BEIJING — Smart Automobile Co. is preparing the ground for a potential return to the U.S. market, even as it navigates an increasingly complex geopolitical and regulatory landscape, senior executives revealed this week ahead of the 2026 Beijing Auto Show. The comments came at the unveiling of the Smart Concept #2, a compact two-seat design study that previews an upcoming electric-powered successor to the Fortwo and marks a return to Smart’s city car origins. “We’d love to go back. We have quite a bit of history there,” Smart’s Global Central Marketing Officer Kang Yi said at the reveal event, referring to the company’s previous presence in the U.S., which began in 2008 and ended in 2019. However, Kang acknowledged that current trade tensions remain a major barrier. “It’s complex. At the moment, the geopolitical situation prevents us,” he said, pointing to high tariffs and broader uncertainty in U.S.-China relations. “We’re not closing the door. We hope that when President Trump visits China in May the relationship can somehow be normalized.” The Smart brand has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Founded by Daimler-Benz and Swiss watch maker SMH as the Micro Compact Car AG in 1994, the vehicle brand is now operated by Smart Automobile Co., a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz AG and Geely Automobile Group Co. Once synonymous with compact urban transport, the joint venture has broadened the Smart brand’s lineup with a series of larger, more mainstream models. Current models include the #1 and #3 compact crossovers, larger #5 SUV and the newly unveiled #6 sedan, a spread that gives the company a far broader customer reach than at any point since the launch of its debut model in 1997, the Smart City Coupe. All four Smart models are based on the Geely Group’s Sustainable Experience Architecture