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Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the two new models which it hopes will revitalise the fortunes of its Smart sub brand.
An all-new Smart Fortwo will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October and arrive in UK showrooms early next year, joined by a revived Forfour model line.
The two new models are expected to kick-start the Smart brand, which despite its early success, following the launch of its first two-seater in 1998, has struggled to cement its position in the marketplace with some analysts suggesting it has lost $4bn.
UK sales in 2013 fell 5.4% to 5,314 units and sales in the first six months of 2014 were down 13.5%.
The initial Smart was joined by the four-seater Forfour in 2004, as Smart tried to appeal to the city car market. However the first Forfour was based on the Mitsubishi Colt platform and rebodied to give it Smart-like looks but without signature features such as the rear-mounted drivetrain. It sold poorly and was dropped after just two years.
The new model line is very different, with Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche saying that it is important for Smart to benefit from a small car market expected to grow 38% by 2020. He expects one third of new Smart sales to be Forfours.
The third-generation Fortwo and the new Forfour have been designed together in a joint programme with Renault, which uses the same platform for its latest generation Twingo city car.
While the new Fortwo shares a similar length to its predecessor, the Forfour is 795mm longer, though 255mm shorter than its predecessor. Its wheelbase of 2494mm is 521mm longer than the Fortwo’s and combined with an extended rear overhang creates space for two more doors, a rear bench seat and a 185-litre boot.
The rear-mounted engine remains, but the Forfour has a single-piece tailgate, as opposed to the two-piece rear of the Fortwo, designed to be easily accessible in tight spaces and a signature feature.
The cars are 100mm wider, to aid handling, while the previous one-box shell design has been replaced by a two-box layout with a less steeply-raked windscreen, primarily due to increasing pedestrian protection legislation.
The Tridion safety shell format remains, allowing a continuation of the changeable body panels and two-tone liveries that are also indicative of the Smart line.
When first on sale the new Smarts will be available with a 999cc petrol engine with either 59 or 70bhp and a turbocharged 898cc petrol unit producing 89bhp. There are apparently no plans to offer a diesel option as in the current Smart but a plug-in electric model is under development.
Prices have not yet been announced but are expected to start from around £11,000.
Andrew Charman
