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<title><![CDATA[Yahoo! rss_cars : Smart]]></title>
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<lastBuildDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:35:58 GMT</lastBuildDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart ForTwo, Shrewd Smart]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - The original Smart ForTwo was ahead of its time; the latest is even better.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:35:58 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart fortwo CDI : A LITTLE DIESEL GOES A LONG WAY]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - They don't come much greener than Smart's fortwo cdi city car. Steve Walker reports.The fortwo is Smart's view of what the modern city car should be all about. With the cdi engine installed, its one of the greenest cars it's possible to buy and if you can do without rear seats and much of a boot, it's a great, trendy way of getting about town. The fortwo is less at home on longer trips but can take to the motorway in an emergency.As oil prices soar along with traffic congestion and air pollution, the small car concept that Smart launched on the world back in 1998 only looks more prescient. The original Smart car may have evolved into today's Smart fortwo but the basic theory behind it has scarcely altered. What has changed is that Smart's prediction that one day our cities and conurbations will be crawling with cars like this now looks likely to be realised. The Smart fortwo diesel certainly makes a compelling case for city dwellers to downsize. It's taken a while but motorists are gradually coming round to Smart's way of thinking. Smart's problem is that rival manufacturers are too. The fortwo once stood virtually alone as a city car that adhered strictly to the principles of compact size, light weight, maximum fuel economy and a trendy urban cool image. Nowadays, you can't move at the motorshows for dinky vehicles from rival manufacturers trying to annex a slice of Smart's territory. To date, however, the fortwo remains arguably the purest exponent of the genre. Whether its reluctance to bend its own rules will give it an edge in the small car future remains to be seen. The diesel engine that features in the Smart fortwo cdi is certainly a tiddler. 45bhp from an engine of 799cc with two valves for each of its three cylinders leads one to expect two things; fiendishly thrifty fuel consumption and performance that's relaxed to the point of being dead. Sure enough, the 19.8s it takes the diesel fortwo to cover 0-62mph sprint makes the word sprint look grossly inappropriate but remember the Smart's unflinching focus on urban motoring. On the road in its metropolitan element, the increment it takes the fortwo cdi to reach motorway cruising speeds is an irrelevance. The 110Nm maximum torque that's available between 2,000 and 2,500rpm is about what you'd expect from a 1.2-litre petrol engine. As a result, the Smart feels nippy when firing away from the lights and is relatively unfazed by inclines. The turning circle is hilariously tight and if there's an easier car to park, we'd like to see it. There's almost enough room for a pair of smarts to double up in most conventional parking bays."85.6mpg combined economy with 88g/km emissions will endow the fortwo cdi with a powerful appeal â€¦"Smart's designers did the decent thing and have done away with the sequential gearbox that was used in the original car, swapping its jerky six-gear set-up for a faster shifting, five-speed unit. The standard manual shift option gives decent control, letting you prod the lever to select gears yourself or flip the optional steering wheel paddles. Lift off the gas as you do this and it manages nicely enough but the softouch fully-automatic mode that features on the Passion models is preferable most of the time. This still isn't one of the great sequential auto boxes. There's still a strong desire amongst city car buyers to have rear seats, even though they're likely to be used less regularly than the Queen's skateboard. A boot of more than 220-litres is another feature that the Smart deems unnecessary but the indications are that people like to have one all the same. You could also argue that the Smart is a little too small at under three meters in length and just over 1.5m wide. Still, it's perfect in town even if outside the city limits the car is towered over by tailgating HGVs and buffeted by cross winds. Smart, of course, would counter that all of this frippery falls outside the fortwo's remit of providing affordable, funky urban transport - something it does do exceedingly well. Taken in isolation, the fortwo doesn't look too different to its immediate predecessor but sit the two cars back to back and it's easy to see where the changes were made. For a start, the smart has swelled by almost 20cm in length and 4.3cm in width but don't worry, it's still tiny. The track and the wheelbase have also been stretched but the majority of the length was imposed upon the company by pedestrian crash legislation. Inside, the fortwo now feels like part of the Mercedes-Benz family, rather than the scruffy stepchild that Smart's prestigious parent company would rather forget. Space for the two occupants is surprisingly generous, the switchgear feels quite upmarket and build quality is strong while the trademark funky design remains. Available in two-door `coupe' or convertible form and in passion trim - this diesel model doesn't pretend to be anything other than econobasic entry-level transport. The entry-level pulse version of the petrol fortwo comes with a two-spoke steering wheel, a black grooved plastic roof and steel wheels. The lower part of the instrument panel is made of grained black plastic, as are the door trims. There are even manual window winders. Everything bar the essentials for two adults to get cheaply and stylishly about town is stripped away by the cheapest model and motorists have shown some reluctance to go to these extremes. For them, the passion specification offered with the cdi might fit the bill better with its electric windows and panoramic smoked glass roof. You have to admire the Smart's no compromise philosophy but rival manufacturers have shown that most of the fortwo's benefits are achievable in tandem with greater practicality and better performance in out of town driving. That the likes of Toyota's iQ and Citroen's C1 have been influenced by Smart design is a given. In the current climate, a headline-grabbing fuel economy figure can do wonders for a car's profile and sales. The fortwo cdi certainly has one. It's takes a notoriously long time for a diesel city car doing a low annual mileage to justify in fuel savings the higher purchase price it commands over a petrol model. That said, 85.6mpg combined economy with 88g/km emissions will endow the fortwo cdi with a powerful appeal for anyone keen to do their bit for the planet, dip under the cut off point for congestion charging schemes or benefit from the convenience of a car capable of going from Dover to Prague on a single tank of fuel. Quite simply, this is one of the greenest cars on the road. Insurance costs are driven down by the fortwo's ease of repair, the elastic plastic body panels being capable of shrugging off typical parking knocks. The white, black or yellow panels are flexible and the colour is deep moulded in, so superficial scratches are hard to spot. It also means that a more seriously damaged panel can be replaced inexpensively without need for costly and time-consuming repainting. There will be plenty of motorists who really don't need a car that can do any more than the fortwo does but they'll need to overcome the desire many of us share to have the capability in reserve `just in case'. If your excursions beyond the city limits are infrequent enough or you're simply willing to put up with the little Smart's lack of poke on the open road, you'll benefit from a vehicle that's perfectly at home in the urban landscape. The diesel engine's fuel economy and emissions are tough to beat in the mainstream market and the Smart still cuts it in the fashion stakes. The fortwo's strict adherence to its urban transport concept is its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Other manufacturers have appropriated elements of Smart design and now there are rival products that fulfil a similar role with more of the concessions to practicality and flexibility that many customers want. None can better the environmental performance of the fortwo cdi, however, and there's still