Smart ForTwo Sharpred Edition
As if there weren’t enough special editions of the ForTwo, Smart decided to launch yet another limited edition of the tiny car which is known as the Sharpred Edition. It is available for the coupe and convertible models and comes with a black exterior with red paint on the mirrors and on the tridion safety cell. Other than that, it has a black grille and rides on 15-inch rims that have a brilliant black finish.
Smart ForTwo Sharpred Edition
As far as the interior is concerned, not much has changed in comparison to the standard edition, except for the bespoke floor mats, red contrast stitching and black leather seats.
Smart ForTwo Sharpred Edition
Under the hood there’s a 3-cylinder 1.0-liter gasoline engine that pumps out 70 hp (71 PS / 52 kW) and 83 hp (84 PS / 62 kW).
Smart ForTwo Sharpred Edition
Smart said that they’ll make only 1,800 units of the ForTwo Sharpred Edition and each of them will have a base price in Germany of 14,490 Euros, including 19% VAT.
Source: Smart via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Smart, smart fortwo sharpred, smart-fortwo, special editions
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2013 Smart ForTwo goes official
Smart has revealed the first batch of photos with the facelift for the ForTwo model. The new style adopts a more sporty look with its updated front bumper fascia, the emblem which now sits on the mesh grille (instead of the hood), a revised rear bumper fascia with a diffuser look, along with dual exhaust pipes mounted in the center. Depending on the trim package chosen, in the front bumper you can have fog lamps and LED daytime running lights.
Inside the cabin we find a new, more premium leather and fabric trim options. One of the optional features include leather for surrounding the instrument panel. The trim levels available have remained the same: Pure, Pulse, Passion, Brabus and Brabus Xclusive. The version which will be sold in the United Kingdom will probably be available only in three trim levels: Pulse, Passion and Brabus.
As far as the engines are concerned, these have remained the same and offer a power output ranging between 54 hp (cdi turbodiesel) and 102 hp (turbo gasoline). The first one has a fuel consumption of 3.3 liters / 100 km and CO2 emissions of 86 g/km, while the latter consumes 4.2 liters / 100 km and CO2 emissions of 97 g/km.
The 2013 Smart ForTwo will make its public debut next month during the Geneva Motor Show.
Source: Smart via Autocar.co.uk
Post tags: Tags: Smart, smart-fortwo
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The Smart for-us Concept made its official debut this week at the Detroit Motor Show. It is a petite two-seater pickup that measures 3547 mm in length, 1506 in width and 1701 mm in height. It has been equipped with an electrically-powered tailboard that opens and retracts inwards in order to provide a 900 mm (35-inch) cargo area which is capable of holding and recharging two smart ebikes via the incorporated docking station.
The Smart for-us Concept is motivated by a magneto-electric motor that generates 75 hp (55 kw). It is the same motor that Smart used for the fortwo electric drive model, and it has 96 lb.-ft (130 Nm) of torque. The pickup is capable of reaching a top speed of more than 75 mph (120 km/h) while its lithium-ion battery pack has a 17.6 kWh capacity.
Smart for-us
Source: Smart via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Concepts, detroit motor show, Smart, smart for-us, smart for-us concept
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2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
We have some bad news for those of you who were waiting for the 2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive. A Daimler official stated the other day that the launch of the car will be postponed for three months.
Earlier this year when they’ve unveiled the third generation of the model, Daimler said that the car is going to be available in June, but now it seems that we will have to wait until September. As you remember, the car was introduced a couple of months ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show and promises to offer better range, acceleration and charging capabilities in comparison to the previous generation.
One of the causes for this delay would have to be the quality control issues at Li-Tec, which is the sub-supplier that is in charge of manufacturing the battery cells that come in the new 17.6 kWh battery pack which is the result of a joint venture between Daimler and Evonic, a German supplier.
The second generation of the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive featured a battery pack engineered by Tesla Motors. The new one will be able to provide a range of up to 87 miles and the car should be capable of hitting 60 mph in less than 13 seconds, thanks to the installation of a larger 30 kilowatt motor. While the 2nd generation model can reach a top speed of 62 mph, the new model should be able to hit a maximum speed of 75 mph.
The 2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive will be available on order with an optional 22 kW on-board charger than can fill the battery pack in less than one hour via a compatible 240-volt charging station.
