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Commuting gets 'smart'-er
IF you haven't already heard of the smart fortwo, you will hear about it very soon.
What is it? It's a nifty, city-oriented micro two-seater coupe and cabriolet with "I can't believe it" styling.
The fortwo (as in, "for two people") has been on sale in Europe since 1999, where it has seen success as the perfect commuter car. And now, Mercedes Car Group, which includes the Mercedes-Benz, smart, and Maybach brands, is bringing it to North America - specifically to Canada first.
Although smart is 100 per cent owned by DaimlerChrysler now, it was first started as a joint venture project between Daimler and Swatch (the watch company).
The cars will be sold through Mercedes-Benz dealerships, drawing in a different set of customers from the owners of most Mercedes products. Customers will be reminded that they may be buying an economical car, but it's still a high-quality product that benefits from Mercedes engineering. As with BMW's decision to sell the Mini Cooper through existing dealers, this is a very intelligent business decision.
The introduction of the fortwo is important for the parent company, DaimlerChrysler, because it shows North Americans a different side of the automaker. The smart brand sits in stark contrast to the Chrysler, Dodge, and Mercedes nameplates as these brands increasingly launch bigger, more powerful, and less fuel-conscious vehicles. With the fortwo, DaimlerChrysler is showing an ability to meet the diverse environmental needs and desires of North Americans.
Interestingly, the fortwo will arrive in Canada this fall, but won't come to the United States until the next generation is released. Clearly, automotive executives are seeing a distinction between the desires of Canada and the United States, with Canadians demanding smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.
As we've already seen with Toyota's introduction of the Echo hatchback here but not in the United States, Canada is now being recognized as its own market. This can only mean good things for consumers north of the border.
Driving the smart fortwo around town is a phenomenal experience. It may not offer tremendous power or fancy features, but its wild-but-cuddly design and tiny footprint mean the smart gets attention everywhere - and I mean everywhere. Wherever I went, people wanted to know everything and anything about this vehicle. If the excitement this car is generating is any indication of the possible success of the car, the smart will have no problem meeting and exceeding its sales targets in Canada.
Concerned about safety? Not a chance. I personally witnessed the smart fortwo crash-tested virtually head-on (off-set crash) against a brand new Mercedes-Benz E-Class recently in Germany, and the smart driver and passenger escaped without an injury according to the data. In fact, the basic "core" of the body remained completely intact, allowing the door to be opened after the accident. This shouldn't be a surprise, since the smart is a Mercedes after all, and we can expect the smart to deliver all the safety attributes of the larger and heavier Mercedes products. What a product.
Design
Though not exactly new, the fortwo's funky design is fresh for North America and garners a lot of attention. Those among the first to own one should plan to spend a lot of time answering questions from curious people on the street. The styling is attractive, and its diminutive size is a welcome change.
Micro-sized commuter cars are common on streets in Europe and Asia, but a fortwo in a Canadian intersection will be surrounded by larger SUVs, trucks, minivans, and sedans. Some drivers and passengers will feel a little insecure in such a small vehicle, but others will feel that they can "out-drive" larger, more cumbersome SUVs.
Whereas BMW and Volkswagen brought convertible versions of the Mini Cooper and New Beetle to North America later in the vehicles' life cycles, the fortwo will be offered as both a coupe and cabriolet from the start.
The light cabriolet top is easy to put up and down, and can even be raised and lowered while the fortwo is in motion (hopefully by a passenger, and not the driver).
Performance
Mounted behind the driver's seat, the 0.8-litre turbodiesel three-cylinder engine is the smallest direct-injection diesel motor in the world, and provides 40 horsepower and 74 foot-pounds of torque, with a governed top speed of 135 km/h. This translates into a car that is very slow to accelerate (19.8 seconds from 0-100 km/h), but has decent passing power (and a fair amount of noise) at maximum torque.
For some reason, the car feels much more peppy than what the numbers suggest. There is absolutely no problem driving the smart around town in terms of performance.
Though the fortwo is acceptable for highway driving, it's obviously most comfortable within the city. On the highway, it has trouble keeping up with bigger cars.
Both manual and automatic transmissions are available. I highly recommend the manual, which is much smoother than the six-speed, sequential automatic which tends to shift somewhat roughly compared to a normal automatic transmission.
With manual steering (power isn't necessary in a car this small), the fortwo has a good solid feel and predictable handling. Ride quality is a little bumpy, but not harsh. Overall, it's a pleasant vehicle to drive.
Environment
The simple control layout in the fortwo blends with the funky interior design and is reasonably practical.
Though not a luxury vehicle by any stretch of the imagination, the fortwo is quite comfortable and enjoyable. Sure, it's manufactured by Mercedes-Benz, but that doesn't mean wood-grain and graphite trim. Seats are great, with solid support and well contoured design.
Looking at the fortwo, I expected a noisy ride with the minimal separation from the road and an engine mounted behind the seats. Surprisingly, it's not as noisy as you'd expect, and owners won't find it to be excessive.
The trunk is small, but it's quite usable with a wide, rectangular design that easily accepts grocery bags, a book bag, or a laptop case.
Features
When the fortwo goes on sale this fall, the coupe and cabriolet will start around $16,000 and under $20,000, respectively. Three trim levels will be offered: pure, pulse, and passion.
Fuel consumption is where the fortwo's performance shines through: 3.9 litres/100 km in the city and 3.1 litres/100 km on the highway puts it just ahead of the Honda Insight hybrid (3.9 litres /100 km in the city and 3.2 litres/100 km on the highway).
The fortwo's lower base price and use of inexpensive diesel fuel makes it the clear winner in cost efficiency, and its 22-litre fuel tank will get you over 600 km.
One of the smart's best features is standard ABS brakes with Electronic Stability Program - unheard of in other cars at this price level - which offers exceptional control in bad weather conditions.
Thumbs up
Great design; impressive engine and fuel economy; low total cost of ownership.
What a funky car to own.
Thumbs down
Has trouble keeping up on the highway. Too small for some people.
Bottom line
This may be exactly what the doctor ordered for busy city dwellers who need a commuter car and want to do it in style.
Competitors
Mazda3
Starting at $16,195 for the base sedan, the new Mazda3 is powered by either a 2.0-litre in-line four with 148 hp. and 135 ft.-lb. of torque or a 2.3-litre in-line four with 160 hp. and 151 ft.-lb. of torque.
Much larger than the fortwo, the Mazda3 is the sports car of the economy market, and should prove as popular with aftermarket tuners as its predecessor, the Protege.
Mini Cooper
The base price for a Mini Cooper with Classic Package is $22,700, and its 1.6-litre in-line four produces 115 hp. and 110 ft.-lb. of torque.
The Cooper isn't positioned to be an economy car; it's a luxury car at an affordable price. It gets 8.3 litres/100 km in the city and 5.9 litres/100 km on the highway, but there's a catch: that's premium gasoline, which can cost as much as three times the price of diesel fuel.
Toyota Echo
The Echo starts at $12,995 for the three-door hatchback and has a 1.5-litre in-line four that generates 108 hp. and 105 ft.-lb. of torque. Small and light, the Echo is a nimble performer that feels fast. Fuel economy is as good as non-hybrid gasoline engines get: 6.7 litres/100 km in the city and 5.2 litres/100 km on the highway.
A great price, more usable trunk space, and Toyota quality make the Echo hatchback a tough competitor.
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