2008 smart ForTwo Review
SEE ALSO:smart Crash Video and Story
SMART CAR FOR THE USA
Quirky and Cool
By Steve Purdy
TheAutoChannel.com
Detroit Bureau
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I say to my codriver, veteran radio and TV guy Rob Marr, “oops, I’ve left the car’s nose too far out into the intersection.” Then I thought again and said, “Oh. I forgot. This car has no nose.”
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The profile is unlike anything else you’ll see in the US, though a few similar shaped little cars populate European roads and some wonderfully outlandish concepts of this ‘one-box’ formula can be seen at all the Asian auto shows. In fact, if you’ve been to Europe or seen the new Pink Panther movie you’ll recognize the smart instantly.
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The Daimler-Benz gurus originally thought it would be too small for US tastes. A few years ago, though, they decided to give it a try in the US and brought some examples to the Detroit auto show to test reaction. A little SUV version, a roadster and a four-place sedan enhanced the potential offerings. In spite of positive buzz M-B backed out of that plan deciding that, because their smart division was struggling financially, even facing a possible demise, it was not a good time to spend the money necessary to federalize the little squirt, set up a dealer network and do all the other things necessary to bring it here. “Bummer,” many of us thought.
After all, I had done a four-day stint and evaluation of the smart in Toronto and Stratford, Ontario a couple of years ago and I was enamored with the jumpy little car. In spite of rather rough and crude dynamics, I found its overall personality quirky and endearing and its aesthetics quite charming. Where ever we went it garnered a great deal of positive comment and attention. And, of course, I like that.
Enter upon the scene Roger Penske, racer, savior of struggling business, trucking magnate, mega car dealer and businessman with a golden touch who loves a great project. Penske, who has dealerships in Brittan selling the smart as well as long established connections with Daimler-Benz, envisions a substantial market for smart here and is the US distributor.
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Out on the road headed south the first thing we both notice, and the brunt of most criticism from the other journalists here, is the slowness and crudeness of the transmission - a tightly-packaged five-speed manual with electric shift. That means we have no clutch at our disposal. The clutch is within the transmission and is actuated electrically either through the programmed automatic mode or the result of our input through the shifter on the console or the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. It is not a traditional automatic because it does not use a torque converter. The smart engineers insist, when teased about the leisurely shifts, that we could not shift any faster if we were doing it ourselves with a foot clutch. I don’t think they convinced any of us.
It is difficult, but not impossible, to get a smooth shift. Letting the car do it for you is not initially conducive to smoothness. And, even after a couple good long drives I couldn’t tell you how to do it. Once I’ve had a week with the car I might be able to. While most of my colleagues thought it was annoying and unconscionable, I thought it was part of the charm and quirkiness of the car.
Unless you keep the revs up it can feel rather anemic. Powered by a little one-liter, 3-cylinder, 70-hp, normally-aspirated, gasoline engine, smart will do zero-to-60 in just less than 13-seconds with a top speed of 90-mph. The engine is mounted transversely, slanted at a 45-degree angle just ahead of the rear axle and drives the rear wheels.
This is an economy car, after all. Fuel economy in 2008 methodology is rated at 33/40 which equates to 40/45 by 2007 standards. With an 8.7-gallon fuel tank we expect only about a 300-mile-plus range if we allow for the listed 1.3-gallon reserve. A turbo-diesel is available in Europe (and some of the other 36 countries where it is sold) and an electric version is under development.
“Yes. But is it safe?” you ask. Certainly, there are rules of physics that a tiny car can’t transcend. But think about a race car that can crash at 150 mph with the driver climbing out the window unhurt. The structural integrity of the smart is amazing. A display at the California launch showed the “tridion safety cell” that is the essence of the structure defined by that horizontal arch so apparent from the side view. The cockpit acts much like the shell of a walnut protecting the nuts within. Crash dynamics are designed so that rear and front crash forces are guided downward and side impacts are mitigated by reinforcements in the doors and B-pilars and the exaggeratedly short wheelbase, which allows the wheels and axles to absorb part of the energy. Four air bags, two in front and two on the sides, protect the nuts as well.
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Chassis dynamics are just as important in preventing an accident. The smart comes standard with electronic stability program, ABS, traction control, brake assist, differential lock and hill assist control. Suspension design features a lower wishbone McPherson strut with anti-roll bar in front and a DeDion axle with coil springs and telescopic shocks in the rear. Damping is just about right to keep it firmly planted without being too stiff. Handling is agile and quick on its 15-inch tires but putting our foot down on the go pedal does not illicit a particularly immediate response.
Smart fortwo is produced in an eco-friendly plant in Hambach, France. Water-soluble paints are used for smart’s three basic colors - black, white and yellow. And, smart is close to 100% recyclable, they contend.
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Later that evening, just before dinner, we were assembled in a small theater for the formal engineering and marketing talks. Just as Smart America’s president, began talking about the tridion roll cage there was an intense rumble outside, like a fleet of semis on a cobblestone street. The entire theater began to shake, rattle and roll. He stopped talking waiting for the noise and movement to abate. What was that? A fellow a few seats down from me declared, “That was about a 5.3.”
He was close. After a wonderful dinner I turned on the news to find that it was a 5.6, largest since the big one in 1984 that reeked havoc with the Oakland Bay Bridge. Fortunately there were no injuries and little property damage, but it was big enough to get my attention and give me an adrenalin rush. I’ll not forget how that feels.
Prices begin for the smart fortwo ‘pure’ at $11,950. The ‘passion coupe’ starts at $13,950. And the ‘passion cabriolet’ starts at $16,590. They’ll begin being delivered to customers from dealers in fifty major cities in the US in January 2008. Reservations have been flowing in since June when the car was being paraded around the country for test drives. You may have seen them in your area. If you want to get on the list go to www.smartusa.com . More dealers are being added and you’ll find the list at that Web site as well.
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If I were to look into my crystal ball I would see smart becoming an immediate success in trendy urban markets. Young trendsetters will be clamoring to get their hands on one. Whether this cute little city car will have staying power in US markets is another matter. Only time will tell.
© Steve Purdy, Shunpiker Productions, All Rights Reserved