Models Tested
Smart fortwo Coupe pure 71 bhp, Carbrio passion 71 bhp and Brabus Coupe

CO2 71 bhp Coupe 112 g/km, 71 bhp Cabrio 116 g/km, Brabus 124 g/km
VED band B - £35 a year (Brabus band C £115 a year)
MPG 71 bhp Coupe, Urban – 46.3 Extra urban – 70.6 Combined – 60.1
71 bhp Cabrio, Urban – 42.8 Extra urban – 68.9 Combined – 57.6
Brabus, Urban – 43.5 Extra urban – 64.2 Combined – 54.3

Engine Petrol 999cc normally aspirated in line 3 cylinder with 4 valves per cylinder
Bhp 71 @ 5,800 rpm
Torque 68 lbs/ft @ 4,500 rpm
Brabus Petrol 999cc turbo charged in line 3 cylinder with 4 valves per cylinder
Bhp 98 @ 5,500 rpm
Torque 103 lbs/ft @ 3,500 rpm

Euro NCAP Smart predicted scores to be confirmed by Euro NCAP Adult protection 4 stars Child protection TBC Pedestrian TBC

OTR price 71 bhp Coupe pure £7,290, 71 bhp Cabrio passion £10,490, Brabus Coupe £13,520

Range Coupe £6,900 to £9,020, Cabrio £9,240 to £10,970, Brabus £13,520 (Coupe) to £15,470 (Cabrio)

Just seven years ago the first Smart’s arrived on British roads. Here was a car which was so instantly recognisable that it allowed the Smart brand to become established in a staggeringly short space of time. Seven years on following a failed expansion of the brand, the Smart range is back to one iconic model the Smart fortwo, and now it is time to start a new chapter.

The original Smart was a great piece of design which unfortunately didn’t translate seamlessly into a great car. We marvelled at the tardis like interior space, the manoeuvrability, the characterful and frugal three cylinder engine and the ability to park nose first to the curb. However the ride lacked composure, the handling initially bordered on the dangerous until some quick electronic and mechanical revisions just made it uninspiring, the automated manual gearbox was frustratingly slow, and that three cylinder engine had very short service intervals.

Despite the undoubted dynamic deficiencies over 770,000 of the first generation cars found homes. And we can understand why. The first generation Smart fortwo had character and as such it was always going to be as much of an emotional buy as a rational one. Added to this was the fact there really was nothing else like it.

The second generation fortwo has been tasked with moving Smart back into safer economic waters and so a lot is riding on this little car. Maybe because of this the stylist have played very safe. To the untrained eye there is little to distinguish the new model from the old. However if you look more closely you will see that every panel is different. Smart claim that they wanted the new car to be a bit more masculine and you would have to say that it does look slightly sharper.

There have also been a raft of important changes under the skin. The fortwo is now 195 mm longer and 43 mm wider than before. Most of the extra size has been introduced to improve on the previous models already good safety. Smart expect a 4 star Euro NCAP adult occupant rating which is one better than the last. Pedestrian safety is also helped by the redesigned nose.

The 698cc Mercedes developed turbocharged three cylinder engines have been replaced by 999cc units from Mitsubishi which are now mated to a 5 rather than 6 speed automated manual gearbox. The new engines are available in 61 bhp and 71 bhp without a turbo or 84 bhp with a turbo. There will once again be a turbocharged Brabus variant developing 98 bhp in addition to ‘pure’, ‘pulse’ and ‘passion’ trim levels. The revised fortwo is available as a Coupe (with a roof) or Cabrio from launch.

Inside

Once inside everything looks familiar but again detailed changes make their presence felt. The dashboard is now straight rather than curved to meet US crash standards which adds to the sense of space whilst the eye ball air vents have been replaced by more conventional looking items which to our mind is a backward step.

In the most basic ‘pure’ specification, the dashboard does little to convey the fun factor that was captured so eloquently in the original. With swathes of not particularly attractive grained black plastic it looks sombre, but it all feels solid enough and the main controls are well placed with the ventilation controls and radio mounted high in the centre console. Moving up to ‘pulse’ adds much needed colour and interest to the cabin through the inclusion of fabric covered sections to the upper and lower dashboard and door trim, which match the seat colour.

