Smart #5 Reviews

The car fairies come to visit me this week as I sleep in Stuttgart, not far from the birthplace of the automobile more than 125 years ago. While I am catching some shut-eye, they wave fairy dust over the Smart ForTwo I have parked in the hotel garage. Or so it seems.As I jump back into the tiny Smart, preparing to battle the commuter traffic on a run to Daimler central just outside of town, I glance down at the fuel gauge and I'm stunned for a just second to see it is magically back on the full mark.I don't recall a petrol station. But then I do remember this is not just an ordinary Smart, and I had better disconnect its electrical umbilical cord before selecting Drive.VALUEThis car is a Smart ForTwo Electric Drive and it's part of an evaluation fleet of more than 1000 cars racking up kilometres and experience across Europe. The first of the fleet hit the road in London in 2007 and have been followed by cars in a range of big cities as far apart as The Netherlands and home base in Germany.The plug-in Smart is now in its second generation - with a third to come later this year - and Daimler says production has topped 2000 cars for destinations in 18 countries. The first real-world electric car from the Daimler family is promised for Australia, but the final details - on-sale date and the crucial price - are still unknown."It's under evaluation. We're looking to bring a small number in initially, to trial them in our driving conditions," says David McCarthy, speaking for Mercedes-Benz."The big stumbling point is the price at this point. It's probably going to be pretty close to $30,000. It will be at least a 50 per cent premium on the petrol car."But what is known is that, unless owners have a solar array on the roof, the vast majority of these Smarts will be running on coal-fired electricity and that's not so smart. Still, Benz is pushing ahead with a potential plan that would make it the third all-electric car in Australia, after the tiny and tinny Mitsubishi iMiEV and the impressive Nissan Leaf."Hopefully in the next month or so we'll have a decision. We've got a bit of interest but we deliberately haven't talked about it until we've driven the car in local conditions," says McCarthy.TECHNOLOGYThe ForTwo is an ideal subject for electrification. In fact, when the tiny city car was born in the 1980s - as the Swatchmobile, an idea from Swatch boss Nicolas Hayek - it was originally intended to be a plug-in battery car.Things changed and by the time it hit the road in 1998 it had gone petrol, and today's ForTwo is still motivated by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine in the tail that produces 52 kiloWatts with claimed economy of 4.7 litres/100km.The switch to the latest ED package puts a lithium-ion power pack, sourced from Tesla, into the car together with an electric motor good for 20kW in constant running, and 30 at peak. The maximum speed is 100km/h, acceleration takes 6.5 seconds to 60km/h and the range is a claimed 100 kilometres.But when ED3 arrives this year, a new battery and other changes will mean 35kW - and a petrol-rivalling 50 at pen - a top speed of 120km/h, 0-60km/h in five seconds and a range better than 135 kilometres.DESIGNThe design of the SmartTwo is much as it's always been - short, stumpy and very different. That difference has not worked well in Australia, where parking is not as precious as it is in Paris or London or Rome. But some people like the idea of a two-seater city runabout and the Smart delivers with a look that is unique.The Smart ED - for Electric Drive - has alloy wheels and is nicely fitted out in the cabin, with two dash-top gauges - they stick up like crab's eyes - to measure battery life and current power use. The plug-in cable is nicely integrated into the bottom half of the rear hatch, which splits with a glass upper for easy access, and the plug-in point is tucked into what would normally be the filler for the fuel tank.SAFETYThe latest Smart is a four-star car in Europe, but that's not the ED. So it's hard to know exactly how it will go, despite Daimler promises that it will be as good as the regular car.It comes with ESP and ABS, as you'd expect, and safety has always been a priority - with massive changes to everything from the suspension to the weight balance even before the first car was sold. But it's still a tiny car and you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end if someone in a Toyota LandCruiser made a mistake.DRIVINGI have driven a bunch of electric cars and the Smart ED is one of the nicest, and most relevant as a green city runner. It's never going to rival a Falcon at the lights, or have the carrying power of a Commodore, but it answers the needs of a lot of people who are now even looking at scooters for inner-city chores and trips.The Smart feels way, way more solid than the iMiEV, while the price will easily undercut the Leaf. But, there are a bunch of buts.Any Smart car makes a lot of sense in Europe, where roads are crowed and parking is tight, and the electric car is even smarter because it is zero emission when running. But even the worse of Sydney and Melbourne traffic is no match for Paris at peak time.The Smart ED is also slow. Very slow. It gets away ok, and is fine up to about 50km/h, but then it battles to add pace and tops out at a GPS-measured 101km/h.I have not driven a car so tardy as my original 1959 Volkswagen Beetle, which means you have to be thinking all the time about maintaining momentum and keeping out of the way of quicker traffic. The Smart is alright on a highway, but hills are a challenge and you really need to keep an eye on the mirrors.Stil, it's a fun car. And a very green car. It's also feels more substantial than I remember from earlier ForTwo runs, rides well and has good brakes and handling for the size and pace of the car.The electric systems are totally inconspicuous and cause almost zero fuss - although the plug-in cable could get dirty if you don't have an enclosed garage or charging spot. My German car comes without onboard satnav, which should be standard to help with locating charge points.And that's the only remaining question. It's extremely easy to plug the Smart ED into a regular socket, and an overnight charge is no drama, but there are still doubts about range.The car easily lasts for 80 kilometres in Germany despite lots of full-throttle work, with the dial still showing half a charge on the 16 kiloWatt-hour battery, and the fairy visit means it's ready for more than another 80 the following morning. It's tough to know until I get a Smart ED home, but it's a car I like and - even at $32,000 - it could be a good thing for Australia.VERDICTA great way to get around in Europe with potential for solid support down under.At a glanceScore: 7/10Smart Electric DrivePrice: estimated $32-35,000Engine: AC permanent magnet synchronous electricTransmission: single speed, RWDBody: two-door coupeBody: 2.69m (L); 1.55m (w); 1.45 (h)Weight: 975kg 

