With DaimlerChrysler's official announcement the smart brand is heading to the United States, many of you may be wondering what exactly a smart car is.

Is it safe?  What's the smar's fuel consumption?  How fast is it?

These, ladies and gentlemen, are questions you, as potential smart customers, need to know.  If you are already are familiar with the smar car, congratulations, you get a gold star in our book - we salute you; but for those of you a little less versed in all that is smart, don't worry, we'll get you caught up in no time, courtesy of what we're calling our "smart tutorial."

Keep scrolling for a quick overview of the smart brand, followed by the smart fortwo's tech specs, and finally, everyone's favorite - photos of the smart in action.

You'll be smarter in no time.

Enjoy.



Ready for the Unites States: smart brand has long since turned into a craze

smart is one of the world’s youngest car makes – and much more than the manufacturer of a roughly 9 feet parking space wonder. The smart fortwo has become the “it” vehicle in Paris, London, Barcelona, Rome and many other European cities. This car is more than just a simple means of transport; it is an expression of innovation, joie de vivre, intelligence and high functionality.

Approximately 750,000 smart fortwo vehicles have been sold to date. In 36 countries around the world as both left- and right-hand drive models – and soon in the United States. The first smart fortwo cars have already been seen in public – as vehicles leading the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon as automotive sponsor.

A smart fortwo was included in an exhibit in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – as one of only six cars to attain this distinction (alongside the Cisitalia sports car, Jaguar E-Type, Willy’s Jeep, Ferrari Formula One racing car and the VW Beetle) - and as the only car still in production and on sale today. The smart fortwo is part of the permanent collection and exhibition of the MoMA.

A Joint Venture of Mercedes-Benz and Swatch

Preparations for the smart fortwo started at the beginning of the 1990s with a feasibility study for a small car at Mercedes-Benz. On the basis of this, in April 1994, the Micro Compact Car AG was founded in Biel (CH) as a Joint Venture of Mercedes-Benz and Swatch. Nicolas Hayek, the inventor of the Swatch watch, brought his idea for an ultra-short small car into this company, and Mercedes-Benz contributed expertise and experience from more than a hundred years of building cars.

Based upon this knowledge the engineers developed a car with top results in various crash tests. One of the most characteristic features of the smart fortwo is the tridion safety cell. While the “hard shell” ensures the safety of the passenger, energy-absorbing restraint systems maintains low passenger stress in all kinds of crash situation. Active safety is a matter of course as well: The smart fortwo offers Electronic Stability Control and Anti Lock Brakes as standard features.

After starting development in 1994, the smart fortwo celebrated its premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in 1997. Receiving a resounding response: More lines were printed and more TV minutes broadcasted about the smart than about any other car presented at the show.

Production in Hambach/France started in July 1998, and in October sales started in nine European countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Holland, Austria, Switzerland and Spain). In 1998, smart became a 100% subsidiary of what was then Daimler-Benz AG (today DaimlerChrysler AG).

The launch of additional variants

At the end of 1999, smart launched the smart fortwo cdi. With sales of more than 140,000 cars to date, the smart fortwo cdi is by far the most successful “three litre” car (i.e. consuming less than four litres of fuel per 100 km or an estimated 60 mpg) worldwide. The diesel version of this two-seater uses just 3.4 litres per 100 kilometres (new European driving cycle). So smart’s impressive sales record hardly comes as a surprise: at smart, environmental issues and economic reality go hand in hand.

The smart fortwo cabrio was added to the product range in the spring of 2000. Sales subsequently started in further countries, and in 2000 more than 100,000 vehicles were produced.

The pace quickened from then on. In 2001, the completely open smart crossblade was presented as a show car at the Geneva Motor Show. It went on sale in May 2002 as a special limited edition of which just 2000 models were produced. A joint venture with the tuning specialist BRABUS GmbH was established the same year to produce a top trim version of the production cars – similar to the cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and AMG.

Already developing alternative drives

There is no doubt that the smart fortwo is a leader in urban mobility. But smart is also capable of coming up with alternative drives as well. Apart from the various types of hybrid drives and natural-gas engines, smart is also focusing its attention on the electric engine. Indeed, for certain applications, these drive types represent a very realistic alternative. To what extent and by when exactly an alternative drive will be available for the smart fortwo has, however, not yet been decided.

All smart vehicles embody the same brand values and have the same “DNA”: Innovation, functionality and joie de vivre. They appeal to people who are sporty, independent and young at heart; people who love clever solutions and are open to new ideas. The smart brand slogan “open your mind.” is an expression of their openminded way of life. Apart from this, a wide range of smart personal accessories is available - from jackets, shirts and further items of clothing, to bags, tableware and remote-controlled smart models. These accessories are “must-haves” for many smart drivers.


smart fortwo:  Technical Data

smart fortwo cdi: Technical Data