kudos attached to owning the city car that showed the others the way.Facts At A Glance CAR: smart fortwo cdi PRICES: £8,972-£10,880 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 2 CO2 EMISSIONS: 88g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 19.8s / Max Speed 85mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 83.1mpg / (extra urban) 88.3mpg / (combined) 85.6mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, recessed wipers, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 2695/1559/1542mm]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:28:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[BMW 318d : SMART MONEY]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Is the latest 318d the thinking person's BMW 3 Series? Andy Enright reportsIf the BMW 318d were a pop star, it'd be Jim from The Corrs; the one you don't tend to look at in an otherwise glamorous line up. The M3 and the more powerful diesel models may make car journalists hearts go pitter-patter and attract the flowery prose but the plain Jane 318d might just be the smartest buy in the recently revised 3 Series line up.Costing from just over £24,000 and priced around £1,100 less, model for model, than the more powerful 320d, the middle child of the three four-cylinder diesel engines in the 3-Series is still capable of putting on quite a show. Although there's very little in it when it comes to fuel economy or emissions, the 318d scores a decisive advantage over the 320d when it comes to insurance costs, being rated a couple of groups lower at Group 12. There's not too much in it as regards fuel economy, all the cars managing around 60mpg, while the spec sheet says that the 318d will emit just 123 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre, putting it on par with some tiny superminis. The 316d is a more efficient option with 118g/km emissions but only has 116bhp. The 318d's outstanding economy and emissions figures come courtesy of BMW's EfficientDynamics technology. While other manufacturers were messing about with hybrids and biofuels in their attempts to go green, BMW developed a programme that enhances a vehicle's efficiency through a series of small measures that have a big combined effect. Features including Auto Start-Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration, high precision direct injection, active aero dynamics and optimum gear shift indicators go into EfficentDynamics and the results put BMW products near the top of the tree when it comes to environmental considerations."The 318d offers a relatively cost effective first step on the diesel 3 Series ladder"So why should you pocket the grand over the 320d and suffer lower performance and a less elevated image? It's a valid question. The issue is thrown into a different light when you consider that these two cars have much the same engine, with a few electronic tweaks on the ECU being the most effective difference between their respective power outputs. Some customers may be tempted to opt for the 318d and pay £350 at an aftermarket tuner like Superchips to have their motor boosted to generate more power than the 320d. You'd need to have a close look at your warranty small print, not to mention the effect it would have on your insurance premium but it's certainly a way of circumventing this rather contrived model differentiation on BMW's part. In case you're wondering, the software jiggery pokery limits the junior model to 143bhp and credits the 320d with the full 177bhp monty. The upshot of this is that the 318d will feel a little sluggish if you drive it back to back with the 320d, but otherwise it's an agreeably swift compact executive model, notching off the dash to 60mph in 9.3 seconds and running on to a top speed of 130mph. The excellent six-speed automatic gearbox offered as an option on the 320d sadly isn't available to 318d buyers. If you are dead set on this automatic, this could be the real deal breaker but otherwise although the heart may say 320d, the head more often than not opts for the 318d. The six-speed manual gearbox fitted to this Three is one of the best in the business, slick, oily, positive and wristy. Coupled with excellent pedal positioning, you'll be changing gear just for the fun of it. One of the eternal trademarks of the 3 Series is rear wheel drive and although the 318d doesn't possess tyre-scorching power to capitalise fully, I've still noticed the benefits. Deploying the full quota of 300Nm of torque as you accelerate out of a side turning would, in a front-wheel drive car, generate copious torque steer, that raggedy tugging of the steering wheel as the front tyres struggle to put down the power. Even at higher speeds, front-wheel drive cars with a hefty slug of torque can veer rather dramatically when they come `on-cam'. There's none of this corrupting influence with the 318d. About the most extreme thing that ever happens is that in damp conditions the ESP light will give a little blink as it winds the power back slightly. Most of the time it just grips and goes with no drama, no writhing steering wheel or tramping axle. It's a masterclass in chassis engineering. The E90 generation Three has been with us a while now and buyers are starting to get used to it. Unusually for a 3 Series, it could be that what's on the bonnet gains as much attention as what's under it where this revised model is concerned. The styling of today's car has been updated in a number of small ways but the raised lines that fall down the middle of the bonnet are most noticeable. Elsewhere, the BMW trademark ringed side lights are standard and the grille has been tweaked while the entire rear light clusters are now entirely ruby red in colour and the side skirts have a more pronounced crease line. The interior looks largely similar to the previous model but BMW has again updated its iDrive control interface with scrolling menu displays designed to enhance usability. There's 8 gigabytes of music storage capacity in the system too, enough for 100 albums, while the quality of the trim materials around the cabin has also been enhanced. These days, the 3-Series has to redefine its place in BMW's range, being no longer the entry level BMW model, and the range must be planned so that 1-Series buyers can easily migrate to a Three on the way to bigger BMWs. At least that's what the suits in Munich are hoping. The 318d is a key part of this stepping stone philosophy.Facts At A Glance CAR: BMW 318d range PRICES: £24,225-£28,695- on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 12-13 CO2 EMISSIONS: 123g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 129mph / 0-60mph 10.6s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 50.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, twin front side airbags, twin ITS side window airbags / ABS /DSC / runflat tyres WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [4dr] Length/Width/Height 4520/1817/1424mm]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:07:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Toyota iQ : SMART THINKING]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Toyota's iQ offers something quite new in the citycar sector. Jonathan Crouch drives itLess than three metres long but packed with intriguing design features, the Toyota iQ is an unashamedly upmarket citycar that's the size of the smallest urban runabout, has the performance of a supermini and the cabin quality of a family hatchback. Designed to seat three adults and one child, the interior finish and exterior detailing are several notches above the citycar norm - as is the price. Still, for those smart enough to seek a tiny car that's anything but tiny in its outlook, it could be just right.Just as Toyota's Lexus luxury division takes conventional designs, adds a dash of hi-tech and repositions them up-market as cars you might aspire to, so the company's iQ citycar offers urban dwellers a cleverer product they can feel better about owning. You can see why people being forced to downsize might grab an opportunity to do so without sacrificing comfort and style. This is the world's biggest car maker really showing what it can do. Many citycars are much better at longer distances these days but they're still most at home in urban surroundings. As is the iQ of course. Yet this is also a car that's more comfortable than any town tot we've driven when it comes to stretching its legs. At higher speeds on windy motorways, you don't get blown around like a leaf in a gale and the cabin's refined enough to enable you to converse in normal tones right up to the legal