Road Test
Smart ForTwo Passion 70
Test date 01 August 2007
Price as tested £8,545
For Excellent packaging and engineering, fuel economy, ease of parking
AgainstSlow-witted gearbox, dead steering, slow out of town, pricey
The Smart ForTwo is the sort of car we’d love to like. The rear-engined two-seater is packaged and engineered in an innovative and clever fashion that motordom has rarely seen in small cars since Alex Issigonis placed an engine crossways in the front of the Mini.
The realisation of the original Smart concept, however, was less endearing than the concept. For all its engineering purity, the first Smart CityCoupe – later renamed the ForTwo – was too compromised in daily use. That it could only seat two and offered too little luggage space was bad enough; that its sluggish performance and tardy gearchange made it less appealing to drive than the Fiat Panda, Ford Ka or 107/C1/Aygo trio was worse still. And that it was easily as expensive as any city car was its final ignominy.
This new ForTwo is meant to right those wrongs. Smart has promised stronger performance, an improved gearbox, better steering, more interior room and more safety, while retaining the best elements from the first car. Does it work better this time round?
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