Smart FORTWO RANGE
Were always being told that good things come in small packages. Does the
Smart Fortwo put this theory into practice? Vanessa Hinkley finds out
My initial response to that question was no. However, when I add a little social conscience into the equation, I end up thinking that the Smart
microcar really ought to suit me. After all, its small, economical and, compared to my saloon, kind to the planet. Figures show that nearly half of Europes registered cars travel less than 20 miles a day and spend 90% of their time parked or stuck in traffic jams.
Whats more, the number of single people has grown, so the demand for a car like the Smart is definitely out there. This car is small enough to park in the tiniest space, yet big enough to make sense as reasonably practical urban transport.
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If you fit into the single, 20 miles a day bracket, the
Smart will get you for A to B quite comfortably. Its could also prove to be a very practical second car for many families. This two-seater now available in right hand drive, but even left hand drive versions are easy to live with. The Smarts just 2.
5m long and 1.45m wide thats two feet shorter than a
Mini. Needless to say parking is not a problem; you can squeeze the Smart into the tiniest of spaces. If youre carrying a passenger they might find theyre a bit short on the legroom front, especially if theyre unnaturally tall like my husband.
Take the Smart out on your own and you can fold the passenger
seat flat or even take it out completely thats something Id need to do if I wanted to squeeze in my weekly shop. As you might expect, the Smarts fuel economy figures are stunning - it returns at least 60mpg. Therell also be a 90mpg three-cylinder diesel on the market in the future.
The Smart Fortwo has rear-wheel drive, but I cant say that I noticed any difference behind the wheel. Perhaps other, racier drivers will who knows? One thing theyd definitely get excited about is the 6-speed clutchless and sequential gearbox (just like the saloon car racers): you simply push up to go up the gearbox and down to go down. Sounds dynamic but in practice its pretty pedestrian. Entry-level versions now get useful extra grunt 50bhp to be exact, up from 44bhp. The 54bhp unit is no more, so above 50bhp level sits a 61bhp engine developing the same total output as before but offering useful extra pulling power through the gears.
With this in mind, Smart owners Daimler Chrysler thought it prudent to fit the Electronic Stability Control Programme (ESP) as standard across the range: basically, if you get the car out of shape, the electronics will automatically use throttle and brake inputs to correct the situation. If you need yet more power in your Smart, 74bhp Brabus models are also offered
The Smart will set you back anything from £6,810 to £12,775 for the City-Coupe, depending on your choice between those three specification levels Pure, Pulse and Passion or the Brabus. The Cabriolet costs from £8,965. So, wheres the Smart money going? Well, buyers can rest easy in the knowledge that safety was a key development priority. This car claims to better all its citycar rivals, offering safety standards comparable with a mid-range family saloon.
It had a steel passenger cell that keeps its shape in the event of a collision and reduces the effect of impact to a minimum. Other safety elements include the sandwich platform construction, front and rear crash boxes and a crash management system. To avoid a crash in the first place, theres Trustplus, an electronic stability programme which reduces power and applies gear intervention to correct the car if it swerves. Twin front airbags, ABS, self-tensioning seatbelts, knee impact bolsters and a collapsible steering column are all standard.
Well, with my current lifestyle, Id have to say no. Its just too small to cater for the friends and family taxi service I seem to inadvertently run at weekends. If I ever need a second car though, I might just consider a Smart.
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