-variant pricing in November. The volume question sits behind the launch edition: 999 units per market is a statement, not a business plan, and the original ForTwo's 2-million-unit history sets the benchmark the ECA platform must now justify. The first capacity and order-book data after the November pricing announcements will show whether the two-seater format still sells at scale.

($1 = 6.7313 yuan)