2009 Smart Fortwo Brabus on 2040-cars

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2017 Smart ForTwo ED is cheaper than its smaller, slower charging predecessor

The latest Smart ForTwo ED already has a bevy of advantages compared with its predecessor. It's bigger, its motor is more potent with 80 horsepower and 115 pound-feet of torque, and it charges way more quickly. It's on-board charger gets it to an 80-percent charge in just 2.5 hours when hooked up to a 240V charger instead of the 4.5 hours of the predecessor. Now it has price on its side, too. The coupe starts at $24,550, which is $1,200 less than the old model. The convertible version doesn't get cheaper, but it doesn't get more expensive either. It starts at the same $28,750 as the previous drop-top version. When applying the $7,500 national tax credit for EVs, the Smart ForTwo ED looks even more affordable, with the coupe starting at $17,050, and the convertible starting at $21,250. Both models come with additional standard features including cruise control and a warranty for the battery. Smart now offers a Climate Package that adds a heated steering wheel and seats, and also adds more insulation to improve the efficiency of the climate control system. This will likely be a good package for people looking to stay comfortable while maximizing the ForTwo ED's 70- to 80-mile electric range. The Smart ForTwo ED will arrive on dealer lots this summer. And, unlike some larger competitors such as the Kia Soul EV and Fiat 500e, the Smart ForTwo ED will be available nationwide. Related Video: Featured Gallery New Smart Fortwo Electric Drive View 30 Photos Image Credit: Sebastian Blanco Green smart Convertible Coupe Economy Cars Electric smart fortwo ed

2016 Smart Forfour

The Fortwo always has been – and always will be – the prototypical Smart car. While it has been far and away the brand's best seller, it's not the only model to to wear the moniker. A decade ago, Smart rolled out the larger Forfour, but like the brand's other models that have come and gone, it wasn't much of a success. Now, Smart is back and taking another stab at it with the introduction of this all-new Forfour. And this time, we think it's in a much better position to succeed. Where the previous model shared its underpinnings, production line and front-engined layout with the Mitsubishi Colt, the new Forfour was co-developed with – and will be produced alongside – the new Renault Twingo we drove recently. Like its predecessor (and its contemporary French cousin), the new Forfour is not presently earmarked to be offered in America. But curiosity got the better of us when we were offered the chance to drive it back to back with the Fortwo upon their launch in Barcelona. Driving Notes Like the smaller Fortwo, the new Forfour will be offered with a choice of two three-cylinder engines mounted all the way at the back: a normally aspirated 999cc engine (available in 59- or 70-horsepower states of tune) and a 898cc turbo kicking out 89 hp. Either engine can be mated to either a five-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch transmission (save for the lowest spec, which can only be had with the manual). We sampled the top-spec model, fitted with the same turbo engine as the Fortwo we'll get in the States, sending 89 hp and 100 pound-feet of torque through the five-speed manual straight down to the rear wheels. The Forfour's (relatively) great mass means that, even with forced induction, it still takes 11.2 seconds to reach 62 miles per hour from a standstill. That's a 0.8 seconds behind the Fortwo with the same powertrain, but a solid 4.7 seconds quicker than the next (naturally aspirated) version down. It hardly felt rapid, but it kept pace just fine with European city traffic. Regardless of spec, however, the rear-engined layout it shares with the Fortwo and Twingo makes the new Smart Forfour exceptionally agile. That it felt any less scrappy than the Fortwo is a testament only to the latter's agility, because compared to anything else on the road, the new Forfour will change direction like a frightened street cat.

Smart runs a Forfour out of town on rails

What's smarter, driving a city car to get where you're going, or taking the train? The answer likely depends on where you live, where you're going, and how good the train service is between the two points. But Smart is out to answer that question in its own way. The British division of Mercedes' kid brother has taken one of its new Forfours and modified it to run on rails. Not metaphorically handle like it's on rails, but actually drive on train tracks. You know, like an actual train. Only smaller. Much, much smaller. Where a locomotive might have a 17-liter engine and weigh 70 metric tons, the Smart comes in with less than one by both counts. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, Smart says it took six months of engineering and computer-aided design work to get it all lined up. The company teamed up with British train-builder Interfleet for the conversion process that necessitating replacing the rolling stock with 22-inch solid steel wheels weighing around 180 pounds a piece, disconnecting the steering, and welding aluminum supports between the axles to lock everything in place. The result was dubbed the Smart Forrail. It was demonstrated on a 10-mile stretch of railroad through Sussex, UK, run by the privately operated Bluebell Railway. But after the demonstration was done and the video above was shot, the vehicle was converted back to road-going specification. Which is a bit of a shame, because just once we'd like to get into a car (with the engine in the back, no less) and say to a confused passenger: "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." A SMARTER WAY TO GET FROM A TO B: THE smart forrail Note: Do not try this at home... The new smart forfour is a pretty effective point-to-point machine. It can drive from London to Aberdeen non-stop for as little as GBP39. Its four occupants will be comfy on the 540-mile journey too, even if they're significantly taller than the car is wide. The smart forfour is tiny on the outside, yet clever engineering means its interior is vast and is packed with technology to help make the journey fun, relaxing and safe. It stands a good chance of being the ultimate commuting machine, were it not for one obvious rival. The forfour is reliant on roads, meaning the humble train has an obvious advantage in that it can get from point-to-point through a more direct route. When it comes to outright speed and ruthless efficiency, it's one-nil to the train. Not all is lost, though.