Urban mobility returns with new Smart cars

The Mercedes-Benz Group have decided to bring back their compact Smart car to South Africa after the brand was allowed to slip quietly out of mind some 10 years ago.

And just as the heading says, the Smart is all about urban mobility. Those that have ever owned these cars will understand the rationale and need behind this move.

The sceptics, on the other hand, will question it, as the last time did not prove to be so successful for Mercedes-Benz. But a lot has changed over the past 10 or so years to encourage such a move.

Mercedes-Benz as a group has grown in size and market presence as SA has begun to embrace smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles, even if it is mostly because of shrinking disposable incomes.

And perhaps an important point with this car, in my opinion: social media has exploded and enabled trendy and cool offerings to be shown on a less technical and traditional and, dare I say it, critical platform.

Of course not to be ignored, the new Smart fortwo and forfour have undergone improvements in virtually all areas. But this is not to say that the cars don’t have their issues or that what Merc is trying to achieve again is going to be a stroll in the park.

Let’s start with the looks: love them or hate them, they are immediately recognisable as Smart cars. And many of the design features, such as the headlamps, the cooling air grille in the front and the iconic tridion safety cell are identical.

Short overhangs and minimal length are the order of the day and, along with a benchmark turning circle of 7.30m for the fortwo and 8.75m for the forfour, the plan is to get the Smart around every corner and into every parking space.

This high level of manoeuvrability is attributable in part to the Direct-Steer system with variable ratio and electric power assistance, which feature as standard on all Smart models.

Jumping inside, the fortwo is obviously not that big on usable luggage space, but the forfour does offer a decent level of cargo space. The rear seat backrests can be folded down to produce a level load surface measuring 1 285mm x 996mm, with a cargo volume of up to 975 litres – again the benchmark in its segment.

The loading length with the front passenger seat backrest folded forward is also exceptional, at 2.22m. And on top of this, reversible cushions are optional for the rear seats in the forfour.

The “readyspace” seats in the rear can be turned around and lowered substantially in next to no time to produce 12cm more loading height inside, which is very simple to make use of thanks to the rear doors, which open to an angle of almost 90 degrees .

The dashboard and door centre panels feature extensive fabric coverings. This high-quality textile surface is said to be reminiscent of the mesh inserts in modern sports shoes and does its part in reflecting the young nature of the car.

The colour and material concept further underscore this, with the equipment lines standing for a distinctive and individual appearance. The sporty-looking front seats with bold contours are designed as integral seats.

The instrument cluster and its semicircular segmentation for the speed and warning indicators cite the previous Smart models, but in a new look. The three-spoke steering wheel is optionally available as a multifunction variant, which can be used to control the radio or navigation unit positioned in the centre of the dashboard.

Staying inside, the multimedia systems meet the highest standards, with comprehensive smartphone integration, real-time navigation and intuitive operation with touchscreen. For the first time, Smart is offering the JBL sound system.

Furthermore, Smart cross connect is a new app, which is made available to customers free of charge by Smart and was specially developed for in-vehicle use on the road and for continued use outside the vehicle.

It is available for mobile phones with iOS and Android. A cradle has been developed for in-car use and securely holds all different kinds of smartphones. It will be available at the end of the year.

Despite the jokes about how you don’t want to hit a pigeon when you drive a Smart, the car boasts impressive safety features and crash test abilities.

The interior is protected from harm by a rigid shell, called the tridion safety cell, and in keeping with the Mercedes-Benz “real-life safety” philosophy, the focus in car-to-car crash tests was on compatibility with substantially larger and heavier cars.

You also get advanced assistance systems, which were previously the reserve of higher classes of vehicle, to further enhance your safety and comfort. There are three equipment lines (Passion, Prime and Proxy) and a wealth of optional items, but even in the entry-level version, both models offer a comprehensive scope of safety and comfort features, such as LED daytime driving lights, central locking with radio remote control, visual locking-verification signal and immobiliser, cruise control with limiter (variable speed limitation), exterior temperature indicator with frost warning, ESP with crosswind stabilisation, active belt tensioners at the rear of the forfour and electric windows in the front.

You can only opt for the rear-mounted, rear-wheel driven, 999cc three cylinder naturally aspirated powerplant that produces 52kW of power and 91Nm of torque running through a fivespeed manual gearbox.

Which is okay for city stop-start driving but was rather lethargic out on the open road. There might be a new suspension on offer, but there is no gentle way of saying this: the fortwo was horrible out on the open road and got very light when you would lift off at around highway speeds or more.

The forfour, on the other hand, was nice and stable and for this reason alone, especially if you are going to venture out of the city, I would only opt for the forfour.

Adding to this, if you have the budget to stretch that little bit further, I would wait till July and go for the 66kW turbocharged six-speed double clutch version of the forfour. I am sure this model will be a lot more fun than the current offering, especially up on the Reef.

This all being said, if you understand what this car offers and for who, it makes an interesting alternative to the established compact brigade. But it can’t be ignored that you can get a lot of Polo or Fiesta for your Smart money