The seats have undergone further development too and now provide more lateral support. The passenger seat now has an adjustable backrest and it can be folded flat to accommodate larger items. As with the original, the passenger seat can be set 15 cms further back than the drivers’ seat to boost shoulder room further, but most people will find shoulder room to be adequate anyway.

Behind the scenes the ventilation system has been improved and is now 20 per cent more powerful, something that will be welcome news to previous owners as with such a small volume of air inside the car it can be prone to misting up in inclement weather.

The split opening tailgate reveals a boot which has increased from 150 litres to 220 litres. This puts it on a par with more conventional city cars and is a big boost to practicality. When loaded to the roof 340 litres of space is available. In addition to this, on all but the 61 bhp ‘pure’ model there is an extra 8 litres of storage space hidden in the lower part of the tailgate. For the Cabrio this space is used to store removal roof bars.

On the move

If the differences between the original and new fortwo have been in the detail so far it is from the moment that you turn the key that the differences really become apparent. We tried the Coupe in 71 bhp ‘pure’ trim and the Cabrio in 71 bhp ‘passion’ trim and it was clear that both variants have made significant steps forward.

Firstly the fidgety ride that plagued the original has been banished and has been replaced by an impressively well sorted set up which is now a match for any city car. This has been achieved by making extensive changes to the suspension including a revised geometry and has been helped by the wheelbase being extended by 55 mm.

The new suspension also makes its presence felt when things get twisty. Previously grip levels were low and when the limits of adhesion were breached there was plenty of understeer. Added to this, there was always a feeling of instability and mid corner bumps made life particularly scary.

Along with the suspension modifications, the front track is now 7 mm wider, whilst the rear track is 31 mm wider. The narrowest standard tyres are now 155 section on the front and 175 at the rear and there is a revised anti roll bar. This all combines to make a big difference on the road. This still isn’t a car which encourages you to explore the outer limits of grip but now there is more grip than most owners will need and the fortwo feels much more stable than before.

ESP is standard on all models, which Smart claims is unique in the city car class where some models don’t even have it as an option. Thanks to the dramatic increase in mechanical grip and composure the system is far less active now than it used to be but when it does activate it is less aggressive in controlling understear than most systems. It would appear that Smart has rightly decided that understear is preferably to unsettling the fortwo.

The new Mitsubishi sourced engine is also a big positive. The increase in capacity to 999cc allows the two lower powered units to be normally aspirated. The 71 bhp unit that we tested achieves exactly the same fuel consumption (60.1 mpg) and therefore CO2 emissions (112 g/km) as the lower powered 61 bhp but is over 3 seconds quicker to 62 mph.

We are big fans of three cylinder engines and this one is no exception. It spins freely, makes a great noise at the top end and provides decent torque too. The new 5 speed automated manual is well matched to the new engine. Smart claims that it can shift 50% quicker than the previous box but it still isn’t quick enough especially on down shifts. At least with good torque and fewer ratios you don’t need to make as many changes as before.

There are a couple of other niggles too. The brakes feel under servoed initially and are hard to modulate which is a shame in a car that will spend a lot of time in traffic. The other surprise is that power steering is a cost option across the entire range. Whilst the fortwo is a very light car it does now have reasonably wide tires and at parking speeds the lack of assistance is noticeable. This will come as a culture shock to many potential owners who have become accustomed to power steering. Owners wanting to upgrade will pay £310 for the privilege.

Other goodies worth ticking on the options list are side airbags at £195 and the tinted polycarbonate panoramic roof panel which costs a reasonable £170 on the ‘pure’ and is standard fit on the rest of the range. Covering an area of 1.1 square metres, this adds greatly to the sense of space and light and comes with a sunblind.

For those wanting the full alfresco experience the Cabrio model fits the brief. We tried the 71 bhp ‘passion’ which sits near the top of the range at £10,490. Mechanically it is identical to the Coupe we tried but removing the roof has added 30 kg which increases CO2 emissions to 116 g/km due to fuel consumption deteriorating to 57.6 mpg.

On the road there is no discernable difference in performance between the Coupe and Cabrio but the Cabrio’s body does feel marginally less stiff with rattles emanating from around the B pillar.

