Smart is rumored to be taking another whack at building a roadster and its executives have weighed in on the matter. From the sound of things, the next incarnation of the convertible would probably be all-electric.
While Smart’s initial focus was on building small, relatively affordable vehicles that used internal combustion, it has pivoted exclusively to all-electric models since becoming a joint venture between Germany’s Mercedes-Benz AG and the Chinese Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2019. After the partnership, Smart’s final gasoline models were promptly converted to EVs (abandoning our market in the process) and were subsequently discontinued in 2024.
Ironically, they’ve been replaced with a lineup of electric vehicles that are significantly larger than their predecessors. Formerly known for city cars, sized smaller than the average supermini, Smart now offers a subcompact, compact, and even midsized EVs. This would presumably mean that any would-be Smart Roadster comes with an all-electric powertrain — something corporate leadership admitted could be a gamble.
“I think a lot of people that drive these cars historically have been traditional car enthusiasts,” Smart UK CEO Jason Allbutt explained to AutoExpress. “Part of the joy of having the roof down, in case you have less hair to be ruffled nowadays, is also to hear the sound of the engine. Maybe there’s a new audience that would be looking at [an electric roadster] in a different way. I’m not quite sure yet as to who the buyers of that car really are. It’s too early to tell right now, but we’ll see.”
The original Smart Roadster (W452) launched in 2002 with a tiny 698-cc M160 turbo I3. The unit only made about 80 horsepower and 81 foot-pounds of torque. This, combined with a slow-to-shift automatic (with the ability for sequential shifting), resulted in slower acceleration than many of its rivals. However, it was often praised for its excellent handling.
An updated, all-electric version of the Smart Roadster would certainly do away with any shifting and boast significantly faster acceleration. But it would also gain a bunch of weight to accommodate the battery, perhaps sacrificing the nimble handling its predecessor.
The odds of the model landing on the North American market are slim. But it would enjoy a lack of competition in the EV roadster segment. Interestingly, the Chinese have purchased several formerly European brands in order to pivot them toward building all-electric vehicles. Some of them want to include roadsters in that equation.
MG builds the Cyberster and is now owned by China’s state-backed SAIC Motor. The Polestar 6 is likewise supposed to drop in 2026. Formerly the tuning subsidiary of Volvo, it has become its own performance EV brand since the company was bought by China’s Geely. There have even been rumors that Lotus (another formerly European brand bought by Geely) could field a drop-top performance coupe before 2030.
In the realm of non-Chinese cars, Porsche’s next Boxter is supposed to be all-electric and Fiat currently sells cabrio versions of the 500e. Meanwhile, several luxury brands (e.g. Bentley, Maserati, Ferrari) have indicated a desire to build convertibles that would probably be a little too big to be considered traditional roadsters. However, the cars would come with all-electric motors as an option.
Tesla has promised to bring back its Roadster, too. But the vehicle has been repeatedly delayed to a point where nobody seems to have any idea if it’s even coming to market anymore.
With the Mazda MX-5 still being wildly affordable and convenient to fill up with gasoline, it’s hard to imagine any of the above cars moving in significant numbers here. But there have been rumblings that Mazda could someday electrify the “Miata” and Europe is a different beast with shorter driving distances and a more-comprehensive EV charging infrastructure. China, the other market that Smart owes its volume to, is similarly tolerant to electric cars and may have enough takers for the Roadster to make some amount of sense.
[Images: Sue Thatcher/Shutterstock; Heinsdorff Jularlak/Shutterstock]
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