Since it was launched at the show, the electric line-up that included the Smart ebike and fortwo electric coupé and a convertible cars has nabbed a swag of awards, including a prestigious red dot international design gong for 'best of the best'. Smart has decided to reward the little city scooter's contribution towards that by putting it into production, with a launch date in 2014. "With this step, we are adding a further important component to our smart mobility concept for urban mobility in the future," Mercedes-Benz executive vice president of sales and marketing, Dr Joachim Schmidt says. The escooter will follow in the footsteps of the ebike which is rolling out now in Europe and the Smart fortwo electric car, which has just been test-driven by Carsguide and goes on sale in Europe shortly. Mercedes-Benz says there will be more development of the escooter motor show concept before it is launched. In Europe a license will not be required for the scooter, targeting the younger buyer who is not looking at cars. “Anyone who thinks of urban mobility has to think of smart,” says Dr. Annette Winkler, the head of smart. “We offer the perfect zero-emissions vehicle for every requirement, and with our products, electric travel is a lot of fun too.” Will we see it bring all that 'urban mobility fun' here? It's not being ruled out, according to Mercedes-Benz Australia. "I wouldn't say no but it's too early to talk about the scooter and the bike," spokesman Jerry Stamoulis says. "But we certainly wouldn't say no, and will be investigating the case for both of them." "One of the main reasons is that we want to help give the Smart brand a lift in Australia and this could form part of our strategy. So if the technical case is good, we've got a business case to look at."  

