Car Enthusiast - click here to access the home page


 



Smarter times? Image by smart.

Smarter times?
Second generation Smart grows up a bit, but loses some of its fun. It's more relevant than ever though.

   



<< earlier review     later review >>

Reviews homepage -> Smart reviews

| A Week at the Wheel | Herts, England | Smart Fortwo |

Inside & Out: star star star star star

There's no mistaking the fact that this is a Smart, its tall but short dimensions marking it out as such. It's a bit different to the original though, Smart beefing up its looks to broaden its appeal, but arguably losing some of its cheeky charm in the process. Inside, Smart has been busy revising the interior too. The fun, pod-like instruments and vents have been replaced by more conventional items on the plainer dashboard. The old car's perforated sun-visors now rather ordinary too, the interior still a little different to the mainstream, but not quite as pleasingly far-out as previously.

The boot is still miniscule, meaning the passenger seat is often the best place for luggage - so long as you're on your own. The materials inside have taken a step up the quality ladder though, the Fortwo not feeling as flimsy as Smarts of old. Annoyingly, when using the boot the lower, bottom-hinged lid needs to be unlatched on both sides at the same time, which is a pain most of the time and near impossible when lugging even the limited amount of shopping the boot will swallow. Visibility remains great and it feels brilliant slotting it through traffic in town, but then it should, as that's exactly what it was designed for.

Engine & Transmission: star star star star star

In Passion guise the Smart Fortwo's throbbing little three-cylinder engine produces 71bhp. That's enough to have the Smart reach 62mph in 13.3 seconds - the racket that accompanies any such drag-racing making it sound quicker than that. It's actually pretty lively up to town traffic speeds, the willing engine giving its best when buzzing around in the city. It's a shame then that Smart persists in only offering the Fortwo with the hugely compromised automated five-speed manual. It's never quick to react - even with the new kick-down function - the throttle response when exiting junctions often dim-witted and sometimes downright scary. Even when driven in manual mode it's painfully slow to input.

A regular manual or much quicker version of the existing transmission would really transform the Fortwo. What is very impressive though is the 60.1mpg combined consumption figure and the low emissions of just 112g/km. That should be reduced further when Smart introduces a stop-start version in 2008, along with a turbodiesel that is capable of returning 85.7mpg on the combined cycle. That diesel might work better with the slow transmission, its lower rev torque likely to help mask the gearbox's deficiencies. It is ridiculous then that Smart will only be offering the diesel here in left-hand-drive; it's not as if Smart has even got the excuse of the engine's position hindering the steering rack, as the Fortwo's engine is under the floor at the rear.

Ride & Handling: star star star star star

You don't buy a Fortwo with ride and handling in mind. The Fortwo is about running around cities, so it's unfair to overly criticise it for its lack of prowess in the corners. What is a bit off though is its jarring ride, the Smart finding potholes and ruts - of the sort you'll find on any poorly maintained British city centre road today - very difficult. Oddly, that uncompromising ride doesn't mean the Smart's bobbing about when changing gear has gone; indeed crawling through traffic, particularly on a slight gradient, has it rocking about madly, the effect exacerbated by the Fortwo's short wheelbase. The steering offers a fair bit of feel, but parking the Smart isn't as easy as you might imagine due to the difficult-to-judge throttle action.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money: star star star star star

Economy is where the Smart scores, the Fortwo Passion able to return a very impressive 60.1mpg on the official combined cycle. Emissions of carbon dioxide are relatively planet-friendly at just 112g/km too. Add recyclable panels, an environmentally friendly production plant and it's clear that Smart knows its potential customers. Equipment is fairly comprehensive, the Passion coming with everything you could possibly need, though if you want a stereo that's up to drowning out the racket of the engine you'll want the £200 upgrade. Otherwise it's a reasonably priced car, with a decent standard specification.

Overall: star star star star star

The Smart Fortwo is a good city car that feels out of its depth on longer trips. The transmission remains the most frustrating aspect of the Smart, even though it's difficult to fault the little car's economy and emissions figures. We'd wait for the diesel though, and lobby Smart hard to bring it in with the steering wheel on the right side.

Kyle Fortune - 28 Nov 2007



  www.smart.com    - Smart road tests
- Smart news
- Fortwo images

2007 Smart Fortwo specifications: (Passion Coupé)
Price: £8,450 on-the-road.
0-62mph: 13.3 seconds
Top speed: 90mph
Combined economy: 60.1mpg
Emissions: 112g/km
Kerb weight: 750kg

2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.

2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.



2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.
 

2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.
 

2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.
 

2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.
 

2007 smart fortwo. Image by smart.
 






 

Internal links:   | Home | Privacy | Contact us | Archives | Old motor show reports | Follow Car Enthusiast on Twitter | Copyright 1999-2024 ©