Daimler South Africa has quietly introduced a new-generation smart for the trendy city dweller with enviro-consciousness. Improvements have been made inside and outside to give the cars a new look and feel. smart has never really cracked the sales charts in this country, but Mercedes-Benz hopes to do better with the new car.
The smart was developed in the mid-1990s with Swatch, the watch maker, as a new way of personal transportation. Over 1.2 million units have since been sold in over 45 countries. Two-seat mobility has never been more compact. Today the cars are catching up with modern technologies such as LED daytime running lights which can be specified as options.
A new sound system with USD and auxiliary inputs enhances the interior ambience. Optionally you can get an 8x4 Watt boomer with tweeters and subwoofers for your funk. Creative use of space makes things a little easier by enabling occupants to not feel too claustrophobic if they can’t find spaces for their cell phones etc.
In keeping things tiny, the smart comes with a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated engine making 52kW and 92Nm of torque. The other engine is same sized but pushes power up to 62kW and 120Nm. Both engines are said to return 4.2 litres and 4.9 litres per 100km respectively, and fall below the 120g/km C02 threshold, which is quite awesome. Unfortunately that means a big disappointment in terms of performance. What that means is a 0 – 100km/h in 13.7 seconds and 10.7 seconds, with top speed pegged at 145km/h. Better not let this one loose on the freeway for too long.
The coupe has a safety cell coloured in black, while the cabrio soft top has one in silver. Two new alloys are available; one a 15-inch 3-double spoke and a 15-inch 12-spoke type, available only for the passion model.
smart Pricing
fortwo micro hybrid pure coupe (R158 000)
fortwo micro hybrid pulse coupe (R175 000)
fortwo passion cabrio (R192 000)
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