Gasoline Smart ForTwo Bites the Dust; EV Lives On

CARS.COM — The gasoline Smart ForTwo has been canceled just two model years into its current generation. Smart, a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz’s U.S. arm, told dealers it would pull the plug on the gas version of its microcar — which went from an abysmal earlier effort to a far better, if still flawed, redesign — after the 2017 model year.

Related: 2017 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Preview

In a letter to dealers obtained by Cars.com, Smart announced the demise of gasoline versions of both the hardtop and convertible ForTwo, but said it still plans to sell the ForTwo Electric Drive, a battery-powered version of the car. A redesigned ForTwo Electric Drive that’s based on the new ForTwo hits dealerships this summer as both a hardtop and convertible.

Mercedes admitted that “developments within the micro-car segment present some challenges for the current smart [sic] product portfolio,” but added that “a dedicated focus on the Electric Drive in the U.S. and Canada provides a logical step to support a sustainable, zero emissions future.”

The automaker will continue to provide service for anyone with a gasoline Smart ForTwo at Mercedes or Smart dealerships. If you want one, better hurry; as of Feb. 14, there were only 833 new gasoline Smart ForTwos nationwide on Cars.com.