In 1998, the history of quite possibly the most famous city car began to be written. Back then, the first car with the Smart logo was launched on the market as City Coupé and City Cabrio . Over the years, the first generation was renamed the ForTwo , followed by the second generation in 2007. However, after seven years, even Daimler indicated that it was time for a change, and that is why the third generation of the Smart ForTwo was revealed today.
The recipe is still the same – to make a maximally efficient car for regular traffic in a crowded big city on a minimal floor plan with minimal dimensions . In addition, it must look stylish, which, looking at the new ForTwo, clearly succeeded. It is obvious that the main inspiration was concepts such as FourJoy, ForSpeed or ForVision. The large front lights have integrated LEDs for daytime running lights , the new logo of the car company stands out on the front mask with a honeycomb structure, and the rear part also features new lights, which for the first time are not divided into two on each side. As with every Smart, even the small ForTwo does not lack the Tridion safety frame , which is also painted in a different color than the body (a total of 40 body paints).
The main element of the interior is undoubtedly the instrument panel , consisting of a 3.5-inch color display and an analog speedometer. The second display is located on the center panel, but it belongs to the radio or, in higher equipment, navigation . Both the dashboard and the door panels are covered with fabric, which can be produced in several colors. For an extra charge, a multifunctional steering wheel is available, through which the radio or navigation can be controlled, or for the first time also JBL audio with a 240 W amplifier and eight speakers.
I talked about minimal dimensions right at the beginning, so it's definitely worth mentioning that the ForTwo is 2.69 meters long , 1.66 meters wide, 1.55 meters tall and rides on a 1873mm wheelbase. The interior length of one of the smallest cars on the market is 2011.6 mm and the turning radius is a top 6.95 meters . According to official data, the trunk can hold 260 liters, if we count the volume up to the roof, then even 350 liters.
Thanks to the widening of the wheel track by 100 mm , the wheels were not only moved more into the corners of the car, but also improved agility and driving characteristics. The front axle uses MacPherson suspension, at the back we find the new De-Dion axle , which provides enough comfort for the car's crew. The steering uses the Direct-Steer system with variable transmission and electric power steering for greater driving pleasure. A sports chassis is available for an extra charge, which is lower and stiffer. A greater amount of high-strength steel was used for the production of the body, and the deformation zones were also improved. The basic safety equipment includes ESP and the Crosswind Assist system , which can brake automatically in a crisis situation
Under the hood, thanks to the technical kinship with the Renault Twingo, we can find an atmospheric three-cylinder with an output of 71 hp and a torque of 91 Nm or a turbocharged three-cylinder with a volume of 0.9 liters with an output of 90 hp and a torque of 135 Nm. In the future, we will also see a basic gasoline engine with 60 horsepower. Of course, the engine is located at the back and the rear wheels are driven via a five-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The equipment will be divided into Passion, Prime and Proxy grades from the start, with a special Edition #1 available for a limited time, which will offer several design elements such as a safety frame in Lava orange shade combined with a white body. The price should not exceed 11,000 euros (approx. 300,000 CZK).
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Source: Smart
