Get Smarter

Sep 28 2007 By Iain Dooley

Smart's slick sequel to the hit For Two

CERTAINcars lend themselves well to rock industry analogies. Smart's ForTwo is one such car.

At launch the car generated huge amounts of interest and a considerable following - think of it like a new band releasing its first album. Interest then remains steady for a good while but, as others come on the scene, popularity wanes.

The key to any band's continued success is the highly anticipated and often creatively difficult second album. And so it is with Smart; the first ForTwo, or City Coupe as it was first known, managed to carve out aniche for itself.

There's no question that the ForTwo has matured. Visually its features might be familiar but corners have been rounded and the quirky details are largely absent. Theresult is a car that retains the original's styling, yet looks all grown up.

It helps that the car has grown in size. Only slightly mind, but it's enough to make the cabin more comfortable and, crucially, deliver a more practical bootspace and better balanced ride.

Looks aside, mechanically the ForTwo retains its predecessor's layout. I'm sure you don't need telling that the Smart is a strict two-seater. The car's engine is under the boot, and the layout is rear-wheel drive. The once controversial semi-auto gearbox remains but Smart engineers have improved the system in a bid to minimise the potential for a jerky shift.

Depending on the variant, there's also a regular auto mode, which is also much better than before - second-guessing the gear change and feathering the throttle in anticipation is now rarely an issue.

Much of the credit for this step up in performance and refinement needs to be given to the ForTwo's engine range. The three-cylinder format remains but capacity has been increased to a whole one litre. Don't laugh, it has made a world of difference.

With higher power and a choice of turbo and non-turbo units, you can tailor performance to suit your needs. With the former in 84bhp trim and the latter in a choice of 61 and 71bhp, you can have a zippy allrounder that can easily mix it on the motorway or a low cost, city device.

My pick is the 71bhp unit; it will propel a car with enough enthusiasm so you never feel like a mobile chicane on the fast lane.

However, it's easy to forget that under its unusual skin is a perfectly acceptable car. Coming from Mercedes, the ForTwo is packed full of passive and active safety kit.

And then there's the generous level of standard kit - this is no stripped out urban tin box. Predictably there's a wealth of optional kit available, partly to improve the experience and also to encourage customisation, Mini-style. But let's be honest here; I could rattle off the list of kit offered and detail the car's handling characteristics, but I know most of it would pass potential buyers by. Fans of the car can breathe a sigh of relief and rush out and buy one because, like that eagerly awaited second album, this ForTwo continues to promote the Smart philosophy and, crucially, adds something new to keep interest high for the years ahead.

And if you didn't like the car first time around, it really would pay to give this one a spin as you might be pleasantly surprised.

the facts..

Model: Smart ForTwo Coupe Passion, from £8,540 on the road.

Engine: 1.0-litre petrol unit developing 71 bhp.

Transmission: 5-speed auto as standard (with manual override) rear-wheel drive.

Performance: Maximum speed 90mph, 0-62mph in 13.3 seconds.

CO2 emissions: 112g/km.

Economy: 60.1mpg