The substantially revamped smart fortwo sports a markedly more dynamic appearance, featuring a larger radiator grille with integrated logo, striking front aprons in a new design, horizontally arranged LED daytime driving lights, muscular side skirts and modified rear aprons. The five lines: pure, pulse, passion, BRABUS and BRABUS Xclusive are to be retained. Similarly, the smart fortwo will continue to be available as a coupe and cabrio version and with five engine and motor variants. They range from a 40kW diesel through to the 75kW Brabus, but not all models are available in Australia. The chrome-coloured logo is now positioned directly in the black radiator grille. The air inlets under the number plate have been combined into a single unit, lending the smart fortwo a bolder appearance. The new, optionally available LED daytime driving lights are now arranged horizontally. There is also a choice of three new alloy wheels. The choice of colours comprises seven options, including matt anthracite for the first time. The smart fortwo BRABUS Xclusive is now also optionally available in white. In addition to the three soft top colours for the smart cabrio which were previously available from the smart programme (black, red, blue), the smart BRABUS tailor made program offers six other soft top colours. While the main focus of this facelift is on the exterior, there are changes inside the car, too.  These include a new, high-quality interior package in crystal grey, comprising a fresh leather/fabric combination for the seats, an imitation leather/fabric mix for the door trims and black imitation leather for the instrument panel in combination with a grey knee pad.  

The NSX will be sold in the US under Honda's luxury Acura brand and the company is officially saying that the roadster was made specifically for the film. That may be the case but it has been built off the regular NSX underpinnings and there's already talk of it following the hardtop down the production line. Acura is expected to gauge moviegoers' reactions to the car before committing to build the roadster. The car was photographed late last year during filming of the movie, with suggestions the convertible would be the default NSX. That was quashed when the company revealed its NSX Concept with a roof at the Detroit Motor Show in January. Acura vice-president Mike Accavitti said at this month's New York Motor Show the NSX roadster was a "design exercise". "The appearance of an Acura model in The Avengers'_ even one that won't be on sale, further leverages Acura's ongoing association with the Marvel superhero franchise, which has seen Acura vehicles in both the second 'Iron Man' instalment and in last year's Captain America and Thor," he says. The NSX is driven in the movie by Tony Stark (a.k.a Iron Man), played by Robert Downey Jr and continues the superhero's association with supercars. Iron Man drove an Audi R8 in the original movie and backed it up with an R8 Spyder in the second film.  The NSX roadster is thought to be powered by the same Super Handling All-Wheel Drive hybrid set-up seen in the hard-top. The system uses a V6 petrol engine and three electric motors. Two of the motors power the front wheels with the third used to boost the engine's output to the rear wheels. As a result, the NSX can theoretically operate in full electric, full petrol or hybrid modes using front, rear or all-wheel drive IRON MAN'S WHEELS When he's not flying around as Iron Man, Tony Stark has an enviable collection of cars in the garage. Here's what Robert Downey Jr  has already driven in the first two movies based on the Marvel Comics superhero. Iron Man: Audi R8, Tesla Roadster, 1932 Ford Flathead Roadster, Saleen S7, Shelby Cobra Iron Man 2: Audi R8 Spyder, '32 Ford Flathead, Rolls-Royce Phantom

It sounds so simple that it's a wonder car makers didn't think of it earlier. German specialist vehicle maker Rinspeed has found a way of attaching a "backpack" to the electric Smart ForTwo car which is being considered for sale in Australia. This bolt-on bustle contains extra batteries to give the Smart a longer range for times when you want to go further. It also offers extra room - either covered with a wagon shape or as a ute tray - for personal luggage or for commercial cargo. Like pizzas. "It creates mobility 'a la carte'," says Rinspeed. "The 'backpacks' carry out their assigned tasks depending on current need. They cleverly solve the much-debated operating range problem that electric vehicles suffer from - neither unnecessary space nor superfluous weight is being transported." Dock+Go is the work of Swiss car designer Frank Rinderknecht and his Rinspeed team. It goes on display at next month's Geneva motor show but has a good chance of production.

