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November 15, 2006 This Week:
© 1998 - 2006
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The dimensions have increased as against the first generation. The 19.5 centimetre increase in length benefits pedestrians, rear impact protection and especially ride comfort. The luggage compartment can hold 220 litres – 70 litres more than before – and when loaded to the roof there is space for up to 340 litres (a further 80 litres). The new smart fortwo also features the familiar twin-section tailgate. The lower section can be used as a little platform and facilitates loading and unloading.
Like the exterior, it goes without saying that the interior of the smart fortwo remains truly smart. Typical smart characteristics include the external-mounted air vents and additional dials, the large, fabric-covered areas on doors and instrument panel, the safety seats with integral seat belts and last but not least the ignition lock behind the shift lever. The observer immediately notices that the instrument panel is no longer curved in an S-shape towards the passenger side but is now straight. This is partly to comply with US crash regulations. Nevertheless – and perhaps because of this – the new smart fortwo offers a unique feeling of spaciousness.
The high level of passive safety has been further improved. Internal crash tests have shown that the smart fortwo will be at the level of four EuroNCAP stars. And that’s not all: as the new smart fortwo will be sold in the USA from 2008 it also complies with the strict American crash regulations. Likewise, new regulations concerning pedestrian protection have been implemented in the front section. Furthermore, new head/thorax side airbags offering extensive protection in the event of a side crash are available as an option. The outstanding economy of the smart fortwo is underlined by further optimisations. Despite the greater engine power, the petrol versions consume less than five litres of fuel over 100 km. The smart fortwo with a starter generator that will be available from the end of 2007 and will be based on the 52 kW petrol version, promises further savings of up to 13 percent in city traffic. This has particular advantages when driving in urban areas and frequent stop-and-go traffic: the three-cylinder engine automatically switches off when the car stops at traffic lights, for example. It starts again as soon as the driver presses the accelerator pedal. The new smart fortwo cdi consumes even less fuel. The diesel engine in the predecessor model already had the lowest consumption of its class and the new smart fortwo also achieves "three litre" status (corresponds to consumption of less than 3.5 litres/100 km under standard conditions) with emissions of just 90 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Alternative drives are also possible and the new smart fortwo has been designed to allow for quick implementation of natural gas or electric drive concepts – as soon as there is a demand for these new drive systems and they become economically viable. The smart fortwo cabrio's electric soft top is a further example of the enhanced comfort. It is now fully automatic and can be infinitely adjusted to any position. This means that the rear part, too, can be opened to the final position and closed again at the touch of a button. Unique: the smart fortwo doesn't have to be stationary for this – the soft top can be opened and closed at any driving speed. Furthermore, the roof bars can be removed and stowed in a special compartment in the tailgate. The soft top offers further added comfort and safety with the heated rear window made of glass. The equipment lines continue to go by the names of pure, pulse and passion. Whereas the basic pure version has a plastic roof, the pulse and passion feature a transparent, high-strength panoramic roof made of polycarbonate. Fans of the BRABUS variant also have something to look forward to: the introduction of an uprated BRABUS variant is planned for autumn 2007. The smart fortwo can be individualised and tailored to customer requirements with a wide range of extras. These include head/thorax side airbags, air conditioning (standard for passion), electric power steering, heated seats, alloy wheels (standard for pulse and passion), leather seats, Isofix child seat fastener, a high quality audio system with a CD changer for 6 CDs and a sound system featuring a subwoofer and an MP3 interface. The basic price for the new smart fortwo will stay at the level of the predecessor model. The diesel variant, too, will remain an inexpensive "three litre" car that will continue the great success of its predecessor. Likewise, the new smart fortwo cabrio will continue to be by far the cheapest production cabriolet available worldwide. (November 9, 2006)
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