speed limit. Many superminis can't even manage that. The ride's generally pretty good, though it does crash a little through major road faults. At higher speeds though, you feel like you're in a larger car, especially around corners where the Toyota feels flat and stable. Refinement depends a little upon the engine you choose, the 1.0-litre petrol unit we tried offering up the slightly louder but not unpleasant thrum typical of three cylinder powerplants. The four cylinder 1.33-litre engine is more relaxed."You'll marvel at how Toyota has been able to fit in room for three adults and a child into a package hardly any bigger than a tiny smart car"Around town, the steering's electric assistance makes manoeuvring the car simplicity itself and the tiny square-cut dimensions, minimal front and rear overhangs and astonishingly tight 3.9m turning circle mean that it's easy to edge into even the tiniest parking places. City people comparing this 3 to 4-seater car with the cruder, cheaper but comparably-sized two-seater smart fortwo will doubtless want to consider the 6-speed CVT automatic version. Though this gearbox takes the edge off performance that was hardly neck-snapping in the first place (rest to sixty takes nearly 15s on the way to just 93mph in the 1.0-litre version most will choose) its demeanour is a world removed from that of the jerky smart. If you thought the two-seat smart car to be well packaged, then you'll marvel at how Toyota has been able to fit in room for three adults and a child into a package hardly any bigger. How have they managed it? Well, the big 15-inch alloy wheels really are exactly at each corner of the car, so the space in between is virtually all dedicated to people. This wasn't easy to achieve: the front wheels and their driveshafts had to be repositioned in front of the engine and gearbox rather than in their usual place behind. As a result, the typical distance from the tip of the front bumper to the accelerator has been reduced by 120mm, freeing up that extra cabin space. The iQ's classy-looking too: the wraparound rear glass, the smoked headlamp units and the door mirrors with inbuilt indicators all position this as an up-market small car choice. Step inside and the clever ideas continue. The asymmetric dashboard was designed to open up the whole cabin area, scooped out ahead of the front seat passenger so much that legroom is acceptable even when the seat is pushed right forward to allow for a large six foot adult to sit comfortably behind. It's a different story in the seat behind the driver of course but a child would probably be fine there for short distances. Alternatively, you can fold down half of the back seat - or all of it - and increase luggage space from a negligible 32-litres to a small Tesco shop-sized 242-litres. There's also a storage tray that slides from below the rear seat. This is a cabin that feels much larger than Toyota's more conventional Aygo citycar. And it is. Shoulder-to-shoulder distance between driver and front passenger is 50mm wider than in the company's supposedly larger Yaris supermini and you could downsize from their even larger Auris family hatchback without noticing much difference in this respect. A flat, thin under-floor fuel tank, a 20% smaller heater unit and repositioned steering gear all make this possible. One day, all small cars will be designed this way. Most iQ variants are sold in the £9,500 to £12,000 bracket, about the same as comparable Toyota Yaris supermini models and a bit more than you'd expect to pay for a city runabout - but then, as we've said, this model also offers a lot more than you'd expect from a car of this kind. If you want some perspective, then Toyota's more conventional little Aygo sits, like most citycars, in the £7,000 to £9,000 bracket, while smart's smaller 2-seater fortwo costs mainly between £8,000 to £9,000. Some will also be considering Fiat's funky little 500: with mainstream pricing set between £8,000 and £11,000, this was the first urban scoot to prove that citycar buyers could be persuaded to pay supermini prices if the right product came along. You could argue that BMW's MINI had established this already, but prices for that car start not far short of £13,000. There's a choice of two petrol engines and the option of either manual or CVT automatic gearboxes. Most will go for the 67bhp three cylinder 1.0-litre unit that I'm trying here but you can also talk to your dealer about the four cylinder 98bhp 1.33-litre engine borrowed from the Yaris. All models come with at least nine airbags (including the world's first rear window curtain shield airbag) and all iQ models come with the kind of standard specification that you'd expect in a much larger car: alloy wheels, colour-keyed paintwork for the bumpers that's also carried over to door mirrors that are heated and electrically adjustable, air conditioning, a six-speaker sound system with MP3 connection, electric windows, remote central locking, dark tinted privacy glass in the rear window and leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob. The iQ isn't only small, it's also very light, with weight kept down to just 880kg. That's one reason why Toyota has been able to achieve such low CO2 figures - just 99g/km in this manual 1.0-litre. This sees the car fall into Tax Band A, meaning it's exempt from road tax, while company car users will pay the lowest 10% tax obligation and London visitors will escape the congestion charge. Though the iQ's entry-level engine is shared with the company's Aygo citycar, the iQ offers significantly better fuel economy, returning 65.7mpg on the combined cycle (though this figure does drop to 60.1mpg if you go for the CVT automatic). Insurance is group 2 thanks to body panels that easily slot in and out if damaged, while residual values are likely to be very strong. This is the ultimate expression of refined, yet environmentally efficient urban mobility, a model that turns conventional citycar thinking on its head. True, there's premium pricing but nothing you'll ever buy will be more cleverly designed. It is, in essence, a little car for people who think big. As well as appealing to plusher citycar buyers, it's a novel alternative to a conventional supermini that will hold its value better, be cheaper to run and attract envious stares with frankly astonishing cabin space for a something so tiny you could almost park it sideways. If you thought that all small cars were the same, then think again.Facts At A Glance CAR: Toyota iQ PRICES: £9,495-£12,495 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 2-3 CO2 EMISSIONS: 99-120g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.0] 0-60mph 14.7s / Max Speed 93mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.0] (combined) 65.7mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Nine airbags, ABS, EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 2985/1680/1500mm]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:19:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[The Met lead the way for electric Smart]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - The electric Smart is confirmed for production in the UK after getting the Metropolitan Police stamp of approval.]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:05:40 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart fortwo ed : STEADY EDDY]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Do electric cars have a future? Smart certainly thinks they have a present. Steve Walker reports.The internal combustion engine has been the linchpin of the automotive industry from the word go and it's hard to envisage a time when it won't be. We've come a long way together after all. The problem, as you've probably heard, is one of pollution, greenhouse effects, rising sea levels, melting icecaps and sweaty polar bears. The internal combustion engine, it transpires, isn't the most environmentally friendly of man's creations, not when used on the vast and expanding scale it is today. So what's the alternative? The simple answer is that we don't have a viable one, yet. Although cars like the smart fortwo ed are attempting to change that.The fortwo ed is an electric car. Not a hybrid which uses a combination of electric motor and internal combustion engine or a fuel cell car which uses hydrogen fuel cells to produce electricity to drive an electric motor but an electric car with a battery charged from an external power source driving an electric motor. Milk floats, golf carts, the Sinclair C5, these are the electric car's inauspicious ancestors but things have taken a turn for the better in recent times with the likes of the GWizz, the Tesla sportscar and the smart ed. How green they are depends entirely on where the electricity used to charge them comes from but tailpipe emissions are zero and the ownership experience might not be the nightmare you're probably imagining right now. The electric motor in the smart produces 30kW of power with translates to 41bhp. That's not a lot for a modern car but electric motors make up for their lack of top end by having their torque instantly available from a standing start. This helps the ed reach 30mph in 6.5 seconds which is a reasonable showing and enough to avoid embarrassment in urban traffic. The maximum speed is limited to 60mph, so journeys out of the city are possible but a range of 70 miles means they'll require careful planning or one hell of an extension lead."