The smart little car is coming to America

Since its introduction in 1998, 770,000 people in 36 countries have made the Smart Fortwo their choice of transportation. The Smart Fortwo will arrive in the U.S in early 2008 and will be sold by auto giant Roger Penske’s United Auto Group.

Currently on a nationwide tour to drum up buzz and reservations for the diminutive two seater, response for “the little car that could” has been nothing short of spectacular, according to Ken Kettenbeil, director of communications for the Penske Corporation. “We have more than 20,000 reservations already — and we’re not even half way through our planned stops.”

I first encountered Smart several years ago in Europe. Most vehicles there are small anyway, but Smart stood out — especially when parked nose-in. At just over eight feet in length, two Smart cars can share one parallel space.

I caught up with the Smart Fortwo at Mercedes-Benz of Chandler where prospective owners were plunking down $99 for the right to reserve one of the first to arrive from France sometime in the first quarter of 2008.

The current fleet of Smart cars on tour is made up of European models. I was able to get two days behind the wheel of a U.S. pre-production model.

Engineered by Mercedes-Benz, the U.S.-bound Smart is larger, with increased trunk space, a wider rear track and longer wheelbase. Kettenbeil says that approximately 90 percent of the vehicle’s parts are different. Yet, unless you parked the two side by side, you couldn’t tell the difference.

Overall length is 7.7 inches larger than its European counterpart, and a 1.0-liter three-cylinder 70-horsepower engine powers the Smart. It takes 13 seconds to get from zero to 60 mph; top speed is electronically limited to 90 mph. Smart expects to earn an EPA fuel-economy rating of about 40 miles per gallon.

Smart will be offered in two body styles — coupe and cabrio — and three models. The Pure will start at just under $12,000 but that’s without optional air conditioning, power windows, power steering and alloy wheels.

Passion starts at just under $14,000 and includes air conditioning, alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power windows, power and heated side mirrors, and AM/FM/CD audio system.

I tested the third model, the Passion cabrio, starting under $17,000. The cabrio includes an upgraded audio system, mp3 compatibility and a nicely lined soft top with heated rear glass window. Interestingly, the top, which is fully automatic, can be retracted to the open position while driving at any speed.

Driving Smart about the streets and highways of Phoenix for a couple of days elicited nothing but smiles. People loved it like no car I’ve driven. So darn cute is the Smart, I felt like I could get away with most anything and people would still like us. Sort of like your cute little granddaughter.

But there were two things that everyone (yes, everyone) wanted to know. First: “How in the world do you fit in that car?” Second: “It’s cute, but it’s so small it doesn’t seem safe.”

First, the size answer. I’m six feet, six inches tall and had absolutely no problem getting in or out, nor with the amount of room inside. Think of it as sitting in two first-class airline seats rather than being crowded in coach. It doesn’t look roomy, but you really have to get inside to believe it.

Second, the safety question. Here is what Smart says about it: the car starts with what they call a tridion safety cell – a metal structure that surrounds the car’s occupants and dissipates energy in the event of a collision. Smart has a crumple zone in both the front and rear that collapses to absorb the energy of a collision. The tridion cell then transmits the remaining energy over a large surface of the car, protecting the occupants in the process.

Safety features on the Smart include anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, corner braking control for improved braking dynamics in curves, brake assist, traction control and a hill holder function that eliminates rollback on steep hill stops. There are also four airbags: two front and two side. There are no crash test results at the time of this review.

Driving the Smart Fortwo, as you might expect, is quite simple. There is no choice of drivetrains; all come equipped with an automatic transmission that leaves much to be desired. In theory, it’s an automatic transmission. There’s no clutch, but it feels like a manual shifter with a huge pause between shift points. So much so, that it feels like the vehicle actually loses speed waiting to shift. I never got used to the feel and longed for a manual shifter.

At just over five feet tall, Smart is a tall vehicle and nowhere did that become more obvious than when passing or being passed by an 18-wheeler at highway speeds. While I wasn’t blown out of my lane, there is a significant amount of left to right movement of the vehicle.

Another problem area I noticed was in bump management. Because of its short wheelbase you’re going to feel every bump, pothole, expansion joint, and road imperfection — and then some. Conversely, parking is a breeze, and I certainly enjoyed the exceptional gas mileage.

In Europe, I noticed that most Smart owners took liberties with the plastic body panels, wrapping them with animal prints, foil, psychedelic abstract designs or advertising. Personalization is a big part of ownership. I would expect no less here in the States.

I expect Smart will enjoy a loyal ownership but it seems expensive for what you get. Given the harsh ride, annoying transmission and limitations of a vehicle this size, I think vehicles like the Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, or Scion xB and xD are better choices.

 

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