2015 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe on 2040-cars

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It's been a year, and nothing has changed with Smart ED launch

A full year ago, Smart said that the updated version of the all-electric ED version of the quirky two-seater would not arrive until late 2016 or early 2017. The 2016 release was later rumored to be pushed back, so we thought we'd stop by the Smart booth as the Detroit Auto Show and see what the deal was. The current word on the street is that the late 2016 date is back in play, so we're back to where things were at the last Detroit show. We also learned that the new ED will likely be available in roughly the same markets as the current electric Smart Fortwo. That means that you'll easily be able to get one in California and other plug-in friendly states. You will also be able to order one anywhere that you can get a standard Smart. In other words, steady as she goes. In other possible news, the electric vehicle may get three new colors for the Tridion steel safety shell: Stop Light Red, Titania Grey Matte, and Lava Orange Metallic. These colors will be available on the gas-powered Smarts first, with the Lava Orange already reserved for a special edition. Smart's assistant product manager, Keith Edwards, told AutoblogGreen that was still to be determined if the ED will get the variety of colors available or if it will get a unified look like the green-white of the previous version. Edwards said that the ED will launch in Europe at roughly the same time as it does in the US. This is because all of the EDs are made at the same plant and, since it's done making the previous model, the new ones will be rolling off the line at some point. Either in late 2016 or early 2017. Featured Gallery 2016 Smart Fortwo Cabriolet View 30 Photos Green Detroit Auto Show smart Electric exclusive smart car smart ed

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Next-gen Smart ForTwo, ForFour will be even smaller

As expected, the new four-seat vehicle that Daimler AG's Smart division is will start selling later this year will still be pretty darn short. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, speaking at the Mercedes-Benz parent company's annual press conference, disclosed a few details about both the next-generation Smart ForTwo and the new Smart ForFour, according to World Car Fans. The next-generation ForTwo will shrink by about six inches. The ForFour, which the German automaker should unveil this summer before starting sales in Europe by the end of the year, will be tidy 3.5 meters (137.8 inches) long. That's about nine inches shorter than the standard-issue Mini Cooper (we're not even going to compare it to the Clubman) and almost two inches shorter than the Fiat 500. It's also shorter than the original ForFour, which Smart sold from 2004-2006 and was 147.7 inches long. Additionally, Zetsche said the next-generation ForTwo will shrink by about six inches from the current version to a comically short 105.5 inches long. Smart's US sales were just south of the 10,000-unit mark for 2013 (9,264, to be exact), and Smart chief Annette Winkler said last month Daimler was unlikely to sell the Smart ForFour in the US because of domestic automotive regulations and the additional investment it'd take to bring the model stateside. Last February, a new Smart ForFour prototype was spotted being tested in the cold-weather climes of Sweden. Featured Gallery Smart Fourjoy Concept View 11 Photos News Source: World Car FansImage Credit: Smart Green smart smart forfour fortwo