Scheduled to arrive in the market
at the end of this year following a world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in
September, the Smart EQ Fortwo and Forfour will bring relatively minor styling
changes compared to the existing versions.
As you can see on this 2020 Smart EQ Forfour
prototype, the only visible camouflage tape covers the headlights, taillights,
front bumper, and grille. The lights will get new LED signatures likely
inspired by the Smart Forease+ Concept and the grille has a similar shape to
that of the Smart Vision EQ Concept from 2017.
The facelifted version continues to feature air vents on the left-hand
side rear quarter panels, despite the fact that it will no longer offer
internal combustion engines. Still, the electric motor needs cooling as well so
maybe they are functional after all. Since the 2020 Smart lineup will
be an all-electric affair, we could see some powertrain upgrades such as more
power and bigger batteries compared to the current electric versions. If that’s
the case, the Fortwo and Forfour should offer a higher driving range and
possibly better acceleration.
The 2020 Smart EQ Fortwo and Forfour will be the
last Daimler-engineered models. In March this year, the German carmaker
announced it sold a 50 percent stake of the city car brand to China’s Geely.
The two carmakers formed a 50:50 joint venture under which new Smart models
will be engineered by Geely and styled by Mercedes-Benz. The all-new Smart EVs
co-developed by the two companies will be made in China from 2022.
