Auto Express' exclusive first ride in the new Smart ForTwo
Looks like John over at Autoblog was right. The new Smart ForTwo will boast larger dimensions. Juergen Zoelter from Auto Express is able to confirm this as he was invited by Smart to ride along in a heavily masked version of the new ForTwo which is scheduled to debut on November 9 in Stuttgart, Germany.
The new car measures 20 centimeters longer and 9 centimeters wider than its predecessor. Zoelter says it's still one of the smallest city cars you can buy (remember Auto Express is a British publication), but it's clearly larger. With all four wheels spread farther apart, it's also more stable. Smart's engineers assure him it's a better drive. In covering 2,500 miles across the Arizona landscape, you can bet that Zoelter appreciated the benefits of the new seats and longer wheelbase.
The ForTwo's interior bore black tape as well, but Zoelter says that the layout remains similar. There's a noticeable difference though, he says, in improved quality and a sense of spaciousness in the larger cabin.
As for the engine choices, Zoelter says there are three 3-cylinder, 1.0-liter, gas-powered units that pump out 61, 71 and 84 bhp. The flagship model is turbo'd. However, what really gets our adrenaline running is the 800cc, 3-cylinder diesel in which the test drivers regularly saw a 60 mpg return. Of course, we're not sure just which power plants will eventually make it state-side, but we can certainly hope for Mercedes' diminutive compression-ignition power plant.
[Source: Auto Express]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
yes_i_am_an_american 11:11AM (10/19/2006)
I vote for a clean diesel version. Please please please....
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