New Smart Fortwo 453 launches today at 18:00pm GMT.

[ColSmart]

Another side view...

[Ocracoke]

I don't know if I am seeing too much into things...but has anyone noticed that they put the ForFour first on the main Smart website?

Possibly hoping that most of the sales will come from the ForFour in the "very small but holds 4 people" market currently crowded with the Twingo, Aygo, C1, 107/8, iQ, etc...as I've said before, pricing will be key...


Just read this which kinda confirms my theory...
"At launch, prices for the new ForTwo are expected to start at about £11,000, with a sub-£10,000 entry-level model due to follow later next year. The Forfour is likely to command a premium of about £600"

I don't believe you are. Remember, the Smart Fortwo 451 is/was a loss maker so they need to captivate the young family market, hence why the ForFour is at the top. Also, the public remember the name ForTwo so if that was at the top, they won't see the new ForFour, which is probably going to be more appealing because it is more practical and looks (ehhh...) "normal".

I can't get the words "hipster trendy car" out of my head since the reveal for either of them. Smarts are meant to be different, not follow the trend. I was rather hoping the W453 (The New ForFour) would be a nice bridge into the Smart world but this feels... wrong.

[zimzimmer]

for me atm it looks kinda odd like one of those aixam things.... it may grow lol

[Thrumbleux]

What I'd hoped it might look like...



and what we actually got...was a rehash of a once pretty car full of the compromises of a joint effort with a mainstream manufacturer.
Take a look at the above. Small car can be sharp. Ditto the BMW i3. Flying out the showrooms by all accounts. Their boldness being rewarded. Smart, conversely appear to have attempted to appease all and are appealing to no one.
The inclusion of a clutch pedal on a city car is just a ridiculous step backwards. Apart from the extra chore, it completely removes the option of left foot braking, which, once mastered, makes the necessity of shifting your right foot to the brake pedal from the pedal you'll need seconds later as sensible as operating the gear lever with your hand that's closest the door.
Yes, auto is available. Add another grand to the price, a heavy (often unreliable) gearbox, and another layer of electronic sensors and you can have what smart offered for free since 1999. Progress?

Progress? Yes, according to Autocar (who have driven it) it rides much better and offers better straight line stability - achieved by the wider tracks. Which, for a city car is a questionable move. That's about all I can see though. The interior doesn't strike me as too shabby (but nowhere close to being as sharp and fresh as the i3's) and I have to agree with Kane re the steel rear arches. The complete absence of blistering rust on the wheel arches of my nine year old 450 is feat this model wont match.

The most confusing thing here for me is who smart are targeting with these models. The ForFour market is saturated with capable four seaters and the four door Mini will sell. Many four seaters are nearly as compact as the ForTwo. They aren't cheap enough to hit the burgeoning budget sector. Neither do either offer anything that implies 'premium' - unless derivative conservatism is the benchmark. Not sharp enough to draw a younger crowd. . Who's it aimed at? Pensioners fancying a change from their Honda Jazzes? Jesus...

[ColSmart]

3rd gen Smart...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD3QjlUFeCo

[Ocracoke]

Just finished reading the Autocar article. This came from the final verdict...

For the first time, a two-seat Smart feels like a normal car.

And thus, the ship has sailed. I don't want my car to feel "normal" - dammit I want a Smart. Normal can exist somewhere else, thank you very much.

[S700TRB]

Longer bonnet , does this mean we get to change a headlight bulb with ease ?

[Evilution]

I don't believe you are. Remember, the Smart Fortwo 451 is/was a loss maker so they need to captivate the young family market, hence why the ForFour is at the top,.

Incorrect. The 450 lost money, the 451 was the only car they were selling when they started making a profit. The Forfour lost money faster than the fortwo, that's why it only lived for just over 2 years.

[cougar7609]

I really like the design of that renault, what is its name if it even has a name? you are right that car looks good and would have been a perfect replacement for the smart. You are also right in asking who its aimed at, its too expensive there are many other cars out there that look better and are cheaper. The 450 may have been a loss maker, but at least it looked good and was unique! They should have used better and cheaper suppliers, the radios were **** and they were damned expensive that would have made the loss lesser than it was.

