This is the Smart #2 on the streets being tested ahead of its launch

Back in April, Smart revealed that it would be going back to its roots, working on an EV that would be the spiritual successor to the original Smart ForTwo city car. Then, the company presented the Concept #2 a few weeks later in order to give us a better idea of what the production car would be based on.

Today Smart has announced that the upcoming #2 EV is undergoing extensive global testing ahead of its world premiere, which will take place at the Paris Motor Show in October.

The testing is meant to ensure that "the reinvented two-seater city car delivers unmatched urban agility, driving stability, and uncompromising safety". The car's agility was tested "against a wide range of real-world urban challenges", which included unexpected obstacles, emergency lane changes, and low-grip surfaces.

The vehicle will be kept stable, responsive, and agile through the continued refinement of the "chassis hard points, steering ratio, and rack travel, as well as suspension movement control". The car has also been put through extensive NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) validation testing across multiple environments.

The Smart #2 was tested with varying tyre compounds on rough asphalt, grooved concrete, and high-speed straights, in order to find an optimal balance between range and noise reduction. There was also "demanding durability testing over bumpy roads", including striking deep potholes.

The concept car was transformed into the production model through a collaboration between the Mercedes-Benz design team and the Smart R&D teams.