â€¦the cost savings and potential environmental benefits are major"The smart fortwo's single most annoying feature has long been its sequential gearbox, even though it is improved on the latest models. Being electric, however, the ed does away with a conventional gearbox in favour of a straightforward choice between forward and reverse. Elsewhere, the smart's driving characteristics are well suited to the urban environment with a turning circle so tight it appears to raise the very real possibility of the car rear ending itself. It's also possible to fit a pair of smarts into one conventional parking space. Ignore the electric powertrain and the fortwo ed is basically a smart fortwo city car. It means that other road users will have little clue that you're driving a vehicle that purports to be the planet's saviour unless they happen to notice the absence of engine noise. If you want to drive an eco-car that screams its green credentials at the world with spaceship styling, the ed won't tick your boxes. You could always redress the balance by painting daisies all over it and turfing the roof. To charge it, owners simply plug it into a conventional 230-volt electrical socket, the lead being concealed behind the fuel filler cap. There isn't a lot of space inside but the smart's funky cabin design feels fresh and youthful. The rev counter is replaced by a charge level indicator dial which can be rotated through 90 degrees so you can read it from outside the car while it's charging. Getting the sodium-nickle chloride battery up to 80% capacity takes around four hours and a full charge takes eight hours, so it's possible to get it done overnight. Visit any motorshow and the stands will be packed with electric, hybrid and fuel cell concept vehicles but these represent the manufacturers showing us what they'd quite like to do at some point in the future, if they get around to it. Tour your local dealerships and very few will have electric models that the public can actually buy. In fairness, your local smart dealer won't be able to help early-adopters either. The smart ed is only available to blue chip companies and local authorities who lease them from Mercedes-Benz, smart's parent company. They are out on UK roads now, however, which is further than most would-be electric car makers have got with their projects. Should the trial period go well, the ed will go on general sale in the next couple of years but by that time, it's likely to have a few viable rivals to contend with. The environmental impact of the fortwo ed hinges on where its electricity comes from. If it's charged from a wind turbine in its owner's back garden, it becomes a genuinely zero emissions vehicle. If it's plugged into a household electrical socket and charged with energy made at a coal-fired power station, it's less of a green option. What can't be disputed is the cost. The ed can do 300 miles for the price of a gallon of petrol. OK, it'll need recharging five times to do it but at that price, who cares? In addition to the fuel cost savings, there are all kinds of incentives around designed to promote the use of electric cars. Owners of the smart ed would be exempt from vehicle excise duty and the London congestion charge. They'd also get a preferential company car tax rate. Further advantages are to be gleaned from the reduction in maintenance costs associated with an electric powertrain that requires no oil, filters, spark plugs or other consumables. The battery is maintenance free, can be recharged at least 1000 times and has a ten-year lifespan. There's life in the old internal combustion engine yet but even the most committed petrolhead would have to admit there's a place for electric cars out there. The smart ed is one of the most thoroughly developed electric vehicles yet and while it has obvious drawbacks in terms of its range and lengthy recharging process, the cost savings and potential environmental benefits are major. A network of recharging points in car parks and service stations would be needed for vehicles like the smart ed to really take off. That and further incentives to make electric cars more attractive to consumers. The smart ed appears to have the basics just about right, though, and in urban areas particularly, it makes real sense.Facts At A Glance CAR: smart fortwo ed PRICE: £13,500 - on the road [est] INSURANCE GROUP: 2 [est] CO2 EMISSIONS: 0g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-30mph 6.5s / Max Speed 60mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: 0mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, recessed wipers, ESP [est] WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 2500/1516/1549mm]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2009 10:48:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart fortwo limited three : BORN THREE]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Funky design is all part of the smart fortwo's appeal. In limited three guise, it gets a colour scheme to match. Steve Walker reports.Melon Green paintwork and a chocolate brown interior; it's not a colour combination that springs to many car buyers' minds when they're specifying their new model. On some vehicles, it would look faintly ridiculous, dealing a fatal blow to the resale value, but others are seemingly built to carry off this kind of gaudy pallet, the smart fortwo being a prime example. The fortwo limited three is a special edition smart that's offered exclusively in Melon Green so at the very least, it'll stand out from the crowd.Standing out is what the smart does best and that's a credit to its designers because it remains one of the most diminutive four-wheeled vehicles on our roads. These days there are a number of rival city cars trying to muscle in on the fortwo's territory at the more fashion-conscious end of the market but being the original still counts for something and the smart is battling hard to maintain its market share. The original smart wasn't the finest driver's car. Its jolting ride and what was arguably the most obstreperous gearbox on the market ensured that it was a chore as soon as you ventured beyond its native inner-city environment. Today's model is significantly better. It's 19.5cm longer from nose to tail but crucially, it's 5cm longer in the wheelbase with a wider track and wider tyres. It's comfortable on the open road, cornering with some composure and with less of the worrying body roll that can afflict narrow, high-sided vehicles. There are better handling city cars but the fortwo has definite benefits in terms of manoeuvrability, and ease of use around town. The optional power steering lacks feel and I'd settle for the unassisted helm if you can put up with the extra effort needed to execute low speed manoeuvres."The smart remains a small car icon despite the best efforts of rivals to replicate and improve upon its innovative formula"With the roof up, the cabrio model is barely any noisier at cruising speeds than the hard-topped coupe with just an extra rustle of wind noise reminding you you're in the convertible. The 1.0-litre petrol engine smart offers with the limited three special edition is refined but can be found wanting at higher speeds. It's fine for pottering about town and has the benefit of the clever mhd (micro hybrid drive) system that cuts the engine at traffic lights or in the urban crawl to save fuel. smart have done away with the sequential gearbox in the old car, swapping its jerky six-gear set-up for a faster shifting, five-speed unit. The standard manual shift option gives decent control, letting you prod the lever to select gears yourself or flip the optional steering wheel paddles. Lift off the gas as you do this and it manages quite nicely but the softouch