Smart FORTWO CABRIO
Open-Air Urban Transport Doesnt Come Much Trendier Than This. Jonathan Crouch Checks Out The
Smart Fortwo Cabrio
Isnt an open-topped citycar a contradiction in terms? Do urban dwellers really want to breathe in each others exhaust fumes? Apparently so, at least according to the thousands of buyers who have been snapping up the clever Smart car in its trendy Fortwo Cabrio form.
Its a more significant part of the range these days, thanks to the introduction of a more affordable £8,965 entry-level pure model. Theres also a larger capacity 698cc 61bhp engine as the ESP Electronic Stability Programme as standard to help you out should all that power go to your head. The Fortwo moniker replaced the old City-Coupe and City-Cabriolet designations at the beginning of 2004 as part of a new Smart naming strategy dreamt-up to accommodate the ForFour 4-door. There used to be a couple of powerplant options, but engine choice for mainstream Cabrio buyers is now restricted to that new 61bhp unit.
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The only other option is the 74bhp engine found in the sporty Brabus models. Other improvements include a new kick-down function allowing the driver to accelerate by dropping down one or two gearchanges. Plus theres a useful service level indicator showing you how many miles or how long it is before your car needs a service. Another interesting touch is the lane-changer function on the indicator stalk.
Press the stalk lightly once and the indicator flashes three times, allowing you to maintain easier control of the wheel when changing lanes. Electronic power steering is now optional and you can also specify both a three-spoke leather wheel and paddle shifts for the gearchange. But enough of this. Assuming you like the idea of peeling back the roof in an urban traffic jam, would you really want one of these? Well yes, you very well might.
For a start, the electrically-folding roof is very cleverly designed, fully justifying the £2,000 premium over the equivalent Fortwo Coupe. There are three roof removal options and you can set it to any position you want while the car is in motion with a flick of a switch. You can also lower the electrically locked rearmost roof section. Just remove the roof columns and store them in the special area provided on the inside of the boot lid.
"In spite of its size, the
Smart manages to be astonishingly versatile."
As with the standard Smart model, you shouldnt run away with the idea that this is anything other than an urban runabout though the tiny three-cylinder 698cc turbocharged engine does its best. It isnt just that the performance is so limited (rest to sixty takes 16.8 seconds on the way to an artificially limited top speed of 85mph). Youre also pretty restricted on luggage space and of course, theres only room for two people.
If you go for the £14,620 Brabus convertible, 0-60mph takes 12.3s and top speed is extended to 94mph. Still, having said that, if you did manage to get your Smart out onto a country lane, youd probably find it a hoot to drive. It isnt quite as fast as, say, a
Fiat Seicento Sporting but crucially, it rides better, feels safer and is much better built.
The three-cylinder engine is transversely mounted under the boot at a 48-degree angle to drive the back wheels. The driver gets a 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. Easy. As you might expect, fuel economy is dazzlingly good (expect at least 60mpg on a regular basis) and theres now the bonus of a much larger 7.7 gallon fuel tank.
A 90mpg three-cylinder diesel is scheduled for the future, though it probably wont come in Cabrio form. In spite of its size, the Smart manages to be astonishingly versatile. The passenger
seat folds flat or can be taken out completely, whilst the engineers claim that cabin room for front seat occupants is better than a VW Polo. Once inside, its hard to argue: you certainly feel like youre in a much bigger car. The body panels meanwhile, come in a choice of five different colours and are interchangeable. A complete set can, apparently, be fitted in a very short time for the price of a new suit. Safety was a key development priority and here, the Smart claims to better all its citycar rivals, offering safety standards comparable with a mid-range family saloon.
The steel passenger cell retains 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.
The Smart was originally developed by Mercedes in conjunction with the Swiss company Swatch to address what both companies thought was a likely boom in
microcar sales. You can see why. On average, most cars on European roads carry just 1.2 passengers and 80% of them in urban areas are occupied by the driver alone.
Nearly half of Europes registered cars travel less than 20 miles a day or around 7,000 miles a year. And, as we all know, the vast majority of journeys are short and for leisure or non-work-related purposes. On top of this, cars tend to spend 90% of their time parked or stuck in traffic jams. Hence this car, a clever idea, cleverly executed.
If you like the idea of an open-top and space is not important, then this car is worth a look and long as you can afford the rather high price tag. Provided you dont mind being stared at of course.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Smart Fortwo Cabrio
PRICES: £8,965-£14,620 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 4-9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 118g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 17.2s / Max Speed 85mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 46.1mpg / (extra urban) 65.4mpg / (combined) 57.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, Trustplus, ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 2500/1515/1549mm
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