A madcap city car - Smart Forfour
The king is dead, long live the king! That is what you might exclaim when considering the future of Smart. From 2020 it will no longer be possible to buy a petrol-engined Smart on the Old Continent: all of them will be electric.
Today Smart's representatives are arguing with their counterparts at Renault over whose stable produces the cheapest zero-emission car in Poland. The Smart Fourfour costs PLN 78,000; the Renault Twizy is cheaper, but.....Smart claims that the Frenchman is only a quarter of a car. The truth is that neither of them is cheap, but that is currently the affliction of all electric cars without exception.
Despite their dispute over the lead in the ranking of "cheap" e-cars, Smart and Renault are really like brother and sister. The Renault Twingo lent its body structure, and the Smart was built on that basis. Apart from the body layout, it is clear at first glance that the infotainment system is also borrowed from Renault.
Design, interior and boot
I drove the Smart Fourfour for a few days and grew very fond of it. Despite its obvious flaws. I like its cheeky interior and instruments. I particularly liked the rotating "mushroom" and the interesting slider for setting the cabin temperature, with a built-in "magnifying glass". The little car is very manoeuvrable and quite roomy. Weighing up the right proportions, the designers uncompromisingly placed all the wheels at the very extremities of the body. These distinctive proportions are further emphasised by the two-tone bodywork. I probably wouldn't choose "electric green" combined with white to emphasise how different the car is, but bravo to the manufacturer for its courage. In terms of practicality, besides the small turning circle, the exceptionally wide-opening doors are worth noting. Well, the batteries forced the floor to be raised - now it is hard to find a comfortable position for your resting left foot. The boot....well, that is the car's very weak point. It is tiny. In the petrol Smart the engine sits behind the rear axle, which forces the boot to be smaller. In the electric car there is no engine there, so what is there? I tried to find out, but it will remain a mystery. I suspect there is a sizeable, completely unused space. What's more, it is a ventilated space, because the air intakes needed in the petrol version have been left in place. Here they are completely unnecessary, as an electric motor hardly heats up: it does not need cooling, nor does it draw in air to create a fuel-air mixture.
Range and eco mode
Range is also a weak point of the car. I was warned that 100 km on a single charge was the absolute maximum. I'll put it this way: when I collected the fully charged car, it showed a range of 86 km. After a few days, the car, charged to the brim, was showing 115 km to the next charge. I wonder what would have happened if I had been able to drive it for a few more days 🙂 By handling the car skilfully, you can increase the range, forgetting some of the habits of driving a conventional car. The enemy of electric cars is heating the cabin. The days were cool during the test, but switching on the seat and steering wheel heating was enough to keep me comfortably warm. In the Smart you do this with a single button.
You won't get far in the Smart on a single charge, but what fun you will have! The little car is very nippy, and "eco" mode does not automatically make it sluggish. What you do feel is increased energy recovery. To be honest, the calibration of "eco" mode in the Smart suited me best of all the cars I have driven so far.
The car was generously equipped. A reversing camera and sensors, automatic lights, infotainment, automatic air conditioning and a knee airbag for the driver....The glass roof may come as a surprise, as it will either cool or heat the interior considerably. It is a superfluous luxury, unnecessary in an electric car.
Test summary
It is hard to predict what will happen to Smart. Will it manage to prepare the next generations so as to get rid of flaws such as the short range and the compromise body design based on a combustion-engined "donor"? The brand is well known and has a powerful group behind it. The natural habitat of electric cars is the city, and Smart has already conquered cities successfully in the past. I wish it every success in finding its rightful place in the e-world.
