31 Driven - Smart Fortwo C453 66kW (2016)

Hi there!

Today’s review regards the latest generation of the Smart Fortwo. A couple of months ago, after being more… used to the looks of the thing, I decided it was time to take property of such a specimen. The logic step to someone who already has the previous two generations.

This 453 Smart Fortwo – Coupé and Cabrio – marked a new beginning for the Smart brand. It can almost be regarded as a brand new start. You see, back in 2009, Daimler – Smart’s parent company, also owner of Mercedes-Benz – entered a joint venture with Renault-Nissan. Their eyes were set, I believe, on Renault’s successful Mégane hatchback, as they wanted to change the positioning of their own A-Class, until then regarded as a practical, old-people’s car, to a dynamic hatchback for younger clientele, fitting their future (and very successful, as sales figures show) design revolution.

Apart from some technical knowledge regarding chassis development, access to Renault’s engine pool would also be very handy in order to lower development and production costs. Especially when, up to that date, Merc had to develop every single A-Class’ engine, which afterwards couldn’t be used in any other Merc, apart from the related B-Class.

The Smart Fortwo was an even greater opportunity. Renault has long experience on the city-car sector – their 1993 Twingo is a landmark – and it was seen as the only way to keep the Smart brand alive, as it had barely broken even during its then 13 years of life. In 2011, development of a new platform was regarded as too expensive, and as Renault’s upcoming Twingo was seen as another synergy opportunity for Daimler.

The Renault genes resulted on a curious product. Technically speaking, the Renault-based third generation Fortwo is yet another major step forward, when compared with its predecessor from 2007. It’s way wider – 11 centimetres, to be precise – but, crucially, maintains the same length, at 2,69 metres. And, finally, the unusual architecture – rear engine and drive – was exploited to the max, in the form of a truly extraordinary turning circle of under 7 metres between curbs, only possible due to the absence of an engine or drive shafts on the front.

The coupé body is very stiff, and it’s fair to say the Fortwo has come to age. The doors, for the first time, make a solid noise upon closure. The better rubber seals and remaining sound insulation material also make the interior feel a class above regarding quietness, something no Fortwo managed before – the second generation is still a loud car inside.

Another top contributor for interior comfort is provided by the supple suspension and wider tracks. The ride is never, ever, fidgety, whether on brick-layered town centres or on broken tarmac. The greater weight also helps to settle the body on a better fashion.

And, last but not least: the new gearboxes. Finally, the Fortwo welcomed decent transmission options: an optional, dual-clutch six-speeder and a manual 5-speeder. None of them is great, relatively speaking – the automatic, being a dual clutch, occasionally feels jerky in the urban jungle, whereas the manual is slow.

This unit is equipped with the manual option, together with the turbocharged, intermediate engine version. Whereas the base, normally aspirated – and bigger – 1-litre engine feels absolutely breathless, even inside the city, the turbocharged version is more than adequate for every situation. Even when coupled with this long-ratio 5-speed manual, it gives a very good account of itself. The car is about as fast as the predecessor, facelift 84 PS version, no small feat given the bigger dimensions, wheels and 70 additional kilograms. The powerband is actually narrow, but keep it between 2500 and 5000 rpm and if feels brisk. It’s smooth, and the gear selector is actually precise and has a relatively short throw, making progress easy and comfortable. Fuel consumption is low when driving sedately and high when driving fast – my total average with it was 5,7 L/100km (50 mpg UK), including plenty of motorways (I drove the car from Germany to Portugal). A slight improvement on the predecessor.

So far, so good. The latest Fortwo keeps the practical side of its predecessors, while polishing most sharp edges still remaining. Right?

Not entirely.

For a start, the comfortable ride has a price, in the form of woeful body control. Whereas the – admittedly hard riding – predecessor was a riot on alpine or back roads, the current one isn’t as remotely dynamic. Truth be said, the differences only surface during sporty driving, something the predecessor enticed but the newcomer doesn’t appreciate, and I recognize for most city dwellers this is an irrelevance.

But this takes me to my biggest problem with the car. The new Smart Fortwo just doesn’t feel like a Smart. At all.

The first generation W450 (1998-2006) was dynamically incompetent, but more than made up for it with its practical side and, especially, charming character.

The second generation C451 (2007-2014) was a dynamic revelation, maintaining the practical side and generally becoming easier to live with, while retaining some of the charm.

This third generation is a better product overall. It’s better built, even easier to drive and live with – especially in the city – and, if bought lightly used, cheap. But it has lost every single drop of charm of its predecessors. Design wise, the pedestrian impact rules dictated that boxer-like face, and the rest was taken down by Smart’s abuse of Renault’s parts bin. They’re everywhere, from the ignition switch place and function, and respective key, to the interior door handles, windscreen wipers or gear lever. That was the nail on its coffin for me, and for many Smart enthusiasts as well. The fact that Smart has trouble shifting this new generation means that new customers don’t run to the showrooms either, leaving the question: will there be a fourth generation Fortwo?

The rating regards the car seen from a practical perspective, a tool. As a Smart, it would barely reach the teens…

Verdict: at first a rebel teenager, later a spirited and successful project manager, now decided accountant is the way to go.

Official vital data:

Engine and transmission:

898 cc, inline-3 cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder (Otto)

90 PS (66 kW)/ 5500 rpm

135 Nm/ 2500-4750 rpm

Red line: 6000 rpm

5-speed manual transmission

Dimensions and weights:

Length/ wheelbase/ width/ height: 2,695/ 1873/ 1,663/ 1,555 metres

Turning circle: 6,95 metres

Weight: 915 kg (including 75 kg driver and all operating fluids, fuel tank 90 % full, 7 kg luggage)

Boot: 260/ 350 litres (below cover/ until roof)

Fuel tank: 33 litres (optional)

Tires: 165/65R15 (front)/ 185/60R15 (rear), Dunlop SportBluResponse

Performance:

Top speed: 155 km/h (97 mph), electronically limited, reached on 4^th and 5^th gears

0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 10.4 seconds

Fuel consumption (NEDC, urban/extra-urban/average): 4.9/ 3.7/ 4.2 l/100km (58/ 76/ 67 UK mpg)

CO₂ emissions: 97 g/km

3000 rpm, 5^th gear: 110 km/h (69 mph – GPS measured)

4250 rpm, 5^th gear: 155 km/h (97 mph – GPS measured)

Main equipment: air conditioning, twin front airbags, sidebags, radio with Bluetooth connectivity, MP3-player and USB+AUX in, 15” alloy wheels, ABS+ASR+ESP+hill holder, multifunction steering wheel, faux leather steering wheel and gearbox knob, cruise control and speed control, heated seats, rev counter and analog clock, drive lock, remote central locking, power steering.

German price in 2016: 15 000€.

Driven: 3 000 km (1 900 miles), from April to June 2017; car left with 11 700 km (7 300 miles).

Rating: 18 out of 20