[ajprice]

I don't really like it, I've seen a few comments in different places that it looks like a Chinese copy, and I can see what they mean. The separate indicators on the front below the headlights, why? It looks off, they could have put them in the headlights, and it's probably going to be a pain in the arse to change those bulbs. The base of the windscreen pillar, where it meets the bonnet, front wing and side window, is a mess. I think this is actually done the same way on one of the Chinese copies. No mention of panel swapping, just lots of colour options when you buy the car. In the shots of the ForFour with the doors open, the inside of the door frame is the same colour as the outside panel. Mercedes, please say the panels are still removable/swappable.

[TallOrder]

I don't really like it, I've seen a few comments in different places that it looks like a Chinese copy, and I can see what they mean. The separate indicators on the front below the headlights, why? It looks off, they could have put them in the headlights, and it's probably going to be a pain in the arse to change those bulbs. The base of the windscreen pillar, where it meets the bonnet, front wing and side window, is a mess. I think this is actually done the same way on one of the Chinese copies. No mention of panel swapping, just lots of colour options when you buy the car. In the shots of the ForFour with the doors open, the inside of the door frame is the same colour as the outside panel. Mercedes, please say the panels are still removable/swappable.

I know what you mean - at first I was like "hmm ok, not great but not to bad either, but the more I look at the details in the pictures (may feel different in front of me), the more I'm going off it...

Just to add to what you have said ajprice - I don't like the rear opening either...
On the 450, clean look and you had to open it from inside or with the key (turn or fob).
On the 451, you pressed a hidden button under the number plate 'cowl' like most other cars.
On this you get a crappy plastic lever on the glass itself, with an even crappier looking button.

Looks like they've tried to develop it as cheap as possible but still want to sell it at premium prices...

[RacingSnake]

I'm interested to see what the brabus cabrio version looks like

[Ocracoke]

Incorrect. The 450 lost money, the 451 was the only car they were selling when they started making a profit. The Forfour lost money faster than the fortwo, that's why it only lived for just over 2 years.

I had read an article where the Smart (for which thy pictured a 451 cabrio) and the Bugatti Veyron was in the same table for losing money for their respective manufacturers (and presented a picture of the two facing each other to demonstrate the stark difference). Evidently, I was wrong. Apologies.

Reference: http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/in...ss-making-cars

[Hogster]

Hmmm I don't know ... part of me finds the front fugly, but I do recall I found the 451 fugly at first but I grew to love it, and I've now owned one for 2.5 years! Do you think they had to add the 'bonnet' to improve the pedestrian safety vs. having a bonnet that follows the curve of the windscreen? It does look rather odd

I'm very disappointed that Smart, the defacto economical car company haven't offered a diesel engine for the ForTwo, and instead just two petrol engines which might get about 70mpg. Through careful driving I'm currently averaging 91mpg on my 2012 cdi and I had hoped the new cars, fitted with the latest engine technology would have been even more economical

Manual gearbox? Potentially better for economy, but the semi-auto gearbox was one of the funnest things about the smart, particularly in traffic jams. I guess the new tip-tronic gearbox will appeal to those who found the old smart engine gearbox too clunky and slow, even if it comes with a heavy price tag.

I'll wait to see one in the flesh before completely writing it off,– although they do seem to have missed the mark on many points ... I'm impressed that they've reduced the length, tightened the turning circle and improved the ride though

David

[ColSmart]

...I'm very disappointed that Smart, the defacto economical car company haven't offered a diesel engine for the ForTwo,....

One of the reasons it was withdrawn in 2013 and will not return, is due to the requirement of a DPF filter to remove soot, as many a CITY CAR (only driven in cities), blocks up with soot as the car never gets up to speed on A roads or motorways to burn it off.

Quite a few owners have had to replace their Cdi for a petrol, via some type of compensation by Smart, due to this, as they said it was not fit for purpose as a 'town car only'.

It is never a problem, as long as you do some motorway or A road faster driving, and the burn off cycle happens.

But I do agree, that the Cdi gives a lot better fuel performance, My Passion Cdi gives around the 80MPG mark.

Yes, Pity, it was deleted. from the engine options.

Just hope that the new 3rd gen Fortwo Renault petrol engines give far better fuel results than the 451 petrol engines.