2009 Smart Fortwo Pure on 2040-cars

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2016 Technology of the Year Finalist: Smart CrossConnect App

One of the most common car-tech-related questions we hear is, "Why can't I just have my phone hooked up in the car?" Indeed, everything we need lives on our smartphones – phonebook contacts, navigation, audio files, etc. And while systems like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work to bring a sort of mirroring functionality into the car, Smart offers a solution that allows you to, quite literally, just use your phone. It's called the CrossConnect App, available on the new-for-2016 Smart ForTwo. The car comes with a docking port that plugs into the radio head unit, which holds your phone in place, horizontally. From there, you run the app like you would any other, and it lets you work through your phone's existing information to use things like a media player, Bluetooth calling, navigation, and more. The app is free for Android and Apple users. It's a little clunky sometimes, but we like the ability to just use the existing functionality of your phone right there in the car's center console.

Smart Cross Connect app changes how ForTwos get used [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The story's been updated with a response from a Smart representative. There are parking spaces, and then there are Fortwo parking spaces. Smart, which is owned by Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler, is looking for a way for its customers to take advantage of the difference. Think of it as a big thing for really small cars. Smart is working on an app for the redesigned Fortwo called Cross Connect that will be available as soon as next month, says Automotive News, citing Smart chief Annette Winkler. The idea is to connect owners of the diminutive two-seat vehicles to, for example, let them tell each other when there's a parking space that's too small for just about any other vehicle but big enough for a Smart. If you think that's a small thing, think again. The Fortwo is 8 feet, 10 inches long. That's almost six feet shorter than a Toyota Prius, which itself isn't exactly a stretch limo. In fact, the length of a Smart Fortwo is just 10 inches longer than the width of a Ford F-150, in case anyone was having misgivings about parking perpendicular in a parallel spot. Parking has become more relevant, and tougher, as more people move to urban centers. For instance, BMW said earlier this month that it would discontinue its DriveNow car-sharing operations in San Francisco because of the challenge of parking vehicles on that city's streets. Other possible amenities with the Cross Connect app including the enabling of personal car sharing as well as information on car washes that offer discounted rates for Smart Fortwo. Yes, there are some out there, apparently, and we salute them. Michael Minielly, a spokesman for Mercedes-Benz, confirmed to Autoblog that the Cross Connect features would be available in November. You can read Autoblog's driving impressions of the 2016 Fortwo here. Featured Gallery 2016 Smart ForTwo: Second Drive View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News-sub.req.Image Credit: Drew Phillips Green Mercedes-Benz smart Technology Smartphone fortwo

Smart will show a crossover concept this September

Although the company left the U.S. a couple years ago, the Smart car brand is still rolling along as an all-electric brand in Europe. And it may be expanding in the near future. This September, the company will show a concept for a little crossover, and it released the above teaser images ahead of time. The concept is a bit of a departure from the Smart styling we know. It's very much a two-box design with a long front end compared to the one-box Fortwo and Forfour models currently on sale. And instead of big, rounded headlights, those on the concept are sleek and slender. It does look just as soft and organic as the model's current cars, though. The car will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. We would guess it will be a bit larger than the Smart Forfour, a subcompact four-door hatchback. We would expect something sized a bit like a four-door Mini Hardtop or possibly a Fiat 500X. It will of course be all electric in keeping with the automaker. Though a production model would likely be marketable in the U.S., we have no expectations of it coming to America since the brand abandoned the market. Related Video: New Smart Electric Drive | Autoblog First Drive | Autoblog