In case you didn't know, small is the new fast, the new black and the new cool. The success of the Lotus Elise has proved it's more important to be light than powerful. And now the Smart Fortwo will attempt to convince us small is big.
After gaining weight and girth for decades, car manufacturers around the world are dieting all of a sudden. Everybody's working on small cars. They only require tiny engines and sip fuel like a teetotal vicar.
Why didn't anybody think of this before? Hang on, they did. In fact, Europe and Japan is crammed with tiny, agile cars waiting for us to get over our obsession with gigantic SUVs. However, the biggest problem for anybody wanting to sell small cars in the US is still the perception of safety - who wants to be sitting in a minicar when it's hit by a giantcar? And this is where the Smart Fortwo hopes to score big.
Smart & SafeDesigned, engineered and built by Mercedes, the Smart Car set the standard for small car safety. It uses a Tridion safety cell, comprising three layers of steel that forms a wraparound monocoque. It's been described as a walnut shell, but also as the chassis rails of an SUV wrapped around you, leveling the playing field in the event of a collision.
Extra reinforcement bars in the sills, plus a bulkhead between the B-pillars, provide additional stiffening. There's also a strengthened pedal box to protect the driver's feet, while US versions get bigger bumpers. Meanwhile, the engine, fuel tank and battery are housed in crash-protected zones to prevent them intruding into the cabin. And placing the motor in the rear means there's less chance of cabin intrusion in a collision.
Add four airbags (front and side), belt tensioners, dashboard kneepad, anti-lock braking system and ESP stability control, and you're starting to get the picture.
Once you're convinced by the Fortwo's safety credentials, you can then begin to appreciate its real strengths - size, economy, price and unique style. These were intrinsic to the vehicle that began life as the brainchild of Nicolas Hayek, the founder of Swatch watches. His vision, born in 1989, was to create a city car that could be changed as easily as one of his watches. To this day, the plastic body panels on any Fortwo can still be interchanged in about two hours, with spare panels expected to cost from $1000, allowing a fresh look for your car on a regular basis.
Hayek searched for an automotive partner and embarked on a partnership with Mercedes Benz in '94. After three years of development, the Fortwo made its debut in '97 and production began in 7/98 in Hambach, France. The first cars were sold in 10/99, the same year Mercedes took full ownership of the company.
Smart PriceWe're getting the second generation Fortwo, rebuilt using lessons learned over the past eight years. They'll be distributed by Penske to 70 dealerships across the country.
Pricing is very competitive, with the basic Fortwo Pure starting at just $11590 plus tax and charges. It comes with a Mitsubishi-built one liter, three cylinder, 12v, 70hp, 68 lb-ft engine and five-speed auto box across the range. However, the Pure version is in stripped "Euro" trim with steel wheels, basic audio, manual windows and mirrors, but no air con!
Spend $13590 on the Fortwo Passion and you get alloy wheels, A/C, paddle shifts for the transmission, power windows and mirrors plus a CD player. Or for $16590 you can get the Fortwo Passion Cabriolet, complete with electric roof, MP3 head unit and CD changer.
With current exchange rates, Smarts are cheaper than in Europe and one of the most affordable cars on the road. The styling is slightly dorky but it's incredibly cute and got a good response from other road users.