The anticipated price tag of the model is $22,000 before the incentives kick in. Daimler hopes that they’ll produce more than 100,000 units, making this the first affordable and widely available Smart model.
Source: Daimler via Green Car Reports
Post tags: Tags: Green, Smart, smart fortwo electric drive, smart-fortwo
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Smart For-us
Smart has announced earlier this week that in January at the Detroit Motor Show they will bring a new compact zero-emission pickup truck called the For-us. It is a two-seater that has been developed as part of a plan to extend the brand’s lineup by adding new models. No word up until now about the possibility to transform this concept into a production model, but most likely in the years to come this will happen.
Smart For-us
The For-us has borrowed the newly developed platform of the second generation of the For-four, that Mercedes-Benz developed in collaboration with French automaker Renault. Design-wise, it adopts some of the styling ideas we’ve seen back in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show where Smart introduced the funky For-vision concept.
Smart For-us
This interesting concept has an electrically operated cargo tray which motors out by 280 mm at the rear for easy loading/unloading. Inside we find a rather simple cabin with a two-seating configuration and a 900 mm cargo tray that has been described by the carmaker as an integrated docking station.
Smart For-us
The Smart For-us measures 3547 mm in length, 1710 mm in height and 1506 mm in width, making it 852 mm longer and 161 mm higher than the current For-two. Compared to the company’s two-seat city car, the wheelbase has been extended by 613 mm at 2480 mm. In addition, the tracks have been pushed out by 50 mm in the front and at the back, now measuring 1335 mm front and 1435 mm rear.
Smart For-us
This concept is motivated by the same plug-in electric system that Smart uses for the For-two Electric Drive which features a brushless electric motor installed in the back that generates 74 hp and 96 lb.-ft, along with a 17.4 kW/h lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged at a standard electricity outlet and on the run through the energy that is recuperated during the times when trailing throttle and braking.
Smart For-us
Renault will be using that new platform for its upcoming third generation of the Twingo which will be manufactured starting with 2014 in a current Renault factory located in Novo Mesto, Slovenia.
Source: Smart via Autocar
Post tags: Tags: Concepts, Smart, smart for-us
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At this year’s edition of the ALD Automotive Shell FuelSave MPG Marathon, the big winner was the small and very economical Smart CDI. We’ve mentioned a few days ago that the Vauxhall VXR8 obtained the title for the greatest improvement in comparison to the official mileage rating, but the overall winner is the Smart CDI which managed to return a whopping 99.24 mpg (2.85 liters / 100 km). This rating was obtained over the course of two days and a total covered distance of 370.9 miles (597 km).
This tiny Smart CDI has 54 hp (55 PS / 40 kW) and CO2 emissions of only 86 g/km. The car’s official fuel economy rating is of 85.6 mpg (3.3 liters / 100 km).
In related news, the Toyota Yars managed to be the most frugal car in its class. Fitted with a 1.0-liter VVT engine that returns 72.29 mpg (3.9 liters / 100 km), which is considerably more than the car’s official fuel consumption rating which is 58.9 mpg (4.8 liters / 100 km). The class in which it triumphed is the one for gasoline-powered cars that have CO2 emissions of less than 120 g/km.
Source: Smart, Toyota via WCF
Post tags: Tags: ALD Automotive Shell FuelSave MPG Marathon, Green, smart cdi, toyota yaris
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Daimler Car2go Car-sharing Program Heading To France
The Daimler Car2go car-sharing program is on its way to France via a partnership with Europcar. The first city to participate will be Lyon which will get a fleet consisting of 200 on-demand Smart ForTwo ED cars.
Just like all of the Car2go programs available in other regions, the one in Lyon will give the possibility to the owners to use the cars for as long as they want to, without requiring them to take it back at a specific time or location. The members who take the cars will pay only for the time of use and you can rent the car for even a single minute.
In the United States, Germany and Canada, the Car2go program is used by more than 45,000 people and consists of 1,110 cars. According to Daimler, this vehicle rental service has been a hit up until now in Hamburg and Ulm in Germany, Vancouver in Canada and Austin, TX. Daimler plans on implementing the Car2o rental program of the funky Smart ForTwo ED in San Diego, California and in Amsterdam, Holland.
