Autoesque

Smart has undergone a complete transformation. Before, as a Mercedes-Benz subsidiary, it built small city cars in France. Now, Smart is a joint venture between Zhejiang Geely and Mercedes-Benz that’ll only manufacture pure-electric vehicles in China.

Smart has introduced the EQ fortwo coupé Racing Green Edition, which is on sale now for a limited time.

Having an SUV in the range is pretty much mandatory for car manufacturers nowadays. Consequently, Smart’s plans to launch one aren’t really a surprise.

Dealers are now accepting orders for the pure-electric Smart EQ fortwo and EQ forfour , ahead of the first customer deliveries which are due to take place in March.

As Smart has totally abandoned the internal combustion engine, every member of the brand’s refreshed range features a pure-electric powertrain.

From next year, every Smart car will be propelled by an electric motor. To commemorate the changeover, a Final Collector’s Edition has been launched.

At this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, Smart will be exhibiting a unique adaptation of its pure-electric EQ fortwo cabrio. The concept car, which is called forease+, clearly doesn’t rank weather protection as a high priority.

Thanks to the introduction of a 'pure' version, prices for Smart's diminutive fortwo coupé now start at £9,995. This new entry-level trim grade is also being offered in five-door forfour guise for £10,490 – a modest £495 premium that buys a much more practical car.

So, the propensity for manufacturers to throw together a ‘black’ or ‘white’ special edition to gain a few more registrations is going to continue into 2016.

Ahead of a public debut at next month's Frankfurt International Motor Show, Smart has released the first images of its new fortwo cabrio.

Picking the most significant new cars coming in 2015 is not an easy task, simply because of the huge volume and variety of planned launches. Nevertheless, here are ten candidates that should make an impact on their respective market sectors.

Two things are immediately obvious about the all-new Smart fortwo. Firstly, awkward front-end styling means some of the previous model’s visual charm has been lost; secondly, it’s being joined by the four-seat forfour which also serves as the basis for the third-generation Renault Twingo.

Smart’s latest fortwo special edition follows a familiar pattern. Named the grandstyle, it takes the existing passion model as a starting point and adds some extra specification.

A replacement fortwo is expected later this year, but that hasn’t stopped Smart from producing another special version of the current model. Named citybeam, it’s based on the passion trim grade and buyers can opt for either coupé or cabriolet body styles.

When Smart first unveiled the outrageous forjeremy last November, it promised that a production version would be coming… and here it is. However, things have been toned down somewhat for the showroom model.

Given the steady stream of special editions, it hardly seems worth bothering with a regular Smart fortwo city car. The latest, called the edition21, is based on the 70 bhp (52 kW / 71 PS) mhd pulse coupé or cabrio.

Smart has teamed up with Danish interior design retailers BoConcept to create a special edition cabriolet and a range of furniture and home accessories.

Smart’s fortwo electric drive has gone on sale in the UK, with two ownership routes available.

Yes, Smart has unveiled another special version of its fortwo city car. Based on the existing passion trim grade, this latest one’s called the ‘cityflame’.

Car manufacturers using fashion designers to create special editions is not unusual, but rarely is the end result as bonkers as the Smart forjeremy. Dreamt up by Jeremy Scott and based on the fortwo electric drive , a pair of illuminated fibreglass wings sprouting from the rear pillars give it a look that is certainly, well, different…