Specification and price of the tested Smart EQ forfour
You will find the detailed specification of the test car below:
| smart Type smart EQ forfour | |||||
| Type: | 453.091.1 | ||||
| PLN | |||||
| Vehicle with standard factory equipment | 78,048.78 | ||||
| Tridion: | EN7 | Tridion in green - electric green | 0.00 | ||
| Paint: | EBZ | White | 0.00 | ||
| Upholstery: | ICV | prime | 6,985.23 | ||
| Optional equipment | |||||
| 14U | Smartphone integration | 0.00 | |||
| 211 | Power steering | 0.00 | |||
| 240 | LED daytime running lights | 0.00 | |||
| 258 | Active brake assist | 0.00 | |||
| 25U | Black upholstery with contrasting grey stitching | 0.00 | |||
| 294 | Driver's knee airbag | 0.00 | |||
| 426 | Automatic transmission for electric drive | 0.00 | |||
| 440 | Cruise control | 0.00 | |||
| 584 | Electric windows with comfort opening | 0.00 | |||
| 682 | Fire extinguisher | 0.00 | |||
| 722 | Luggage compartment cover | 0.00 | |||
| 810 | JBL sound system | 1,933.13 | |||
| 866 | Preparation for iPad holder | 0.00 | |||
| 877 | Ambient lighting | 487.34 | |||
| 925 | Zero exhaust emissions | 0.00 | |||
| A03 | Control code (passion, prime, perfect) | 0.00 | |||
| B51 | Tyre repair kit | 341.16 | |||
| B58 | Access to the "smart control" app (3 years from activation) | 0.00 | |||
| C18 | On-board computer | 0.00 | |||
| C68 | Folding key | 0.00 | |||
| D0A | Fire extinguisher | 0.00 | |||
| D0B | First aid kit | 0.00 | |||
| D0C | Handling smart | 0.00 | |||
| D0D | Delivery to dealer | 0.00 | |||
| E21 | Tinted rear windows | 552.33 | |||
| E22 | Panoramic roof | 1,591.97 | |||
| H11 | Warning triangle | 0.00 | |||
| H15 | Charging cable bag | 0.00 | |||
| I13 | Sidebags | 0.00 | |||
| I39 | Driver and front passenger airbags | 0.00 | |||
| I40 | Velour floor mats | 256.68 | |||
| I59 | Leather steering wheel | 0.00 | |||
| I61 | Seat belt height adjustment | 0.00 | |||
| J36 | Steering column without height adjustment | 0.00 | |||
| J43 | Auto-dimming rear-view mirror | 389.87 | |||
| J59 | front armrest | 324.88 | |||
| K36 | 8.9 cm (3.5”) TFT display | 0.00 | |||
| P25 | LED & Sensor package | 1,786.90 | |||
| K32 | Headlamps with welcome function | 0.00 | |||
| U37 | Halogen lamps with cornering light function | 0.00 | |||
| V54 | Rain and light sensor | 0.00 | |||
| P26 | Cool & Media package | 2,501.70 | |||
| 557 | smart Media-System mit JBL Soundsystem | 0.00 | |||
| B57 | Communication module (3G) | 0.00 | |||
| I01 | Automatic air conditioning | 0.00 | |||
| P53 | Charging cable package | 974.68 | |||
| B48 | Cable for charging from a household socket | 0.00 | |||
| B49 | Cable for charging from a wallbox and public sockets | 0.00 | |||
| P70 | Sport package | 1,543.25 | |||
| R96 | 16” alloy wheels | 0.00 | |||
| P75 | Storage package | 276.17 | |||
| I57 | Centre console storage compartment | 0.00 | |||
| I63 | Lockable glovebox | 0.00 | |||
| J66 | Strap for securing items on the passenger seat | 0.00 | |||
| P77 | Styling package - electric drive | 1,137.14 | |||
| 4U7 | Radiator grille painted white | 0.00 | |||
| R01 | Summer tyres | 0.00 | |||
| S37 | Leather seats | 0.00 | |||
| S42 | 50/50 folding rear bench with adjustable backrest | 0.00 | |||
| S55 | Height-adjustable driver's seat | 194.94 | |||
| U14 | Winter package | 1,137.14 | |||
| 443 | Heated steering wheel | 0.00 | |||
| 873 | Heated front seats | 0.00 | |||
| V03 | battery cooling system | 0.00 | |||
| V05 | 4.6 kW charger | 0.00 | |||
| V18 | Mirror caps in tridion colour | 0.00 | |||
| V19 | Anti-theft alarm | 974.68 | |||
| V21 | Electrically adjustable exterior mirrors | 617.29 | |||
| V31 | Additional dashboard instrument (rev counter and clock) | 0.00 | |||
| V32 | Lockable service flap | 0.00 | |||
| V33 | ESP electronic stability programme | 0.00 | |||
| V41 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 0.00 | |||
| V52 | Reversing camera and rear parking sensors | 2,095.58 | |||
| Grand total | 104,150.84 | ||||
| plus VAT | 23,954.69 | ||||
| Grand total (including tax) | 128,105.53 | ||||
| Technical data Type smart EQ forfour | |||
| Type: | 453.091.1 | ||
| Request ID: | GO0029774047 | ||
| Engine capacity (bore x stroke) | 0 | cm3 | |
| Rated output | 0 | kW | |
| Rated output | 0 | hp | |
| Engine speed | n/a | rpm | |
| Top speed | 130 | km/h | |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h | 12.7 | s | |
| Max. engine speed | n/a | 1/min | |
| Gearbox - type | auto.ED | ||
| Fuel type | E | ||
| Average fuel consumption (min.) | n/a | l/100km | |
| Average fuel consumption (max.) | n/a | l/100km | |
| Emission standard | n/a | ||
| CO2 emissions (min.) | 0 | g/km | |
| CO2 emissions (max.) | n/a | g/km | |
| Enclosed luggage space | - | l | |
| Wheelbase | 2494 | mm | |
| Front tyre size and specification | 165/65 R 15 | ||
| Rear tyre size and specification | 185/60 R 15 | ||
| Maximum permitted gross weight | 1560 | kg | |
| Kerb weight | 1200 | kg | |
| Permitted number of seats | 4 | ||
