2010 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe: Big things in a small car

By Mike Blake, Carlisle Events

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

We have seen the Smart Car … actually the Smart ForTwo on the road (occasionally) and in magazines, but how many of us consider that the tiny 1808-lb. vehicle is built under the umbrella luxury car giant Mercedes-Benz (actually Daimler AG)?

The Smart story began in 1972, when Mercedes-Benz developed the concept of a super compact automobile measuring less than 100 inches. However, at that time technical implementation of the concept was not possible because of the strict safety standards of Mercedes-Benz.

In 1989, Nicolas G. Hayek, the inventor of Swatch watches, implemented a plan to create a car that could be changed as easily as a Swatch watch – changing body panels frequently and inexpensively for new looks, tweaks and makeovers. He chose M-B as his partner and established a joint venture with the carmaker in 1994. The name Smart was chosen as an acronym for (S)watch, (M)ercedes, ART.

The Smart ForTwo made its first international appearance at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996, and had its world debut at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in 1997. Production began in July 1998 in a new plant in Hambach, France and the vehicle began sales in Europe in October 1999, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of what is now Daimler AG.

After test driving 4,000-lb. muscle cars this summer, ranging from Mustang to Camaro to Challenger, and sports cars including Corvette and Porsche, with a few luxury vehicles and some mighty trucks in the mix, we went super-compact and inexpensive this week with a test of the 2010 Smart ForTwo. The examination made several things apparent: the car IS small and easy to maneuver and park; it DOES get good, but not hypermiling-great gas mileage; acceleration is what one would expect – not exactly jet-propelled; the vehicle has more interior room and comfort than imagined and the vehicle’s safety far exceeds anything one would envision.

Measuring in at an easy-to park or store 106.1 inches long, 61.38 inches wide and 60.71 inches high on a 73.5-inch wheelbase, the vehicle certainly lives up to its diminutive mission when compared to other subcompacts such as: Honda Fit – 162 inches long, 67 inches wide and 60 inches high on a 98-inch wheelbase; Nissan Versa – 169, 67 and 60 on a 102-inch wheelbase; Chevrolet Aveo – 154, 66 and 59 on a 98-inch wheelbase; Toyota Yaris – 151, 67, 60 on a 97-inch wheelbase; or Kia Rio – 167, 67, 58 on a 98-inch wheelbase.

The exterior has an aggressive, forward-sloping profile, panoramic solid roof with sunscreen, projector beam halogen headlamps, yellow side indicators in yellow, tridion color exterior mirror cap and 15-inch steel wheels.

Under hood is a 1.0-liter, 70hp 3-cylinder engine that is EPA rated at 33 mpg in city driving and 41mpg on the highway. A week of mixed-use tests achieved an average of 36.3mpg, displaying that Smart ForTwo IS an economical ride, but that it unexpectedly falls in well behind such gas-savers as Toyota Prius at 51/48, Honda Civic Hybrid 40/45 and Honda Insight 40/43.

As expected for a 70hp 3-cylinder plant, Smart For Two exhibits very slow acceleration. It does do well enough in traffic and stays abreast of other vehicles on the road, but hesitation in the 5-speed automated manual transmission jerks the vehicle and you must plan your maneuvers. A trip to the track was a slow one, as our best zero to 60mph times were 13.6 and 13.7, and the best quarter-mile was a steady 19.1 seconds. Autocross tests were a challenge as Smart tried to bite, but was the victim of wobble and understeer.

The interior is roomier and better-appointed than anticipated. Headroom measures a comfortable 39.7 inches, legroom stretches out to 41.2 inches, shoulder room is 48 inches and hip room 45.4 inches – well above that of many larger cars.

Cabin accouterments include three-spoke leather sports steering wheel with steering wheel shift paddles (including leather gear knob), basic seat with weight detection and seatbelt recognition, flat folding passenger seat with backrest adjustment, storage areas beside the steering wheel and in both doors and 2-speaker AM/FM, single CD audio system, with auxiliary input jack for MP3.

Safety features are exceptional, with a tridion safety cell, full-size driver and passenger airbags, head/neck side airbags, electronic stability program with hill start assist, anti-lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution, hydraulic dual-circuit brake system, integral safety seats, top tether for child restraint system and tire repair kit.

In NHTSA safety tests, Smart ForTwo scored high, receiving a perfect 5 stars in side impact tests 4 of 5 in frontal crashes driver side, 3 for passenger side and 3 in rollover tests.

Base priced at $13,990 for the Passion Coupe, add-ons included air conditioning ($600), Safety cell ($175), power steering ($450), heated seats ($220), radio set-up ($350), alarm system ($160), armrest ($80) Metallic paint ($225) and daytime running lamps ($50) for a drive off of $16,300 plus tax, license and delivery.

Smart For Two … unique, surprisingly roomy and safe and an automotive statement for the economy minded.


Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

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