Happy tenth birthday to the smart fortwo

A further feature is the mix of materials consistently realised in a production vehicle for the first time with a hard core (tridion) and a flexible and functional shell consisting of thermoplastic bodypanels. In this way smart sets new trends and its shape alone gives it a likeable appearance whilst still being taken seriously.

Safety – a hard shell for the passengers

The smart fortwo is seen as a real trendsetter in terms of safety equipment in small cars. The tridion safety cell protects its occupants like the hard shell around a nut. In this way it also meets the extremely strict standards of Mercedes-Benz Cars. Moreover, it complies with American crash requirements and attained top ratings in US-SINCAP and EuroNCAP (four stars).

The basic equipment of the smart fortwo includes full-size airbags for driver and passenger, belt tensioners and belt-force limiters. Head/thorax side airbags are available as an option. esp® also comes as standard. This is not even available for an additional charge in many other small cars. The esp® includes hill-start assist and the anti-lock braking system abs. A hydraulic brake assist function is also part of the standard specification.

User-friendly gear shifting as a standard feature

The smart fortwo is fitted with an automated manual five-speed transmission (softip) as a standard feature. This means that there is no clutch pedal. To shift up a gear, the shift lever on the centre console merely requires a brief tap forwards, while pulling it back shifts down a gear. The passion version features the softouch automatic gear programme as standard, which enables the driver to switch from manual gear shifting (softip) to an automatic gear programme (softouch) by pressing a button on the gear knob. Steering wheel gearshift is available as an optional extra.

The diesel version of the smart is the current CO2 champion

State-of-the-art compact three-cylinder petrol engines with a capacity of 999 cc are installed at the rear of the smart fortwo. In Western Europe customers can currently choose from two naturally aspirated engine versions with mhd (micro hybrid drive) technology delivering 45 or 52 kW (61/71 hp) respectively, and a turbo engine rated at 62 kW (84 hp). A three-cylinder turbo engine is also at the heart of the 72 kW (98 hp) smart fortwo BRABUS. In addition, a diesel variant is available – the smart fortwo cdi – which is the world champion in low CO2 emissions. The 33 kW/45 hp two-seater car consumes just 3.3 litres of fuel (NEDC) per 100 kilometres on average, which means that it can travel approximately 1000 kilometres without refuelling.

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