The roof itself is a high quality affair. With a glass rear window and an attractive roof lining it does a good job at keeping wind noise at bay. The roof is fully automated with no manual catches to release which puts many more expensive systems to shame. It operates in two stages, initially the roof is essentially a full length canvas sunroof which gives it the big advantage of being able to operate at any speed. Once rolled back a second press of the button retracts the rear window section too making it a full convertible. Neat touches include the high level rear brake light which moves with the roof and the removable roof bars which store in the boot lid.

Ownership

The fortwo is many things but cheap isn’t one of them. The Coupe range starts at £6,900 and rises £9,020 whilst the Cabrio starts at £9,240 and rises to £10,970. The 71 bhp ‘pure’ Coupe that we sampled costs £7,290. We would recommend going for the ‘pulse’ as the interior is a far more pleasant place to be but this increases the cost to £8,290. For this you could get a supermini which raises the question, is the Smart really worth this much?

Firstly, in some ways it is unfair to compare the fortwo to other city cars or superminis. Anybody who is seriously considering buying a fortwo has already decided that they don’t need four seats. Once you have accepted this, the extra space offered by the opposition isn’t such an advantage. The fortwo competes well in terms of front occupant space and the boot is well sized for two people.

The compact size of the Smart has always been a huge part of its appeal. It is the perfect tool for city driving. Nothing else is as well optimised for its intended purpose. Add to this the fact that the fortwo is now dynamically far more capable and is impressively refined and it begins to make a strong case for itself.

The new Mitsubishi engine has dramatically increased the service intervals which are now a highly respectable 25,000 miles, the car is easier to work on and a wider range of spare parts are now available individually rather than in modules all of which means that servicing will be far cheaper than before. The pervious model had good residuals and the new model is expected to perform well too.

Brabus

We also got a quick taste of the new Brabus Coupe which isn’t due in the UK until early next year. First impressions were good. The Brabus has a 98 bhp turbocharged version of the same 999cc engine which propels the Smart to 62 mph in 9.9 seconds. Despite the increase in performance the impact of fuel consumption is minimal at 54.3 mpg and 124 g/km of CO2.

Other mechanical changes include stiffer and lower suspension, shorter first and fifth gears, an uprated clutch and gear shifts that are a further 20% quicker but still aren’t quick enough.

The Brabus has no problem keeping pace with traffic with a useful 103 lbs/ft of torque available at 3,500 rpm, the mid range is punchy. The sense of occasion is heightened by a very audible induction noise under full throttle (especially in this left hand drive example) and the chatter of the wastegate on the overrun.

The interior has been given the Brabus treatment and feels suitably more special than the standard versions. The brakes are a notable improvement over the standard car too, with a more progressive feel and better weighting. Although the power assisted steering feels a little heavy around the straight ahead position.

The Coupe Barbus will cost £13,520 whilst the Cabrio will command a premium at £15,470. This is a lot of money for this level of performance but like the standard car it is a unique package.

Conclusions

The new fortwo is a big step forward for Smart. The car is far more polished than the original and is considerably less compromised than before making it useable outside of town too. The baby Smart now feels far more mature and reassuringly solid. In the process a little of the personality has been lost from the interior but it is a price we are happy to pay.

It isn’t all good though as the gearbox still frustrates at times with its slow shifts and the brakes are hard to modulate which isn’t ideal for a car destined to spend much of its life in traffic. Perhaps most disappointing is that the very good fuel consumption hasn’t taken a big step forward. The 71 bhp engine achieves 60.1 mpg in the Coupe which equates to 112 g/km of CO2. This is good and makes the Smart a very low CO2 emitter in its own right, but the market has overtaken Smart in the past decade. When the larger and heavy petrol Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107/Citroen C1 can achieve 109 g/km with similar performance you have to wonder if Smart could have pushed harder in this area. They will be adding stop/start on the 71 bhp engine which prevents the engine for idling and will reduce CO2 emissions to nearer the 100 g/km mark, but this isn’t due until late 2008.

In the meantime there is a diesel version which emits a staggeringly low 88 g/km of CO2 thanks to doing 85.7 mpg and comes with a diesel particulate filter, but Smart are unwilling to commit to UK supply. Concern focuses on the 19.8 seconds required to hit 62 mph and the perceived lack of a diesel city car market. The diesel Smart fortwo would offer something groundbreaking and would re-establish Smart as frontrunners in efficiency once more, surely something the brand should be focusing on. There will be a limited supply to test the market but no commitment to anything more substantial.