Source: Daimler via green.autoblog.com
Post tags: Tags: Green, Smart, smartfortwo
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Frankfurt Motor Show – Smart ForVision
Last week at the Frankfurt Motor Show the German automaker Smart showed us how one of their models could look in the future by revealing the cool ForVision concept. They collaborated with BASF for this vehicle which can be considered the pinnacle of advanced technology and a lightweight design.
It doesn’t have a regular roof like we have on our cars, instead it that one features transparent organic solar cells that are capable of generating enough power in order “to power the multimedia components” even in low lighting conditions. These cells also feature organic light-emitting diodes that provide light inside the cabin if one of the doors is opened.
In addition, the wheels are also special as they are made out of plastic and have a curb weight of only 6.6 pounds (3 kg). Other than that, the Smart ForVision has carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin doors, infrared-reflecting film on the windows to keep the cabin nice and cool even when exposed to direct sunlight, along with plastic seats that have lightweight cushions and built-in heating and cooling elements.
No word about what’s under the hood but most likely it has the same powertrain as the ForTwo Electric Drive model.
Source: Smart via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Concepts, frankfurt motor show, Smart, smart forvision
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2012 Smart ForTwo Electric
The third generation of Smart’s electric version of the ForTwo is exhibited this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show and promises to be more than just an eco-friendly car. Launched back in 2009, the second generation of the model reached 18 markets and the automaker managed to deliver a little over 2,000 cars. It had a lithium-ion battery pack borrowed from Tesla that had a constant output of 27 hp (20 kW), peaking at 40 hp (30 kW). This allowed the car to do the 0-37 mph (0-60 km/h) sprint in 6.5 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric
As for the new one, Smart has significantly improved the lithium-ion technology and this time it packs a 17.6 kWh unit developed with Deutsche Accumotive. In addition, this new electric motor is more powerful than the one it replaces, being capable to provide a constant output of 47 hp (35 kW) and a peak torque of 74 hp (55 kW). The car is propelled to 37 mph in exactly 5 seconds and hits a maximum speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). It has 95 lb.-ft (130 Nm) of torque which should make it more responsive at higher speeds.
The battery of the 2012 Smart ForTwo Electric should be able to provide enough juice for up to 140 km and you will be able to charge it from a regular household outlet in approximately 8 hours. If you get the optional rapid charge function that has a 22 kW on-board charger, recharging the battery will take less than 60 minutes.
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric
Set to go on sale in the spring of next year, the car will be available in 30 countries and Smart says that they plan on selling at least 10,000 units. In Germany, the car will have a base price of less than 16,000 Euro ($22,000), but every month they’ll have to pay a battery rental fee which will set them back another 60 Euro ($82).
Source: Smart via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: frankfurt motor show, Green, Smart, smart fortwo electric, smart-fortwo
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2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
This week, the German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz revealed the third generation of the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive which promises to provide more performance and a better driving range. The car will make its official debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show and MB said that the car benefits from an entirely new driveline that consists of a more powerful brushless electric motor developed by Bosch and a bigger lithium-ion battery pack.
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
The peak power has gone up by 33 hp over the 2nd generation of the car from 40 hp to 73 hp, with the nominal power rising by 20 hp from 27 hp to 47 hp. The torque figure has also risen by 7 lb.-ft to 96 lb.-ft, which will reduce the 0.37 mph time by 1.5 seconds to 5 seconds. In addition the 0-62 mph sprint time has dropped to less than 13 seconds while the car will be able to hit a top speed of 75 mph, which is 13 mph more in comparison to the outgoing model.
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
This new electric motor developed by Bosch draws the necessary energy from a brand new lithium-ion battery pack which has risen in capacity from 14 kWh to 17.6 kWh. As a reminder, the batteries in the second generation Smart ForTwo Electric Drive were supplied by Tesla Motors. This new battery pack has been developed by Deutsche Accumotive, which is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and Evonik, a German alternative energy specialist.
2012 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
The bigger battery promises to increase the drive range of the ForTwo ED by 16 miles to a total of 87 miles while recharging the batteries will take eight hours while using a standard socket or less than an hour with the on-board 22 kW high capacity charger.
The car will be sold in 30 markets, which is 18 more in comparison to the second generation model and production will also be raised to more than 10,000, which is considerably more than the previous model which was made only in 2000 units.
