New Smart range launch in February 2015

[mancbloke]

I bumped into Ari from Smart Manchester, driving a left hand drive forfour. I had to look twice at the car as I was very surprised with the design and layout. From what Ari was saying there is a lot more added extras which come as standard now such as cruise control,power steering and so on. This also applies to the new Fortwo. They intend to have a launch day in February and invite members from Smart groups. So watch this space. Can I also wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas and new year. Steve

[Evilution]

Yeah but only in manual. I'll wait.

[Thrumbleux]

What is taking them so long? The Twingo is out. Do smart still have MHDs by the boatload to shift first?

[Ocracoke]

Hey there, haven't seen or heard from you in a while. Merry Christmas.

Are you arranging a trip to Smart of Manchester for this? I'll probably come just to see it (I missed the roadshow events) and maybe test drive the LHD version if they allow it (although its been years since I've driven a Manual).

[Evilution]

Yes, the reputation of the MHD has stifled sales but the main wait is the RHD conversion. The 450 took 2.5 years, the 451 took 9 months to become RHD.

[Thrumbleux]

Pretty sure RHD Twingos are for sale. I'd have to check to be certain but mainstream European (eg Renault) manufacturers tend to launch RHD and LHD simultaneously.

[Evilution]

The Twingo was released 3 months before the 453 and it still took 3 months for the RHD Twingo to get into dealers.

[lalli_d1]

Yeah but only in manual. I'll wait.

whats wrong with the manual?

[Thrumbleux]

whats wrong with the manual?

It precludes left-foot braking and is ill suited to a city car.
Put another way, if manual transmissions were introduced after automated ones - do you think they would have caught on?

[lalli_d1]

why would you want to left foot brake? your not meant to use your left foot to brake if you remember back to your driving lessons. how many city cars do you know that are automatics? iv just had a look on autotrader and there are only 1441 or so UP! for sale and only 80 odd are autos.

most cars are used for city and majority are manuals. my uncle in Germany had the best answer for not buying an auto. with a manual both sides of you body are used, with an auto half sits there numb and useless

[Thrumbleux]

why would you want to left foot brake?

.

Smoother, safer.

your not meant to use your left foot to brake if you remember back to your driving lessons.

Not meant to? Tosh. You are taught to right foot brake as the left foot is required to operate the clutch - that is the only reason - convention.

how many city cars do you know that are automatics? iv just had a look on autotrader and there are only 1441 or so UP! for sale and only 80 odd are autos.most cars are used for city and majority are manuals

How many big Mercs do you see in a city? Loads. 90% of them will be auto.

. my uncle in Germany had the best answer for not buying an auto. with a manual both sides of you body are used, with an auto half sits there numb and useless

Does your uncle drive with one eye closed and use only half of his brain?
Left foot brake and you physically involve both sides. Body and brain both.

[Evilution]

whats wrong with the manual?

Why would you bother your arse with a manual? If you want a small good car with a manual box, there are loads of better options of car out there. Secondly, 5 speed! Finally, why would anyone choose a 5 speed manual over a 6 speed dual clutch robotic manual? Also, the gearstick in the new manual looks cheap as hell.

[lalli_d1]

thrumbleux i said CITY cars not big luxury saloons, and when you learn in an auto you are learn not to left foot brake, no? and in the end you end up with a license that only allows you to driving auto's

we have had so many customers who use both feet to drive and then complain when there cars don't drive properly/ loose power. try using both feet in a Volvo and the accelerator pedal is over ridden when the brake pedal is pressed, same with Jaguar's.

i would much prefer a manual over an auto. land rover, in the evoque use a 6 speed manual and an 8 speed auto... there are still selling manuals. an other example, something closer to Smarts, the A-Class comes with a 6 speed manual and a 7 speed auto, the manual is still selling.

the only reason the gear stick looks 'cheep as hell' is cause its NOT a proper Smart but a Renault/Dacia underneath!

why rule out one car because it has 3 pedals over a car that has 2 pedals?

[Thrumbleux]

thrumbleux

why rule out one car because it has 3 pedals over a car that has 2 pedals?

I've already said - because it precludes left foot braking.

As for the other comments. City cars are cheap cars which competing on price can rarely afford the extra cost of an automatic transmission, but there's no escaping the fact that larger than city cars, frequent cities and when cost isn't an issue the choice is increasingly made in favour of auto.

IIRC the highway code permits LFB - 'control of vehicle' is the guiding parameter. As LFB is safer, it's not an issue.
And as for the leadfooted who cant drive their Volvos or Jaguars - it's not about using both pedals simultaneously but blending from one to the other without incurring the 0.75 second delay or clumsiness of dragging a foot across and back. Try it and see. Britain is the last country to obsess over manuals - control freaks. Pity few enough of them understand the operating principles of IC engines to change gear at the correct points. Lamentable that none bother to learn to double de-clutch (with a blip) on a down shift to achieve some semblance of smoothness. But they are always right of course - manual is better.

[Ocracoke]

Also, the gearstick in the new manual looks cheap as hell.

the only reason the gear stick looks 'cheep as hell' is cause its NOT a proper Smart but a Renault/Dacia underneath!

Pretty certain the gearstick is from the 2002 era Renault Megane (certainly looks similar). One wonders if they'll use a QS5 style gear shifter (from a Clio) for the Automatic version.

Indeed, with a manual, I cannot view the 453 as a "proper" Smart either but then again, if all the bits you can see and touch were Smart and the mechanicals were Renault (like the 454 with Mitsubishi), would it matter? Must it all come from Mercedes?