fully-automatic mode on the up-spec models is preferable most of the time. The smart fortwo is famous for its extrovert colour schemes and by those standards the limited three probably isn't too over the top, at least not for smart's target customers. The exterior is a mixture of Melon Green metallic paint on the body panels and silver on the safety cell. With six-spoke alloy wheels and `limited three' logos, it should draw plenty of attention to itself. Inside, the instruments and door trims are in a dark brown leather-effect finish while the three-spoke steering wheel and gearshift are also in brown leather. The instruments are picked out in silver and the brown seat upholstery has a fetching tripped design. It's hard to argue with the suitability of the fortwo concept for its urban transport role. With two seats, tiny dimensions, that self-shifting gearbox and fuel-sipping engines, it makes all kinds of sense for all kinds of reasons. The fortwo cabrio seems less sensible, exposing its occupants to the noise and smog of the city but it's more extrovert, more stylish and more fun and these attributes are just as important to the smart package. The fact that there is a boot to speak of hints at the way this fortwo cabrio has grown-up. Owners get a respectable 220-litre luggage capacity in the back, there's a glass rear window to improve visibility and on the inside, the fortwo now feels like part of the Mercedes-Benz family, rather than the scruffy stepchild that smart's prestigious parent company would rather forget. The limited three model can be ordered in Cabriolet or Coupe guises and both models come well-equipped with specifications based on the Passion model from the standard range. There's an MP3 compatible CD stereo, air-conditioning and a rev-counter all included as standard. Only a limited number of limited three models will be made available to UK buyers so there's an element of exclusivity too - though there will need to be with a price premium over the standard model of nearly £1,500. Given the dimensions of the car and its engine, you wouldn't expect the fortwo to achieve anything but the most miserly fuel economy. Sure enough, the extra urban cycle figure for the limited three cabrio is 70.6mpg, while the coupe manages 72.4mpg. The drop top models are 40kg heavier but that will only cost owners a couple of miles in the gallon and CO2 emissions are pegged at 105g/km, 2g/km up on the equivalent coupe. The insurance groups are similarly low, partly thanks to the smart's plastic bodyshell which is both surprisingly durable against minor knocks and inexpensive to replace after bigger ones. The smart remains a small car icon despite the best efforts of rivals to replicate and improve upon its innovative formula. Despite its flaws, the little car remains one of the best ways to stand out in the urban traffic and the limited three special edition model plays up to this with its lurid Melon Green and chocolate brown colour scheme. It's a good way to get into a smart with a little extra individuality. With just two seats, a small boot and a gearbox that still takes some getting used to, the fortwo will be an acquired taste for many but its funky design, strong build quality and dinky looks should be sufficient to keep sales ticking over. The option of an open-topped cabriolet model is another point in the smart's favour, as is the outstanding fuel economy the car achieves.Facts At A Glance CAR: smart fortwo limited three PRICES: £9,950-£11,900 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-6 CO2 EMISSIONS: 103-105g/km PERFORMANCE: [cabrio] 0-60mph 13.3s / Max Speed 90mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [cabrio] (urban) 55.4mpg / (extra urban) 70.6mpg / (combined) 64.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, recessed wipers, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 2695/1559/1542mm]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:50:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart fortwo Cabrio : AIR ON A SHOE-STRING]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Open-air urban transport doesn't come much trendier than this. Steve Walker checks out the smart fortwo cabrioIsn't an open-topped citycar a contradiction in terms? Do urban dwellers really want to breathe in each other's 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.Here, we're looking at the second generation version which looks the same as its predecessor but in fact is very different. Today's model is significantly improved - and bigger. For example, i's 19.5cm longer from nose to tail but crucially, it's 5cm longer in the wheelbase with a wider track and wider tyres. As a result, it's more comfortable on the open road, cornering with some composure and with less of the worrying body roll that can afflict narrow, high-sided vehicles. There are better handling city cars but the fortwo has definite benefits in terms of manoeuvrability, and ease of use around town. The optional power steering lacks feel and I'd settle for the unassisted helm if you can put up with the extra effort needed to execute low speed manoeuvres. With the roof up, the cabrio model we look at here is barely any noisier at cruising speeds than the hard-topped coupe with just an extra rustle of wind noise reminding you you're in the convertible. The trio of 1.0-litre petrol engines smart offers are all highly refined but the entry-level 61bhp model feels under-powered and even the 71bhp option is found wanting at higher speeds. These cheaper units are fine for pottering about town and have the benefit of the clever mhd (micro hybrid drive) system that cuts the engine at traffic lights or in the urban crawl to save fuel. If you're not bothered about that and plan on covering longer distances, the lively 84bhp turbocharged option is the way to go. That or the 98bhp unit used in the flagship Brabus version. Unlike the coupe version, no diesel option is offered. The smart people have done away with the sequential gearbox that was used in the old car, swapping its jerky six-gear set-up for a faster shifting, five-speed unit. The standard manual shift option gives decent control, letting you prod the lever to select gears yourself or flip the optional steering wheel paddles. Lift off the gas as you do this and it manages quite nicely but the softouch fully-automatic mode on the Passion models is preferable most of the time."This car represents a clever idea, cleverly executedâ€¦"The cabriolet's folding fabric roof is easily operated at any speed at the touch of a button. It retreats backwards in the manner of a conventional sun roof revealing a big slice of sky overhead but drivers wanting to go fully convert their smart will need to stop and get out. Removable side roof bars unclip and can be stowed in a special compartment in the tailgate while the rear roof section, once released, drops down to sit on top of the boot. It's hard to argue with the suitability of the fortwo concept to its urban transport role. With two seats, tiny dimensions, that self-shifting gearbox and fuel-sipping engines, it makes all kinds of sense for all kinds of reasons. The fortwo cabrio seems less sensible, exposing its occupants to the noise and smog of the city but it's more extrovert, more stylish and more fun and these attributes are just as important to the smart package. The fact that there is a boot to speak of hints at the way this fortwo cabrio has grown-up. Owners get a respectable 220-litre luggage capacity in the back, there's a glass rear window to improve visibility and on the inside, the fortwo now feels like part of the Mercedes-Benz family, rather than the scruffy stepchild that smart's prestigious parent company would rather forget. Prices start at well under £10,000 and the latest fortwo attacks the market with familiar Pure, Pulse and Passion trim levels. Pure keeps it simple with steel wheels and manual windows but buyers do get ABS brakes, twin front airbags and ESP stability control - a laudable standard inclusion on a car in this sector. The Pulse models offer a sporty flavour with a rev counter, racy trim materials, a sports steering wheel, electric windows, alloy wheels and front fog lights. The range-topping Passion delivers air-conditioning, different alloy wheels, a silver grille and the softouch automatic gear shift option but if you want a seriously high-spec smart there's loads of personalisation potential in the options list. If you can afford around £16,000, the flagship Brabus model offers a unique dose of urban chic. Given the dimensions of the car and its engine, you wouldn't