In related news, Smart also mentioned that they will be bringing to Frankfurt a two wheeler called the “ebike” which will use a 250 watt brushless electric hub installed within the 26-inch rear wheel and developed by BionX. A control unit mounted on the handlebar will offer four different levels of electric assistance while the energy will be supplied by a 400 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
Source: Mercedes-Benz via Autocar
Post tags: Tags: Green, Smart, smart fortwo electric drive, smart-fortwo
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Smart ForTwo PearlGrey Revealed
To be completely honest, I don’t know what’s so special about this Smart ForTwo PearlGrey “Special Edition”. It is available for both coupe and convertible models and comes with a graphite metallic paint (impressive, right?), bespoke 15-inch alloys (wow!) and a silver tridion safety cell. Inside the cabin, it has been fitted with two-tone seats, a matte silver trim, a faux-leather dashboard and exclusive floor mats. It also has a panoramic sun roof for the coupe (obviously), power windows and air conditioning.
Customers are able to order the car with one of the two engines available, a 1.0-liter gasoline unit that generates 83 hp (84 PS / 62 kW) or a 1.0-liter hybrid that produces 68 hp (71 PS / 52 kW).
The car will hit the market in November and pricing in Germany will start from 14,490 Euros.
Source: Smart via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Smart ForTwo PearlGrey, special editions
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Smart Roadster (rendering)
According to our esteemed colleagues from Auto Express, it seems that there are big plans over at Smart as not only we shall see an all-new Roadster, but also a 4×4 model. A Smart consumer and a reader of Auto Express made a visit to a local dealer where he found out that successor of the Roadster model and a 4×4 rival for the MINI Countryman are in the works.
These photos that you see are renderings of how the models could look like when they will be launched. The Roadster model draws its inspiration from the cool ForSpeed concept that made its official debut back in March during the 81st edition of the Geneva Motor Show and at the same time it stays true to the original 2003 model, featuring a distinctive low stance while at the same time with a few modern design finishes like the intricate detailing and the sculpted flanks.
Smart 4x4 Model (rendering)
As far as the 4×4 model, it is a rather bulky 5-door that reminds us of the ForFour model which was axed from the Smart lineup back in 2006. It has the company’s traditional two-tone body and it will most likely be the largest model ever launched by the automaker.
Probably, this 4×4 model is going to be based on the all new platform that has been developed for the upcoming Mercedes-Benz B-Class while for the Roadster things are not certain at the moment.
The new generations of the ForTwo and ForFour will hit the dealerships sometime in 2014.
Source: Auto Express
Post tags: Tags: rumors, smart 4x4, smart roadster
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Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
Car2go is a subsidiary of Daimler and this week they’ve announced the introduction of the very first all-electric car sharing fleet in the United States. The company’s plans are to roll out 300 Smart ForTwo EVs which should arrive in San Diego by the end of 2011. This program developed by car2go is already a hit in four cities, with more than 1,000 ForTwo cars that have low-emission gasoline power units and 40,000+ members.
Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
This announcement was made by Jerry Sanders, who is the mayor of San Diego, along with Nicholas Cole, car2go’s president and CEO, along with Jonathan Reed who is the CEO of ECOtality. San Diego will become the first city in North America that is going to have an all-electric carsharing program.
Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
This electric Smart ForTwo has a 30 kW electric motor and in San Diego, you will be able to fill up those lithium-ion batteries at one of the designated EV charging stations. Once the battery level reaches 100%, the car can be driven for up to 84 miles (134 km).
Source: Smart via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: electric carsharing fleet, Green, smart fortwo electric drive, smart-fortwo
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If you live in North America and you are in the market for a very cheap car, here are the least expensive models that you can buy this year. All the prices are MSRP + destination charge:
01. Hyundai Accent GL – Starting From $10,705
A little bit more expensive than the previous generation, but still the most affordable car you can buy, the Accent GL (formerly known as the Accent GS Base and Accent Blue) is what you would call a standard car. For the base model, you can forget about the AC system (another $1,000), power windows, automatic gearbox, radio, etc. If you want all of these, prepare to pay $13,415 for the Accent GS, but in this price range, you’ll find better cars. The Accent GL features a 110-hp engine and power steering. You need to know that in crash tests, it didn’t score so well and the safety equipment is quite limited.
