Why this tiny car is selling like hot cakes
CAN there be any connection between the following facts: petrol prices are rocketing, drivers of vehicles with higher CO2 emissions are being hammered by HM Treasury, anyone who drives a big thirsty car is becoming a social pariah, and sales of the smart city cars are up by 147 per cent?
Now it does not take a genius, or even a contestant on The Weakest Link to work out why, after years of being a slightly quirky niche product, sales of the smart (how I hate the misuse of lower case letters in brand names) are on the up.
So what better time to drive the latest incarnation, which underwent a major revamp last year.
Now known as the fortwo (it only has two seats, geddit?) the little smart is designed as a no-nonsense low budget vehicle that also stands out in the crowd.
The car has actually been around since 1998, and for a long time you could only buy it in left-hand-drive form. It has managed to retain its slightly oddball character, although I noticed this time that unlike previous road tests, other smart drivers seem less inclined to flash or wave than they once were, suggesting that the car is more mainstream than it once was.
Externally, the fortwo has undergone a major restyling, although the basic body shape remains the same, making it one of the most distinctive cars on the road.
The dimensions have increased as against the first generation. The 19.5cm increase in length benefits pedestrians, rear impact protection and especially ride comfort.
The luggage compartment can now hold 220 litres – 70 litres more than before – and when loaded to the roof there is space for up to 340 litres (an extra 80 litres). The new smart fortwo also features the familiar twin-section tailgate. The lower part can be used as a little platform and facilitates loading and unloading, a la Mini. When folded down it can take a load of 50kg.
It can be a bit of a fiddle, having to open boot in two stages, but it is also jolly useful. The boot may look small but it will take a week’s worth of supermarket groceries – what more could you want?
The interior has been re-styled, but retains the quirkiness of the original car. To be honest, it's still pretty basic – the test car did not have a 12v power socket, so plugging in a sat-nav or iPod player was not an option, although the optional Garmin sat-nav fitted to my car largely did away with the need.
A glass roof gives the car a light, airy feel inside, and you can pull a screen over if you need some shade. The air conditioning works well.
Despite being tiny, the car manages to feel roomy, with plenty of headroom and legroom.
The high level of passive safety has been further improved. The new smart fortwo has been subjected to extensive tests. These not only include the requirements of Euro NCAP; as the new smart fortwo will also be sold in the USA from 2008 it also complies with American crash regulations. As well as this, the extremely strict standards of the Mercedes Car Group apply to the smart.
New regulations concerning pedestrian protection have been implemented in the front section. Furthermore, new head/thorax side airbags offering extensive protection in the event of a side crash are available as an option.
The world’s CO2 champion, the smart fortwo cdi, is coming to Britain.
Sales of the new smart diesel model, which boasts the lowest CO2 emissions of any current production car worldwide, just 88g/km, will start next year with manufacturing of right-hand drive models commencing in February.
As well as impressive green credentials buyers will appreciate the car’s remarkable fuel economy. Fuel consumption on the combined cycle is 85.6mpg. It means the new smart can travel 670 miles between top-ups, equivalent to a journey from Dover to Prague.
Dermot Kelly, the managing director of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “The cdi gives customers the whole range of smart benefits when driving in and around the city, with the added bonus of low cost, long distance motoring. Our retailers are reporting heightened interest in the iconic two-seater; registrations are buoyant and we think the addition of the smart cdi to the range early next year will give added momentum.”
The car’s Mercedes-Benz-developed three-cylinder common-rail diesel engine develops a healthy 45hp, offering drivers useful performance as well as economy. The diesel model will be available in both coupé and cabrio versions.
The smart cdi benefits from all the enhancements currently available in the new smart fortwo petrol models, including improved ride and handling, class-leading safety, added protection from head and thorax airbags, a larger boot, more elbow and shoulder room, comfier seats, upgraded trim and a revised dashboard layout with a more efficient ventilation system. There is also a new five-speed semi-automatic transmission offering both fully automatic and manual modes.
Pricing and specification for the new diesel model will be announced nearer to launch.
At a glance: smart fortwo coupé passion (71bhp)
Price: £8,540
Top speed: 90mph
0-62mph: 13.3 seconds
Fuel consumption: urban - 46.3mpg, extra-urban - 70.6mpg, combined - 601.mpg
CO2 emissions: 112g/km
05/08/2008 09:05:00
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