expect the fortwo to achieve anything but the most miserly fuel economy. Sure enough, the combined cycle figure for the mid-range 71bhp cabrio is 64.2mpg. The drop top models are 40kg heavier but that will only cost owners a couple of miles in the gallon and CO2 emissions are pegged at 105g/km for the 71bhp car, 2g/km up on the equivalent coupe. The insurance groups are similarly low, partly thanks to the smart's plastic bodyshell which is both surprisingly durable against minor knocks and inexpensive to replace after bigger ones. It's often the way that a model which pioneers a market sector fails to capitalise on its visionary design. Copycat rivals are usually quick to emerge which do it all a little bit better. Although the original smart was certainly groundbreaking and remained the only city car to be seen in around our cities' fashionable districts, it never felt like the complete package. The latest fortwo cabrio model is a far more sophisticated prospect, at home doing far more than parking or creeping along in traffic. This car represents a clever idea, cleverly executed. If you like the idea of an open-top and space is not important, then the latest fortwo cabio is worth a look, as long as you can afford the rather high price tag. Provided you don't mind being stared at of course.Facts At A Glance CAR: smart fortwo cabrio range PRICES: £9,203-£15,307 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-6 CO2 EMISSIONS: 105-124g/km PERFORMANCE: [71bhp] 0-60mph 13.3s / Max Speed 90mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [71bhp] (urban) 55.4mpg / (extra urban) 70.6mpg / (combined) 64.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, recessed wipers, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 2695/1559/1542mm]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:11:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart fortwo Range : WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - Does the second generation smart fortwo have a place in today's citycar market? Jonathan Crouch decidesThe smart fortwo has much tougher citycar competition to face in second generation guise but it still has its place for customers who only need two seats and want miniscule running costs in a tiny, fashionable package.The smart story is a tale of two halves. The brand was originally conceived as a collaboration between watchmaker Swatch and Mercedes-Benz and it brought us one of the most curious and cleverest cars of the last century when what is now known as the smart fortwo debuted in 1998. Sceptics doubted that many urban customers would buy such a tiny, slow and odd-looking little car when for much the same money, they could have a more conventional supermini. They were wrong and the first generation car shifted over 770,000 units. Sadly for smart, those same customers were largely less interested when the brand tried to bring them larger and faster cars - the forfour family hatchback, the roadster and the stillborn formore SUV. Nor indeed were many other buyers. By the time that management realised their mistake, the brand had haemorrhaged billions of euros. Time for a rethink. All other model lines were axed, the workforce was halved and a crack team from Mercedes was brought in to focus on the car people wanted, the car smart does best. The result is a second generation fortwo model so much improved even the Americans now want it. Criticising the smart for feeling a little out of its depth in the cut and thrust of motorway traffic is a little like moaning that a Hummer feels rather clumsy around town. As before, this is a car designed primarily for urban use, where it feels very much at home, enabling its owners to snatch parking spaces that other citycar drivers couldn't even look at: how many other urban runabouts can you leave face-on to the kerb for example? Just as impressive is its astonishingly tight 8.75m turning circle - that's just three and a half turns lock to lock. Yet this car must also be able to undertake longer town to town journeys and it was here that the first generation model always let itself down, courtesy of a wheezy 0.7-litre engine, a hateful, jerky semi-automatic gearbox, a bumpy ride and vague steering. The engine issue wasn't too difficult to solve thanks to smart's existing relationship with Mitsubishi who supplied an altogether more suitable 1.0-litre unit for a MK2 model which features an improved Getrag five-speed gearbox. It's still semi-automatic (when most would probably prefer a no-frills manual `box) and despite shift times that are twice as fast, can still lurch a little until you get used to it. However, once you do, the whole thing works pretty well and the extra torque of the 1.0-litre engine means that there isn't so much cog-swapping going on anyway."The latest fortwo is certainly bigger and cleverer"You can opt for gearchange paddles behind the wheel for those times when you come over all sporty round the one-way system, though that's not something likely to often happen to owners of the rather feeble entry-level 61bhp petrol model which really is for town transport only. If exclusively urban use is what you want, you're probably better off going for the 45bhp cdi diesel version, billed as the `world's most economical production car'. British buyers understandably prefer to limit their interest mainly to the 71bhp and turbocharged 84bhp versions of the same engine and a few even go as far as trying the 98bhp BRABUS model, sporty in look but still resolutely smart in feel. The improvements to the ride and the quicker, sharper steering now mean that you won't feel too bad about attempting a longer journey in a fortwo these days and although the top speed in most versions is limited to 90mph, the pokier models get there surprisingly quickly. As ever, there's a bodystyle choice of either this hard-topped coupe or the cheeky cabriolet with its electrically-retracting fabric roof and removable roof bars. Both have grown a bit - to all of 2,695mm long - thanks to the need for more cabin and luggage space as well as the demands of fresh pedestrian crash legislation. Still, this remains the smallest production car you can buy. By comparison, a conventional citycar like, say, a Peugeot 107, is 3410mm long, though unlike the smart, it can offer a set of rear seats. Somewhat unusually, the fortwo's passenger seat is mounted 15cm further back than that of the driver so that shoulder room can be maximised, something further helped by the 4.3cm increase in width allowing for an additional 3cm of elbow room compared to the old car. Luggage space is still tiny of course but the increase from 150 to 220 litres over the MK1 model is more than you get in a MINI without folding the seats. In theory, there's up to 340 litres if you stack right up to the roof. The two-piece tailgate with its separately-opening glass window is wide-opening and the bottom part is strong enough for you to sit on it during, say, carboot sales. On the move when you're being bullied by other larger road users, it's understandable to worry a little about crash-worthiness. Perhaps that's why smart choose to emphasise the car's safety cell with these visible dark-painted structural elements which make up part of the fortwo's distinctive two-tone styling. With its wider track and ESP, it's more stable these days too, helping to prevent an accident in the first place. Standard equipment includes ABS with brake assist and twin front airbags - plus I'd go for the optional side `bags too, which could be life-savers. Most fortwo variants are sold in the £7,000 to £9,500 bracket, though if you go for the BRABUS version, it is theoretically possible to pay up to £15,000 for one. The mainstream price range sees this car pitched at around £1,500 less than its closest competitor, Toyota's only slightly larger iQ, a rival that does have the advantage of rear seats. Still, if you want rear seats, there are any number of cheaper citycars you could consider: a conventional model like a Peugeot 107 costs from just £7,000 while something funkier like Fiat's 500 will cost you about the same as a plusher smart. The fortwo cabriolet has much less competition and is offered at a premium of just under £2,000 over prices of the equivalent coupe versions. The complete fortwo range starts with the econobasic 61bhp model but it really is worth finding £300 more to get the 71bhp power unit or better still, the turbocharged 84bhp engine that starts from around £9,000. Lower-order fortwo petrol buyers get the clever micro hybrid drive system fitted as standard, with its start/stop system