2013 Smart Fortwo Passion on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Smart will finally stop resisting the crossover's allure in 2022

For years, Smart stood on the sidelines as rivals turned a blind eye to tradition and jumped in the highly lucrative crossover segment. The company is done watching; it's allegedly preparing its own high-riding model for 2022. Smart is aware that its entry into crossover territory is drenched in substantial irony. It was founded to give motorists a right-sized alternative to big cars. That's where the money is, however, and co-owners Daimler and Geely can't justify their investments into the brand if they don't see a return. Viewed in this light, putting a Smart on stilts seems as inevitable as the Chevrolet Impala's demise after 10 generations and millions sold. Don't expect Smart to put its name on a Cadillac Escalade-sized SUV. Italian website Motori Online learned the yet-unnamed model will stretch about 160 inches long, a figure that, if accurate, will make it approximately as big as a four-door Mini Hardtop and a full 54 inches longer than the tiny ForTwo no longer sold in the United States. It will ride on a platform developed specifically for it, likely with input from Geely. The Chinese brand purchased half of Smart in 2019; it also owns controlling stakes in Volvo, Lotus and Polestar, among others. Power will come from an electric drivetrain built around a 78-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Motori Online expects its maximum driving range will check in at about 250 miles. Additional technical details (like whether it will be front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive) haven't been released yet. All three configurations are possible, however. Another point with a big question mark hovering over it is what Smart's definition of a crossover looks like. It might arrive as merely a hatchback on stilts with plastic cladding over the wheel arches, a solution that would satisfy the greatest number of motorists. Or, the company could take a more creative approach to entering the segment by launching something along the lines of the ForStars concept (pictured) introduced in 2012. What's certain is that motorists hoping for a pocket-sized car with Jeep Wrangler-like off-roading skills will be sorely disappointed. Smart's upcoming crossover will be designed primarily for urban use, not for the Rubicon Trail. The soft-roader will reportedly make its debut by the end of 2022, meaning it could go on sale in early 2023.

Car2go NA's new CEO says carsharing service will upgrade tech

Since its first car was shared in the US in 2009, Car2go has seen tremendous growth and a steadily increasing number of users. Car2go is the largest carsharing company in the world today, and the company's North American division just got a new president and CEO: former marketing and sales manager Paul DeLong (pictured, above right). DeLong announced his new position in a letter to Car2go users and said that the company is working on some "key service upgrades" for the ways that the cars connect to Car2go's servers and will soon be using "local mobile providers and 3G networks, resulting in a faster connection when members begin and start their trip." The first city to get upgraded is Seattle. Announcing car2go's new CEO with some key service upgrades planned for you. Today, I have officially transitioned into a new role as the CEO and President of car2go North America. Joining car2go when it was first introduced in Austin in 2009 was the best decision that I've ever made, and as I kick off my first day as CEO today, I would like to share with you what we have in the pipeline for our valued members in the coming months, as well as my thoughts on car2go's bright future. • Our service is getting a speed upgrade. Currently, we are operating a massive switch to introduce technology that will allow us to use local mobile providers and 3G networks, resulting in a faster connection when members begin and start their trip. In fact, we are actively working on this in Seattle at this moment. • Accelerated development with new product features. The past two weeks, we have been working hard to migrate our IT systems to a high-performance cloud-based solution, which will accelerate the development of product updates for our services, and improve and scale our business in all of our cities worldwide. While the upgrades to the new and improved technology have been significant, we realize that they have not been easy. Some members may have been affected recently by disruptions to our service, but we would like to reassure you that all of these investments in our technology will make the car2go experience live up to your expectations. At car2go, we don't strive for just "OK," we strive to be a trusted partner that helps you get from Point A to Point B with ease.

New Smart Fortwo and Forfour teased in promo video

Smart is just about ready to launch the all-new generations of the Fortwo and Forfour. It might be hard to get excited for a car with such a mixed reputation, but the company has high expectations for the updated models. In a new video, Smart teases some nearly final prototypes during arctic testing in Sweden.
Both new vehicles share a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive platform with the new Renault Twingo in Europe. The models in the video look quite tiny, and that isn't an optical illusion. Both cars are reportedly smaller than their predecessors. Even the already minuscule Fortwo is supposedly about six inches shorter than the original.
Both of them are rumored to go on sale sometime later this year, and even the Smart chief engineer in the video says, "The car is ready to be launched." Unfortunately, we probably won't get both models stateside. While the new Fortwo will come to the US, the Forfour likely won't make it here. Scroll down to get an early look at the next generation versions sliding around in the snow and ice.