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“Environmentally-friendly driving fun at a customer-friendly price” – it is under this motto that the new smart fortwo electric drive will be launched spring 2012 on more than 30 markets around the world. In Germany, it will be available to order for less than EUR 16,000 net – plus just the monthly rental fee for the battery. 2012 smart fortwo electric drive photo “The smart electric drive is now on sale worldwide – with the fun continuing right into the price,” says smart boss Dr. Annette Winkler. “The electric smart has what it takes to bring a little more quality-of-life to our cities. But a car that wants to change the world can’t cost the earth. For this reason, we are offering the new electric smart within our sale&care model for considerably less than EUR 16,000 before tax – plus less than EUR 60 per month for battery rental. Anybody wishing to buy or lease the vehicle with the battery can, of course, do that, too.” 2012 smart fortwo electric drive photo If you wa...

July 10, 2007 Mercedes-owned smart is set to become the first mainstream production vehicle with a full complement of alternative drive systems. It has begun touting four new versions of the smart fortwo, all of which can be expected in production form before the year is out. We’re not sure which is the most exciting as they all offer different solutions depending on your needs. The cleanest of the new smarts is the 30 kW plug-in electric version with a range of 115 kilometres (EUDC), but there’s also a 100 mpg 53 kW diesel hybrid drive, a slightly less economical petrol hybrid for those who don’t want diesel, a 52 kW micro hybrid petrol variant and a diesel-engined fortwo which will become the world’s most economical combustion-engined production car with 85 mpg (3.3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres - NEDC) and the ability to travel 1000 kilometres without refuelling. The smart fortwo diesel is the world champion in low CO2 emissions at just 88 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This is hug...

Smart got into trouble! 1650 Fortwo models are being recalled due to steering problems. All the models were built between May 19 and June 6th 2007. All the customers will have to take their vehicles to their local dealers to repair the problem, as the drivers may not be able to steer the car properly. The actual problem lies with a retaining ring that the US manufacturer, Delphi, failed to properly install.

* 75,000 orders received for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan * smart fortwo also gets off to a great start with 45,000 orders Mercedes-Benz C-Class, AVANTGARDE and ELEGANCE The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the new smart fortwo got off to a great sales start throughout Western Europe last weekend. In Germany, dealers registered the highest number of visitors ever in their showrooms with a total of 470,000 existing and potential customers to experience the two models. 75,000 orders have been received for the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan at the time of its market launch. At the same time, 45,000 customers have placed their orders for the new two-seater from smart. “We are extremely delighted with the successful launch of the two new products and the very positive response from our customers,” said Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Mercedes Car Group, responsible for Sales and Marketing. Test drives are also very much in demand, and about 7,000 test drives have already been con...

(from Brabus Press Release) The smart fortwo BRABUS: Powerful and agile What started in 2002 as a joint venture between smart and BRABUS has developed over the years into extremely successful cooperation in the field of vehicle tuning. The great popularity of the BRABUS variants of the smart shows the increasing customer interest in individualised cars. Together with BRABUS, smart will continue to round off its model range with even more exclusive models. BRABUS variants boast both exclusive equipment and greater engine power. The smart fortwo BRABUS places the primary focus on sportiness. Its three-cylinder one litre petrol engine delivers 72 kW (98 bhp) and develops maximum torque of 140 Newton metres. The transmission has also been configured for this. The first and the fifth gears have different transmission ratios to the pure, pulse and passion and – given the light weight of just 780 kilos – this lends the two-seater remarkably lively agility and enables a maximum speed of ...

GENEVA — Mercedes tuning specialist Brabus , as part of its annual Geneva auto show display, will unveil two new performance variants of the recently redesigned Smart Fortwo . The 1.0-liter three-cylinder gas engine in the Fortwo Brabus and Fortwo Brabus Xclusive gets a 30 percent boost in output to 98 horsepower, which enables 0-60-mph acceleration in less than 10 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 96 mph. Brabus also has firmed up and lowered the suspension system to give the Fortwo a sportier ride with better handling. Monoblock VI alloy wheels and a sport exhaust system have been fitted. Other exterior modifications include foglamps and wider rear wheel arches. In addition, the Xclusive edition gets a front spoiler, rear apron, side skirts and tinted-glass headlamps. The cabin receives a Brabus gearshift knob, handbrake handle and pedals, as well as signature tach, speedo and clock. The Xclusive boasts even more gear, including a leather-wrapped steerin...

State-of-the-art compact three-cylinder engines are installed at the rear of the new Smart fortwo. The all-aluminium engines were developed in cooperation with Mitsubishi, and are produced in Japan. They have been optimised for use in the new Smart fortwo. Naturally aspirated petrol engines rated at 45 kW (61 bhp) or 52 kW (71 bhp) are available, as is a turbo engine delivering 62 kW (84 bhp). They all have capacity of 1.0 litres. In addition to the increase in power, the maximum speed has also been increased – to 145 km/h (electronically limited). The engine is mounted transversally in front of the rear axle, and is slanted at an angle of 45 degrees towards the rear. The cylinder barrels take the form of grey cast iron liners. Gas exchange is controlled by four valves per combustion chamber. The valves are controlled by separate intake and exhaust camshafts, via bucket tappets. The camshafts are driven via a maintenance-free timing chain. The engine reacts spontaneously to accelerator...

Small shoulders. Big responsibility... There’s no doubt that the pressure is on for Smart’s ForTwo. A few years ago, the firm’s city car range included a roadster and a four-door supermini. These days, only one model carries the troubled company’s hopes. So, can the latest ForTwo save Smart? Totally fresh from the ground up, with more space, an increased emphasis on quality and a diesel engine for the first time, it’s better equipped than ever. On initial viewing, the ForTwo has clearly lost a little of its visual charm. Nearly 20cm have been added to the length and 9cm to the width in the pursuit of better pedestrian safety and rear-impact protection – as well as more legroom. As a result, it’s not quite as cheekily compact as before. Mind you, with bigger lights and chunkier bumpers at both front and rear, the car does look a bit tougher. And, thanks to plastic body panels, it’s still as distinctive and resistant to parking dings as ever. Inside, the trademark twin, movable, pod-styl...