The electric bike is currently only available in Europe, but Mercedes-Benz  Australia spokesman David McCarthy says it could be a handy tool for Aussie commuters. "We are investigating the E Bike for Oz, we don't have any indicative pricing as yet," he says. "There is interest from customers as it would make a great urban commute bike (but) don't know if you would be allowed to ride it on bike paths. "We are scoping out the business case at the moment. There's no compliance reasons we are aware of to stop it coming here." The bike has a battery seamlessly moulded into the frame and has range of up to 100km on a single charge; more if the rider helps by peddling. It is a handsome piece of machinery with a maintenance-free, carbon-toothed belt as found in many cars. It requires no lubrication, so it won't chew trousers or spatter them with grease. The lightweight belt also won't mark the carpet in the boot or the back seat where it can be easily stored after quickly detaching the front wheel. McCarthy says it would be ideal for people who live close to work or who drive from the suburbs, then park their car and ride the last part of the journey, avoiding traffic congestion and parking problems. There is also an optional mobile phone cradle with USB connection on the handlebars so the rider can use it as a stanav device, app device, phone or music player. Smart claims the bike is safer than conventional bicycles because the electric motor provides extra braking assistance to the hydraulic brakes, recuperating energy to charge the battery in the process. McCarthy suggests Smart is not a major focus. "People buy Smart; we don't sell it," he says. "We continue to support Smart because people love it." He says they sell Smart cars to keep it "out of the hands of the grey importers". "We're also investigating bringing in the second generation of the electric Smart (car), but only in small numbers; half a dozen or so just to trial."

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says several four-seater products being developed with Nissan and Renault would be suitable for Australia, but they are not due until 2014.  "We continue to support Smart because people love it," he says. "We're maintaining our interest in the brand to take it out of the hands of the grey importers.  "We're also investigating bringing in the second generation of the electric Smart, but only in small numbers; half a dozen or so just to trial."  However, he's not too keen on the Smart two-seater urban pick-up concept unveiled at the Detroit motor show this week.  Smart boss Annette Winkler described the "for-us" as "the perfect pick-up for the city".  The awkward two-seater features a tray in the rear that fits two bicycles and the show car had a Smart electric ebike in the back.  The 55kW/130Nm three-cylinder engine has been made in a joint venture with Mitsubishi.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show.After all, last April 1, BMW circulated information about a pick-up. Well, this isn't April and this is no April Fool's Day joke; Smart is launching an urban pick-up called the "for-us". Smart boss Annette Winkler described it at the Detroit motor show as "the perfect pick-up for the city". The awkward two-seater features a tray in the rear that fits two bicycles and the show car had a Smart ebike in the back which is an electric bike. The 55kW/130Nm three-cylinder engine has been made in a joint venture with Mitsubishi. Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says "it's not for us", but suggests there are some new four-seater products being developed with Nissan and Renault that would be "much more suitable".They are not expected until 2014. "We continue to support Smart because people love it," "We're maintaining our interest in the brand to take it out of the hands of the grey importers. "We're also investigating bringing in the second generation of the electric Smart, but only in small numbers; half a dozen or so just to trial."

