SMART fortwo

SPECIFICATIONS

1. The Smart fortwo is powered by a 70hp 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine. 2. Fuel economy is rated at 33/41 mpg (city/hwy). 3. A Cabriolet model is offered but at a significantly higher starting price of $16,990.

PREVIEW

It’s fashionable nowadays to sneer at big SUV, those wastrels who chug for hours straight from the gas pump. Small is “in” in a big way, whether it’s miniscule phones or new vehicles.

The Smart originated in meetings between Mercedes-Benz and the Swatch watch company nearly two decades ago to solve Europe’s overcrowding woes. The first fortwo sold like gangbusters to a continent ready with shared storage areas and nose-to-the-curb parking; nearly a million Smarts have found homes since the brand’s debut on the basis of an inexpensive, fuel and space efficient, safe commuter vehicle. And yes, safety is right at the Smart’s core, evidenced by the silver “tridion safety cell” that makes up much of the fortwo’s profile.

INTERIOR

Despite its roller-skate appearance, the fortwo isn’t compromised. There’s full, spacious seating for two, decent in-cabin storage and a good-sized trunk above the rear-mounted engine.

The interior is a huge step forward compared to earlier versions, with a less frantic design and a better choice of materials. Given that the second-generation Smart was designed with North American tastes in mind, the new fortwo is slightly larger than its predecessor, helping to improve cabin space and seating positions.

The range is powered exclusively by a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder “triple” that produces 70 hp, and the sole transmission is a five-speed automated manual transmission. Much like the systems fitted to far pricier performance machines, the gearbox is an excellent idea... in theory. Since there’s no clutch pedal, it offers the option of letting the system shift itself like a traditional automatic, or using the push/pull shift lever (or optional steering-wheel paddles) to change up or down.

UNDER THE HOOD

Rant aside, 70 horsepower goes farther than you would imagine. While acceleration to 60 mph is slow, taking about 13 seconds, once there, the Fortwo is surprisingly speedy and able to maintain its 90 mph top speed with only a little strain.

Highways, however, are not this vehicle’s forte, evidenced by the jouncing, bouncing suspension and susceptibility to wind gusts. The Smart is much more comfortable around town, and – if you’re not forced to change gear – is peppy enough to keep up with the stoplight-to-stoplight crowd.

The payoff to this unstressed motivation is excellent fuel economy, hitting 33/41 mpg (city/highway). While those are not the stellar mile-stretching numbers of the first-gen turbodiesel, the new Fortwo is still frugal.