Poised to conquer
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — For its U.S. introduction here this fall, Mercedes-Benz is touting the Smart ForTwo as “the right car at the right time.”
That may well be true, with U.S. gasoline prices about 40% higher than just one year ago and motorists screaming bloody murder when they dig out their wallets at the pumps. But M-B isn’t offering the diminutive two-seaters to Americans without knowing what it’s getting into.
For the past three years, Canada has been a test market for Smart on this side of the Atlantic, and while Canadian consumers generally prefer smaller vehicles than their American cousins, the wild success of the Smart in our country almost guarantees its success here.
Launched in Europe in 1998, Smart ForTwo came to Canada in 2004.
Richard Trevisan, manager of the Smart Division for Mercedes-Benz of Canada, said the three-year sales forecast for the little urban runabout was 3,000 units. Actual sales have topped 10,200 units from 45 Smart centres across Canada, most of them associated with existing M-B dealerships.
Around the world, Smart has racked up more than 770,000 sales and is now poised to conquer the world’s biggest automotive market.
It’s something the previous generation Smart might not have been able to do because of its relatively slow top speed and the American consumer’s unthinking resistance to passenger cars with diesel engines.
Smart still is powered by a water-cooled engine mounted over the rear drive wheels, but the 2008 model has a 1.0-litre gasoline engine that makes 70 hp and 68 lb.-ft. of torque, rather than the previous generation’s three-cylinder diesel. Fuel economy with the gas engine won’t be as outstanding as with the diesel, but should be good enough to qualify Smart for the maximum $2,000 ecoAUTO rebate, if Ottawa’s standards stay the same. While the diesel achieved EnerGuide fuel economy numbers of 5.7 L/100 km city, 3.8 highway and 4.2 combined, the gas engine is rated at 5.9L/100 km city, 4.8 highway and 5.4 combined.
Gasoline engines only will be available for at least the next year, with the possible return of a diesel after that. As well, a fleet of 100 electric Smarts is being tested in London, with batteries that plug in for recharging.
The clever transmission can be used either as a full automatic or a five-speed semi-automatic. While still lumpy at idle, it isn’t as jerky as before. With the floor-mounted shift lever in the right-hand position, it operates just like any other automatic. But it’s far smoother when the stick is set to the left and the driver shifts for himself. No clutch is necessary and you also can go up and down through the gears using paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel.
The engine revs willingly right to the 6,000 rpm redline and in even manual mode the transmission reverts to first gear when the car is stopped. An arrow on the instrument panel tells you when to shift to a higher gear for maximum fuel economy.
Mercedes-Benz claims the car now has an electronically controlled top speed of 145 km/h, but don’t you believe it. I had a test car nudging 100 mph (160 km/h) on the freeway to San Jose. The old diesel-powered Smart would barely hit 130– downhill!
Now that it’s as adept on the open road as it is when buzzing around town and fitting into ridiculously small parking spaces, Smart has what it needs to be a hit in the U.S.
The new ForTwo is 19 cm longer and now has 220 litres of cargo space — 340 litres if loaded to the roofline. Still not a lot, but Mercedes-Benz claims this is enough for two golf bags. I don’t know about that, but I can attest that it’s more than enough for a couple of good-sized suitcases and camera bags. No longer will Smart owners have to make two trips to the store to fit in the week’s groceries.
The 2008 ForTwo is an inch wider and the cockpit is both roomy and airy, especially when equipped with the panoramic sunroof or when the top is down on the cabriolet version.
When some people look at the diminutive Smart their reaction is, “It’s too small. I wouldn’t be caught dead in that thing!” And they’re absolutely right. They wouldn’t, because Smart is remarkably strong thanks to its tridion steel safety cell construction and a short crumple zone with nothing to intrude into the passenger compartment in the event of a frontal collision. Smart offers two front airbags and two side airbags as standard equipment.
As before, Smart Fortwo will come in two versions — Pure and Passion. Pure, available only in coupe form, is priced from $14,990 and is remarkably well equipped with intermittent wipers front and rear, power windows, remote locking, power windows, antilock brakes, an electronic stability program (ESP) with automatic hill start assist and AM/FM/CD audio system standard.
The Passion coupe, starting at $18,250, adds a panoramic roof, heated seats, electric power steering and air conditioning.
The top-of-the-line Passion cabriolet, with its power folding top, starts at $21,250.
Mercedes executives get quite defensive when asked to compare Canadian and U.S. pricing, saying the base car in America is a stripped model without even power windows or a radio. Still, the base MSRP in America is less than $12,000 while the least Canadians will pay is $14,990. One wonders why a similar stripped Pure ForTwo can’t be sold in Canada. With our much higher dollar, isn’t Mercedes-Benz missing a chance to flood the streets of our cities with $11,000 Smarts?
That’s just dumb. Or is it that we are?
Fact File
2008 Smart ForTwo
MSRP range (before taxes): $14,990 to $221,945
Configuration: Rear engine/rear-wheel drive
Engine/transmission: 1.0L I3/5-speed auto with manual mode
Horsepower: 70 hp@
Torque: 68 lb.-ft.@
Fuel required: Premium unleaded
EnerGuide fuel ratings (L/100 km): 5.9 city/4.8 hwy
Competition: None
Highlights: Faster than before with more luggage space
Find a dealer that sells the Smart ForTwo
Other vehicle reviews for Smart
Latest News
-
1.
-
2.
-
3.
-
4.
-
5.
-
6.
-
7.
-
8.
-
9.
-
10.