Smart is considering a Twingo-rivalling ForFour revival
With models like the Dacia Spring, the Hyundai Inster and the BYD Dolphin Surf increasing in popularity, it’s clear that the small electric car segment is looking stronger than ever.
It seems the industry is finally realising that small cars are just as important as large SUVs in the electric era.
As Renault has done with the Twingo, it’s also a time when carmakers are bringing back classic marques, and now another brand has hinted at plans to do so.
Smart, now jointly owned by Mercedes-Benz and Chinese car giant Geely, is considering reviving the ForFour as a small, four-seat electric car. This render, from Move Electric’s sister publication Autocar, shows what it could look like…
It’s been four years since the previous Forfour was taken off sale, but Smart’s European boss Dirk Adelmann revealed details about a potential return at the Munich motor show.
If it were to return, it would use the #4 model name and would be designed and engineered for European drivers.
The new ForFour hasn’t been greenlit yet, so we have no technical specifications to share, although it would likely be paired with the incoming Smart #2, which is in the final stages of its own development and is scheduled to arrive in 2026.
The new car would form the final piece of the Smart line-up, which includes the aforementioned #2 city car, the #1 crossover and the sleeker #3 coupé crossover. The range is topped by the #5 flagship SUV.
Those concerned about the potential design of the new Forfour should not worry. Adelmann said the car would need to “look like a successor” to the original car, so its design should remain largely similar to the original.
Adelmann also said a car like the Forfour was needed to justify the hefty cost of developing the bespoke platform of the #2. “We need the economies of scale,” he said. “The tricky part was to get it small enough for the #2; it’s much easier to expand slightly.”
The Forfour first went on sale in 2004, as a petrol-powered supermini. The first-generation Forfour was mechanically identical to the Mitsubishi Colt, both of which were produced in the Netherlands.
There was also a tuned up Brabus version of the Forfour, which used a 174bhp engine and hit 0-62mph in 6.9sec.
The Forfour was taken off sale in 2006 because of low sales, but returned in 2014, this time jointly developed with Renault. It shared 70% of its parts with the third-generation Renault Twingo.
An electric version went on sale in 2017 as a rival to the Volkswagen e-Up! And the Seat Mii Electric. It was powered by a 17.4kWh battery and produced 80bhp. Range stood at 81 miles (130km) on the WLTP test cycle.