A car that flies and climbs skyscraper walls. And it can drive too. It’s the winner of an annual design contest that has been trying to find Hollywood’s Next Hottest Movie Car. Car companies around the world competed in the Design Challenge as part of the recent LA Auto Show, and micro-car maker Smart took the gong with 341 Parkour urban vehicle -- a car designed for a hypothetical movie the Daimler-owned company called Annie Gets the Grannies. We can only ponder at the vision behind that, but it promises to have the potential for plenty of action as the vehicle features driving, flying, and climbing modes, using vacuum cups and retractable wheels to scale walls and take flight. This year’s winning Smart vehicle followed their granny thread of last year, with the 2010 car they proposed would be knitted from carbon fibre by robot grannies – which sounds like a horror movie – so that “the knitting can create complex shapes and forms, enabling the geometry to be optimized in strength and weight”. But there was some strong rivalry for first prize, from the design studios of American, European and Japanese car makers.  Honda designers imagined a dystopian future High Noon where scientists create a vehicle based on the remaining DNA of a legendary creature once known as a horse. This is evolved into a vehicle called the IH, which “uses the efficient, lightweight, strong, and functional characteristics of bones for its inspiration. The IH vehicle combines both the character and simplicity of a horse with the latest structural, safety and technological innovation”. Hyundai followed the current vampire fad, with two vehicles designed for the Countess of Siberia -- born in Moscow in 1829 of vampire parents, and with superhuman senses. The Countess Elena is fitted out by Hyundai to help in her war against communism around the globe: the Hyundai Stratus Sprinter multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and the DB Atlant Airship that serves as her home base and MPV carrier. “The MPV can travel any road due to its high ground clearance and has light combat capabilities. The Airship stays afloat and hidden high in the sky to avoid detection. Both vehicles have a magical stealth force that renders them invisible during daylight, only to reappear after dark”. Maybach reinvented Cinderalla as a “Berline Carriage Engineer who spends all her days working at her father's workshop, while her wicked stepmother and stepsister party. “On the night of her birthday, Cindy's father surprises her with a beautiful dress and allows her to take a new Maybach prototype out on the town -- a reinterpretation of the historic Berline Carriage. The Carriage is teleoperated via a satellite link to a Maybach Virtual Chauffeur Centre. This leaves maximum interior space for the passengers and also allows maximum privacy. A large glass screen with 3D laser projection is suspended from the ceiling and can display the Virtual Chauffeur or a variety of media and entertainment.” Mercedes-Benz’s Silver Arrow racecar was the central player in a proposed movie where two enlightened crash test mannequins, Hans05 and Franz02, battle against the evil Dr. Crash-Barrier’s reign of terror and mayhem. The two heroes take action to save their beloved Silver Arrow  -- a long-slung, sculpture on hooped wheels, with body lines that recall  Formula 1 cars and a diagonally configured, hub-less roller track for 'Omni-Directional' driving. Subaru looked far into the future -- 200 years after the rotation of the Earth has stopped, and the planet split into two, distinctly different hemispheres, the Daysphere and the Nightsphere. Humans have been living in a highly developed civilization in the Nightsphere, away from the sun's harmful electromagnetic waves. They have electricity sourced from an innovative energy plant but the fuel, a rare crystallized mineral, is running out. A team sets out to find it in the Daysphere -- a place from which no human has ever come back alive – travelling in the Ultra Subaru HORIZON designed to withstand the strong electromagnetic field, chemical imbalances, scorching heat, and raging storms of the Daysphere. The Design Challenge has been running for eight years, with the annual theme set by a board of design studio execs and the world’s top car design studios invited to take part. The panel includes Pixar Animation Studio art director Jay Shuster, Academy of Art University director of industrial designTom Matano, and Detroit College for Creative Studies chair of transport design Mark West.  

Just drive in and park – and you’ve got charge. Or slot into a special carpark on the street and do the same thing.Similar to the inductive charging plates you can get for mobile phones – and the inductive technology used by your electric toothbrush as well – cordless charging is probing into the car world.A trial project has been started in Berlin, with German carmakers Audi, BMW, Daimler, Opel and VW lining up to give their electric vehicles a shot. The real-world trial is being backed by the German government, and will start in March 2012 with a family of four living in an induction-equipped house.Over the 15 months they’re in residence, they’ll get to drive cars from the German brands, with the first car onto the rank being a Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL modified with a special charging coil that allows an induction charging option.The A-Class E-CELL will be parked over a charging coil in the carport floor, automatically activating charging via an electromagnetic field. The A-Class will still be able to be charged via the house’s domestic power outlet and public charging stations.Lining up behind the A-Claass – and from the same Daimler stable - are a Smart Fortwo and a Smart ebike electric bicycle, all of which will be evaluated to see how well the technology fits into everyday family life. At least, if you’re an everyday family living in a one-off science lab project.