First Drive Review
After more false starts than an amped-up lineman, DaimlerChrysler is going to export its weird-looking Smart Fortwo city car to the U.S. beginning in the first quarter of 2008. The Fortwo will be distributed through Roger Penske's UnitedAuto Group and sold through various dealerships including DaimlerChrysler. Dealers will be mainly in major conurbations: Think Los Angeles, Miami, New York.
This second-generation Fortwo (the first gen has been in other markets since 1998) looks like a twin of the original but slightly bigger. At a still-trim 106.1 inches, the Fortwo is about eight inches longer overall, is up 2.2 inches in wheelbase, and has a 1.2-inch-wider rear track. The bigger footprint allows for more interior space, an eight-cubic-foot luggage area on top of the rear-mounted engine, and a more-solid front crash structure.
The Fortwo will have a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder Mitsubishi engine that produces 70 horsepower. Elsewhere, a turbo version with 84 horsepower is available, but we won't get that, at least not initially. The engine is connected to a Getrag five-speed automated manual that has steering-wheel-mounted paddles plus a fully automatic mode.
There are two Fortwos: a hatchback with an optional sunroof and a convertible with a power top. Both have front and side airbags, traction and stability control, ABS, and brake assist.
The Fortwo has its admirers - usually people living in cramped cities, where its ability to buzz through gaps in traffic or fit into tiny parking spaces is a boon. In the States, the vehicle's size may work against it, anywhere except urban areas. The interior might feel as spacious to its two occupants as a C-class - until they look around and see that the rear bumper is almost immediately behind them, along with a speeding Peterbilt. Scary.
In town, though, the Fortwo works well. The rear-mounted engine purrs like an electric screwdriver and powers the Smart to a top speed of 90 mph. The rack-and-pinion steering is precise and gives the vehicle real nimbleness. Enthusiasts need not apply, however.
Smart has sold more than 770,000 Fortwos in 36 countries since October 1998. We're convinced that Penske will shift only a limited number here at a projected $12,000 a pop. Just how many urban fashionistas are there?
