2016 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe on 2040-cars

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Next-gen Smart lineup growing to three models

Still in the testing phases of the next-generation Smart Fortwo and the new Forfour model, Smart could also be planning a new crossover to reach into a more mainstream vehicle segment. According to Auto Express, soon after the redesigned Fortwo arrives in 2014, the Smart lineup will grow to include the other two models by 2015.
As expected, the renderings of the new Fortwo, Forfour and the unnamed Smart SUV are inspired heavily by recent concepts like the 2011 Forvision Concept and the 2012 Forstars Concept (pictured above). One interesting note is that Auto Express says both the Fortwo and Forfour will offer a removable tablet as a center stack display screen. The report says that while these cars were developed alongside the Renault Twingo, the French automaker will only be using the larger of the two hatchbacks for its new model.
This, reportedly, won't be the only tie up between Daimler and Nissan-Renault, though, as Smart also looks to add a new crossover based on the next-generation Nissan Juke, which could arrive by late 2015.

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 Fortwo Cabriolet coming to Frankfurt Motor Show

We kinda-sorta already knew this, but at an event this week in Portland, OR, Smart USA executives officially confirmed that the new Fortwo Cabriolet will bow at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The Fortwo and Forfour hardtop models have already been on sale in Europe for a few months, and the US-spec Fortwo hits dealerships at the end of September. The Brabus Fortwo will launch in the "middle of next year," according to Smart boss Dr. Annette Winkler. But for now, the full Brabus model will not come to the US. Instead, there will be a "Brabus Tailor Made" program that we'll be hearing more about soon. On the EV side, we know that a new Smart Electric Drive is in the works. Last we heard, it'll launch in early 2017, and Winkler's comments this week reconfirm that. The car will debut at the end of 2016, so US sales will likely commence early the following year. In the meantime, the current Smart ED will be sold alongside the brand-new model. We had a chance to sample the European-spec Smart Fortwo (and Forfour) earlier this year, and found it to be a vastly improved product overall. We'll have our full impressions of the US-spec car soon, so stay tuned.