![[Embargo Lifted!] I was one of 14 people invited to the smart #2 interior premiere in Rome. Here’s everything I saw.](https://external-preview.redd.it/SPW7oEX23un8qGb7RC0qkGoQtL2-tZj0H2c0fjK0BXw.jpeg?width=140&height=105&auto=webp&s=4dc486d15a337b9f36b5710213636010e398bf01)
[Embargo Lifted!] I was one of 14 people invited to the smart #2 interior premiere in Rome. Here’s everything I saw.
Hey everyone,
I was recently invited by smart Europe to head out to Rome on June 12th for a highly secretive world premiere event for the smart #2. Now that the NDA embargo has officially lifted (as of June 22nd!), I can finally share what went down. (apologies this didnt come sooner, the weather has been unbelievable here in the UK and I have not been able to get even within a metre of my desktop PC)
First off, stepping out of FCO and making the journey into the city, it immediately made sense why Rome was chosen for this. I have never seen so many smart cars in one place. The streets are absolutely packed with early 450s and 453s, though ironically, not many of the newer '#' series to be seen!
I was just one of 14 people from across Europe invited to this, alongside a few guys from smart-emotion.de and some other communities such as The Real Smart Car Owners Club. We had to sign strict NDAs right at the door before moving forward.
So, what were we there for?
The media already got a glimpse of the exterior concept car back in April, but the interior has been a complete mystery. This event was strictly for the interior design release.
We started off with access to the concept car itself, followed by a presentation led by Lars Ofterdinger (Social Media Lead for smart Europe), along with the overall #2 designer, the Electric Compact Architecture (ECA) Platform designer, and the interior designer.
After that, we were led into the hall where the interior platform was set up. Security was tight, phones were either handed over or had stickers slapped over the camera lenses to enforce the embargo.
The smart #2 Interior Details
Even though it’s still in the concept design phase, we got full access to sit in and explore the cabin. Here are my biggest takeaways:
- Classic Throwbacks: The dash is curved with large air vents, giving a really nice nod to the original 450.
- Bench-Style Seating: This is a game-changer. The front is practically a bench seat. The window switches are relocated between the driver and passenger, meaning there is absolutely no centre console, gear lever, or handbrake blocking your way. You can easily get in on one side and just slide right across to the other door completely unhindered.
- Cargo & Storage: The passenger seat is conventional but designed to lie completely flat to maximise carrying capacity. There are clever storage spaces everywhere, and the team mentioned plans for an ecosystem of add-on accessories to personalise the cabin even further.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it genuinely feels like they’ve managed to capture the spirit of the original Fortwo while keeping a firm grip on the modern, fully electric '#' series identity. It’s unapologetically built for the city driver, and you can tell the design team really focused on bringing the fun and the "want" back to driving a smart. Smart also mentioned the modularity of the new EV platform that underpins the #2, suggesting there could be variants built on this platform.... personally, I hope that might include a new Roadster!
With all that said, sadly, smart confirmed that the #2 will not be going to the US, and I'd imagine that is most likely due to tariffs....
From a personal perspective, it was an absolute honour to be invited, and I met some truly wonderful people. Saw parts of Rome that I would never have seen otherwise and met some great new friends in the community. Smart really does have a wonderful following, and that includes all of you here on the subreddit. I'm constantly impressed by your kindness, willingness to help and share with all of us here at r/smartcar, long may it continue.
Let me know if you guys have any questions about what I saw and I'll do my best to answer them in the comments!