Smart updating EV, cabrio models for the Fortwo

Fri, Jul 25 2014

For Smart, the future is now, or at least this fall. That's when the next-generation versions of Daimler's Smart line of compact vehicles, which were unveiled earlier this month, reach European showrooms, Automotive News says. They might be the first of a broader range that would follow them to stores shortly thereafter.

The two-seat Smart Fortwo and the four-seat Forfour will start European sales in November, and the word is that a convertible model and a battery-electric version will follow. We don't know when the next-gen Fortwo will reach the US but that Forfour is unlikely to ever be sold stateside.

A broader vehicle line from Smart may be necessary for the badge's longer-term survival. The company has registered the term "Formore," indicating the possibility of an extra-long version of the Forfour that would be earmarked for the US and China. The Forfour may get a convertible version (it already has a fabric roof), while another, sportier roadster-type model could also be developed, Australia's Motoring.com says, citing an interview with Smart's design director Kai Sieber.

Earlier this month, Smart unveiled the look of the 2016 Fortwo and Forfour, whose powertrains range from 60 to 90 horsepower. A bit more aggressive looking the new Smarts will keep their colorful options with as many as 40 mix-and-match exterior color schemes.

By Danny King