2015 Smart ForTwo prototype spotted in Dubai

We’re no strangers to Mercedes-Benz prototypes milling around our home-base in Dubai, although capturing them on camera isn’t always possible, given how quickly the moment passes. Reader Ayub Kazia, among others, have sent us photos of the next-generation Smart ForTwo, a car that never got started in the GCC.

Mercedes-Benz has been attempting to gauge the viability on the Smart brand in the Middle East for the past several years now, only to get a lukewarm response from the general public. The car is a flop everywhere else it’s gone on sale outside Europe, but does well in its home continent.

The Smart Fortwo seems to be close to its final production form, using a brand new chassis developed in collaboration with Renault to save on costs. The new model is expected to be marginally longer and wider than the current model, but will still only seat two people, which is why it will never do well in the land of 8-seater commuter SUVs.

The exact mechanical specs are unknown, but the current model has a 1.0-litre turbo 3-cylinder with a dual-clutch automatic and rear-wheel-drive, with the engine in the back.

The new Fortwo will be introduced next year, but the fact that hot-weather testing is being conducted in the UAE does not necessarily mean that the car will be offered here, as we’ve seen with the Mercedes-Benz B-Class prototype earlier.