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 4th and
5th 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, 5th gear: 110 km/h (69 mph – GPS
measured)
4250 rpm, 5th 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).
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