cutting fuel costs. As to whether you'd buy a plusher smart when for the same money you could have a larger supermini, well, it really depends on what you want. After all, the charms of the cabriolet model that a third of smart owners choose are pretty unique and, since BMW has proved that small car buyers will happily pay in the £13,000 to £20,000 bracket if the product is fashionable enough, it's even possible to see why someone might want a blinged-up 98bhp fortwo BRABUS. The introduction of mhd (micro hybrid drive) in more recent second generation fortwo models has made a big difference to fuel consumption, with improvements of nearly 30% around town where the system's start/stop function disables the engine at traffic lights or in urban queues. As a result, the 71bhp model manages 57.6mpg in town and 65.7mpg on the combined cycle, putting out just 103g/km of CO2. You can't beat a diesel of course when it comes to running costs and the cdi manages an astonishing 80.7mpg in town use and 83.1mpg on the combined cycle, whilst outputting just 88g/km of CO2. Clip-on, clip-off plastic panels help with cheap insurance groups which for mainstream models vary between 2-3, while residual values are amongst the best in class. The smart fortwo has never been more relevant and it remains as fashionable as ever for the urbanites who appreciate its quirky charms. Yes of course, there are more sensible small car choices you could make for the money but then, let's be honest: if you really want to get about town sensibly, you shouldn't be buying a car in the first place. You should be getting the bus. Assuming you agree that life should be fun as well as cost-effective. And assuming that you really don't need more than two seats and minimal luggage space, this smart still has what it takes to put a smile on your face. And in today's often dismal world, that makes it a car worth having around.Facts At A Glance CAR: smart fortwo range PRICES: £6,912-£15,307 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 1-6 CO2 EMISSIONS: 88-124g/km PERFORMANCE: [71bhp] 0-60mph 13.3s / Max Speed 90mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [71bhp] (urban) 57.6mpg / (extra urban) 72.4mpg / (combined) 65.7mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, recessed wipers, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 2695/1559/1542mm]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:01:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Audi A4 2.7 TDI : THE SMART MONEY?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - There are some cars that appeal to the heart and some that appeal to the head. Audi thinks it has both in the shape of the latest A4 2.7 TDI. Andy Enright reportsWithin the ranges of any serious car maker you have the niche models that can be a bit adventurous, the image building halo products and then you have the cars that represent the seed corn. The A4 is that car to Audi - a model that it cannot afford to get wrong. With this latest third generation car, Audi has played a resolutely straight bat, applying simple procedures. Make it slightly bigger, slightly more powerful and better built than ever. Throw a few innovations trialled elsewhere at it. Above all, do not make it radical.The A4 formula is one that works and has been steadily chipping away at the market dominance built by BMW's 3 Series. Do the maths with the latest A4 and it would seem to trounce the BMW but, as we all know, there's more to cars than facts and figures. The 2.7-litre TDI engine pulls well and is offered with a Multitronic CVT gearbox that makes a decent fist of keeping you in the meat of the power band while set to fully automatic mode. Switch it to manual and you'll need to be flipping the gear change paddles like a pinball wizard as it has eight `gears' and it doesn't hang around. It'll nip to 60mph in 7.3 seconds and run onto a top speed of 140mph. The engine isn't the most melodic but it's usefully quicker than the big diesel seller in the A4 range, the 2.0 TDI. Audi finds itself in a tough position with many of its cars. Magazine journalists cry out for the cars to be more involving and dynamically pure and when they do start heading that way, the usual rejoinder is that the Ingolstadt company is trying to be BMW and failing. Perhaps the R8 sports car has silenced that line of reason but the A4, while better than its predecessor to drive, is still not quite the class leader. Moving the engine lower and backwards in the chassis has helped weight distribution but this subtle difference in chassis dynamics is overwhelmed by suspension tuning and tyre choices. The other headline feature of this latest A4 is the fact that it sits on the longest wheelbase in its class. Audi took action to try and solve the problem of the appallingly small boot space suffered by the MK1 A4 when it came to launching the second generation car at the turn of the century and here, they've turned their attention (at last) to the poor old rear seat passengers. The lengthened wheelbase enables a 36mm increase in rear leg room, with the added bonus of a 20-litre boost in boot capacity, making this car easily the most spacious in its sector. This, in turn, means that buyers now no longer have to choose between the prestigious badge and low residuals of a compact executive car like the A4 or the larger cabin of a cheaper medium range model like, say, Ford's Mondeo or Volkswagen's Passat."â€¦a mature and well-rounded alternative to BMW and Mercedes"Audi would contend that the wheelbase change was about promoting the A4 as a driver's car as well as improving its cabin space. It entailed the repositioning of the front axle 154mm further forwards than in the MK2 model. Complemented by a new state-of-the-art suspension and steering configuration, this more stable foundation allows improved handling balance and agility. The 2.7-litre TDI version of the A4 starts at around £28,000 which is closer to the 3.0-litre diesel than the 2.0-litre oil burner in price, if not in power output which, on the face of it, would appear to make the 3.0-litre car the better buy. It's worth remembering that this price includes the not inconsequential cost of the Multitronic CVT gearbox and when prices are adjusted accordingly, the 2.7 TDI looks good value. Options are quite steeply priced, although it's hard to see many buyers being able to resist the A8-style LED daytime running lights. These have the effect of scattering fast lane traffic as effectively as a juggernaut with burnt out brakes. There's also a 505-watt Bang and Olufsen stereo offered, so they'll hear you approaching too. Equipment levels are strong with an electromechanical parking brake and the intelligent key system built into the design. You can also expect refinements like 17-inch alloy wheels, sophisticated three-zone climate control, a 180-watt CD audio system with Audi's intuitive MMI control logic and 6.5-inch colour display, rear acoustic parking sensors, automatic headlight and wiper operation and aluminium interior trim. Audi lane assist and Audi Drive Select are two options that respectively alert the driver when straying from a lane and sharpen up the car's steering, dampers, accelerator response and transmission shift points. So let's get down to the nuts and bolts of why the Audi A4 2.7 TDI is such an interesting purchase. For a start, the upfront purchase price is less than rivals form Mercedes and BMW. Couple that with residual values and fuel economy figures that are better and you have very low running costs for what is likely to be £30,000 car when options are taken into account. A combined fuel economy figure of 42.8mpg is an excellent return for a model of this potency and even the urban figure of 34.9mpg is not to be sniffed at. On a longer run, this A4 can chalk up nearly 50mpg which, coupled with the hefty 65-litre fuel tank means an effective range of over 700 miles from a tank full of diesel. A carbon dioxide emissions figure of just 176g/km will mean that many corporate buyers with a £30,000 budget will be putting their Audi dealer on speed dial. It still makes the A4 a pricier car in terms of taxation than a BMW 325d but it's bigger and just as quick which levels the playing field a little. Although there may be some buyers who wish the latest A4 looked a little more daring, there will be an even bigger slice of customers who a). are glad it isn't or b). didn't even realise they were looking at an all-new car. Get inside and there's still the reassuring feel of solid build quality, with soft touch finishes and excellent ergonomics. The mark of a great car is its depth of engineering - how long and hard its designers have thought about how it's going to be used. The A4 impresses in this regard. In all likelihood, this 2.7-litre model is going to remain a niche player in the A4 range; a compromise between the bigger selling 2.0 and 3.0-litre diesel models. It's a car that deserves a little more credit as a model in its own right, offering a mature and well-rounded alternative to BMW and Mercedes that stacks up well as a financial proposition.Facts At A Glance CAR: Audi A4 2.7 TDI PRICES: £27,755 - £30,835 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 15 CO2 EMISSIONS: 176g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 7.3s / Max Speed 140 mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 34.9mpg / (extra urban) 49.6mpg / (combined) 42.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, window and side airbags, ESP, ABS, traction control, WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4703/1826/1427mm]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/audi-a4-2.7-tdi-1005172.html</link>
