New smart fortwo review

It maybe marginally longer, wider and with wider front and rear tracks but the two door coupe and cabrio models are unmistakably a smart.

The bodyshell retains the immensely rigid Tridion safety cell and the innovative plastic bodypanels which make this car unique in style and pretty safe.

There are Pure, Pulse, Passion and Brabus levels of specification depending on which engine option is chosen and there is also a wide range of extra cost options so the cars can be tailored to customer’s requirements.

However the seemingly well priced new generation smarts will end up with a hefty price tag if owners dip too heavily into the options pot.

Power steering for instance is an option for all models and will add £310 to the final price. This really should be a standard fit item because for a city car the steering can be pretty heavy, especially when parking. The options list includes numerous items, even a locking glovebox which costs £20.

However the all important aid to handling and safety, the electronic stability programme, is included as standard on all models.

Items such as electrically operated windows become available as standard for models above the base Pure specification and air-conditioning is standard for Passion specification and above. Alloy road wheels are standard on all models other than Pure.

My test car, the most likely best selling model, the fortwo coupe passion 71bhp, costs £8,450, still pretty steep for a two-seater car. Add in a few options such as head and thorax side airbags, lockable glove compartment, leather heated seats and the final on the road price is £9,225, much more than a four seater Peugeot 107 or Fiat Panda city car for instance - but then you pay for iconic styling.

Passengers will enjoy the increased interior space and the vastly improved quality and design of the interior trim, instruments and controls. The cabrio version’s neat electrically operated roof can be operated whilst the car is on the move.

The unloved jerky automated manual transmission has been redesigned and now has five gears making it smother in operation thanks in part to having a more powerful and flexible engine. The new car is more comfortable, safer and more ecological than its predecessor.

The overall length has been increased by seven inches providing more interior space as well as improved front and rear end crash protection. The wider front and rear tracks and longer wheelbase make the car more stable and sure-footed on the road.

Whilst it remains a nippy city car, its core job in life, it now can be used with more confidence on the open road. Long motorway journeys are still not to be recommended, it can be noisy and the high but relatively narrow body still induces bodyroll and is prone to side wind gusting on exposed roads and motorways.

The larger 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, 71bhp, 92Nm Mitsubishi sourced engine now is much more capable of maintaining legal motorway cruising speeds and the acceleration can keep you up with most other family hatchbacks.

Top speed is 90mph, 0-62mph is covered in 13.3 seconds. But the ‘performance’ buyers will like best is the 60.1mpg average fuel consumption and the low CO2 emissions at 112g/km, which will only cost you £35 a year in road tax. And of course it should be congestion charge free if the below 120g/km level is approved by Ken Livingstone.

For the record I also had the opportunity to drive the new Brabus version this week at the UK launch of the new fortwo. This model uses the same three-cylinder petrol engine but fitted with a turbocharger so the power output is increased to 98bhp, 30 per cent more than its predecessor.

Top speed is 92mph, 0-62mph takes 9.9 seconds fuel consumption is 54.3mpg and the CO2 emissions are 124g/km, which means the road tax jumps from £35 to £115. It doesn’t make much financial sense - does it - over the 71bhp models? But style and must-have status often rules the head so enjoy the much firmer ride, the great exhaust note and be prepared for an exciting ride.

Overall the smarter fortwo looks better, the engine has more power and torque, the transmission is also much improved, the quality of the interior looks better able to compete against ‘cult’ cars such as the MINI, there is more luggage room, but the comfort of ride and handling, although better, is still poor relative to a conventional small city car.

Milestones

Smart fortwo coupe Passion

Price: £8,540 (£9,225 as tested)

Engine: 999cc, three-cylinder, 12-valve, normally aspirated petrol, 71bhp, 92Nm of torque

Performance: 90mph, 0-62mph 13.3 seconds, 60.1mpg, CO2 112g/km, VED £35

For: Iconic styling, fun city car size, easy to drive in traffic and park, more power, better transmission performance, low emissions and road tax, much improved quality and interior space.?

Against: Ride quality and road holding still doesn’t match other conventional city cars, price when must-have options are fitted, power steering costs extra.

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