smart fortwo
12-March-2008
- Vital Stats
-
$19,900 - $24,990
-
-
-
-
Unleaded/Premium Unleaded
-
-
-
Plane carry-on luggage size
-
2
-
How chic-cute is it?!
How adorably cute is this car?!
It looks like a toy but the 'smart fortwo' is incredibly powerful, and feels bigger than it is, although I think this is because it's a 'tall' car (200 millimeters higher than other small cars) and you feel as though you're sitting above the traffic.
The 3-cylinder engine gives it incredible pick-up, and for those of us who are stick-shift challenged, it's very fun to drive with its automated 5-speed manual transmission.
Best parts
The car is especially fun for parking, getting in and out of traffic, feeling like you're speeding (goes to 100Km/h in 13.3 seconds) when you're still doing the speed limit! And, if you tire of the colours (smart cars come in funky duo-tones, depending on your taste) you can replace panels with different colours (it'll cost you though).
Safety & fuel economy
With smart, the emphasis is on safety as well as fuel economy. About 4.7 litres of fuel will get you 100km.
In terms of safety, true to Mercedes-Benz form, the Smart goes above and beyond legal safety requirements, with a unique structure, in that the frame of the car is a steel cell (they call it 'Tridion'), and the panels are aluminum, except for the doors which are steel, making it relatively inexpensive to buy, but one of the safest small cars on the road.
ESC (electronic stability control) with hill assist, ABS brakes (anti-lock brakes) with EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution), hydraulic brake assist, pretensioning and force-limiting seatbelts and full airbags (driver and front passenger, and head/thorax and side airbags) are all standard and its crash test rating is a 4, so you can feel safe and sound – even if all your luggage doesn't exactly fit in the boot!
Storage
They say you can fit a standard flight bag in the boot, but leave the golf clubs at home! And it's really a 2-seater – hence, the 'fortwo', but you could still get a handbag or 2 in the back seat!
More goodies
* The cabrio (convertible) model has an electric soft-top roof
* The coupe model has panoramic glass sunroof with integrated sunblind
* Leather sports steering wheel with integrated gearshift paddles
* The cabrio model has removable roof bars with special storage compartment in tailgate
* Air con with auto temperature control
* Central locking with remote control
* Immobiliser
* Folding driver and passenger seat backrests
* Outside temperature display
* Indicators with lanechanger function
* Lockable glovebox
* Front fog lights
* 6-spoke, 15" alloy wheels
* Dashboard-mounted instruments.
Extras
* Electric power steering
* Heated seats
* Leather seats
* 6-CD audio system with a subwoofer (!!)... and more.
Price
* fortwo coupe – $19,990
* fortwo coupe turbo – $21,990
* fortwo cabrio – $22,990
* fortwo cabrio turbo – $24,990.
Other info
* Maximum speed = 145km/h
* It releases about 112g of carbon dioxide per kilometer. Eco rating: 4.5/5 (www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au).
Add Comment
You need to log in to view and enter comments.