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<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:52:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Greenest Smart ever]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - Smart unveils its smartest car yet - a diesel ForTwo that posts staggering economy and emissions figures.]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/15012009/36/greenest-smart-0.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/15012009/36/greenest-smart-0.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:19:17 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart launches pay-as-you drive]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - This week, Smart will trial a new system that allows city dwellers to drive a car without owning one.]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/22102008/36/smart-launches-pay-drive-0.html</link>
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<pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:39:30 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[BMW X3 3.0si : QUICK SMART]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/bmw-x3-3.0si-1005290.html</link>
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<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:49:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Smart car beats supercars]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - A Smart Fortwo Brabus wins this year's Cannonball Run.]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/08082008/36/smart-car-beats-supercars-0.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/08082008/36/smart-car-beats-supercars-0.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:47:37 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart new SportCoupé Ibiza from SEAT]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - SEAT introduces a new SportCoupé three-door version of its Ibiza.]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/04072008/36/smart-new-sportcoup-eacute-ibiza-seat-0.html</link>
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<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:50:21 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[13 in a Smart]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - A total of 13 people squeezed into a Smart car that only has seating for two.]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/26062008/36/13-smart-0.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/26062008/36/13-smart-0.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:17:40 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Audi A3 1.8 TFSI : SMART MONEY]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/audi-a3-1.8-tfsi-1005278.html</link>
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<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:07:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Smart for two brabus : ET TU BRABUS?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-for-two-brabus-1005781.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-for-two-brabus-1005781.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 May 2008 13:32:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Smashing new Smart ad]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - Smart is getting off to a swinging start with a new advert for its Fortwo city car.]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/06052008/36/smashing-new-smart-ad-0.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/06052008/36/smashing-new-smart-ad-0.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 09:53:33 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[World's longest Smart]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car Enthusiast - It's the world's longest and only Smart limousine and it's called the Smaaart.]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/14042008/36/world-s-longest-smart-0.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/14042008/36/world-s-longest-smart-0.html</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:15:31 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Ford Focus 4-Door Range : SMART and SHARP]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/ford-focus-4-door-range-1004661.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/ford-focus-4-door-range-1004661.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:55:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Volvo V50 D5 : QUICK SMART]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/volvo-v50-d5-1005014.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/volvo-v50-d5-1005014.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:11:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Honda Accord Tourer Range : SMART THINKING]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/honda-accord-tourer-range-1003698.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/honda-accord-tourer-range-1003698.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:22:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Smart City Coupe and Fortwo Coupe (2000 - 2007) : SMART BOMBED?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-city-coupe-and-fortwo-coupe-2004044.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-city-coupe-and-fortwo-coupe-2004044.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart Roadster / Roadster Coupe (2003 - 2007) : SMALL WONDER]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-roadster-/-roadster-coupe-2004048.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-roadster-/-roadster-coupe-2004048.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Smart Forfour (2004 - 2007) : FOUR TO THE FLOOR]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-forfour-2004043.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-forfour-2004043.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Smart City/Fortwo Cabrio (2002 - 2007) : OPEN SEASON ON SMARTS]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-city/fortwo-cabrio-2004046.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/smart-city/fortwo-cabrio-2004046.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Hyundai Getz Range : HYUNDAI GETZ SMART]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/hyundai-getz-range-1004836.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/hyundai-getz-range-1004836.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:10:00 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[MINI Cooper S Convertible : QUICK SMART]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/mini-cooper-s-convertible-1005520.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/mini-cooper-s-convertible-1005520.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 May 2007 10:18:00 GMT</pubDate>
<media:thumbnail height="86" url="http://l.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sh/carndriv/20090820/13/1577569616.jpg" width="129"/>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Honda Jazz 1.2 : WHERE THE SMART MONEY SHOULD GO]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Car And Driving - ]]></description>
<link>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/honda-jazz-1.2-1004492.html</link>
<guid>http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/cars/xml/?http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/honda-jazz-1.2-1004492.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:07:00 GMT</pubDate>
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