02. Nissan Versa 1.6 – Starting From $10,740
If the Accent isn’t your cup of tea, maybe this Nissan Versa will do the trick. You get two more doors, more space inside the cabin and better resale value. The 2011MY comes as standard with door locks and power windows, but you don’t get a stereo or many options for the paintwork: only black, silver and blue. If you add AC, automatic gearbox and antilock brakes, the price tag jumps to less than $13,000. For $15,780, you can get the Versa 1.8 that comes with AC, stereo, cruise control and ESP.
03. Chevrolet Aveo LS Sedan – Starting From $12,685
For the entry-level Aveo you’ll get AM/FM radio with MP3 player input jack, OnStar and AC. There are lots of colors to choose from and for $200 more, you can get the hatchback model. On the down side, the Aveo is not a very good car to drive, lacks safety equipment and if you add power windows and a CD player, the price jumps past the $15,000 mark and for that money, there are lots of cars to choose from.
04. Kia Rio Base Sedan – Starting From $12,990
Just like the aforementioned Hyundai Accent GL and the Nissan Versa 1.6, it comes with a very short list of standard equipment. The engine is quite eager but the car’s non-power-assisted steering feels awful in the curves and you’ll have to work a lot while parking the car. The more expensive Rio LX ($15,690) comes with AC, ABS and a CD player. It does look better than the Accent and the Versa though, but not a very good car to drive.
05. Smart ForTwo Pure – Starting From $13,240
No AC, no power windows or mirrors, not even a stereo for the cheapest ForTwo. You do get automatic gearbox, ABS, ESC and side airbags. If you want the comfort features, prepare to pay another $2,000 for the ForTwo Passion.
06. Toyota Yaris 3-door Liftback – Starting From $13,615
Toyota Yaris 3-door Liftback
It offers a pretty good standard package that includes AC, ABS, ESP, along with an $800 optional automatic transmission. For $300 more, the 5-door version of the Yaris can be yours. It looks really good, it is easy to drive and thanks to its small size, you can squeeze it into small parking spaces.
07. Kia Soul Base – Starting From $13,995
If you are in the market for a funky mini-wagon, the Kia Soul Base might be the solution for you. You’ll get as standard: power windows and locks, ABS, ESP and CD stereo with USB. You can choose from only three colors: black, white and silver. Under the hood there is a 1.6-liter engine that produces 122 hp and it can be mated only to a manual transmission. The car is pretty comfortable, safe and practical.
08. Ford Fiesta S Sedan – Starting From $13,995
Same price as the Kia Soul Base, and the latest model in this top. You get four doors, a pretty capable 120-hp engine, ESP, power steering, AM/FM + auxiliary input jack. The Fiesta is known as one of those cars that are very fun to drive and this S Sedan version is no exception. We recommend paying extra for the 6-speed dual-clutch transmission.
09. Suzuki SX4 Sedan – Starting From $14,244
The entry-level SX4 Sedan is a pretty basic car as you don’t get an automatic gearbox, AC, stereo and the only color available is white. However, you do get ABS, power windows and locks and a pretty potent 2.0-liter engine that cranks out 150 hp. It features a pretty big back seat and is very fun to drive. The styling is also quite nice.
10. Nissan Cube 1.8 – Starting From $14,740
The Nissan Cube 1.8 comes with a lot of standard equipment: AC, CD player, ABS, ESP and power windows and locks. The design is pretty cool and you get a lot of space inside the cabin. While some of you will like its cutting-edge style, others will disapprove.
Outside of this top 10 we find the Mazda2 Sport, with an entry-level model that will set you back $14,795; Hyundai Elantra GLS ($15,625); Kia Forte LX ($15,690); Scion xD ($15,765); the Mitsubishi Lancer DE ($15,755); Honda Fit ($15,850); Mazda 3i SV ($16,595); Nissan Sentra 2.0 ($16,270); Honda Civic DX Coupe ($16,355) and the Volkswagen Jetta S ($16,765).
As you can see, there are a lot of cars to choose from if you are looking for something very affordable that will get you from point A to point B. If we were to choose a car from this top 10, it would have to be the recently introduced Ford Fiesta S Sedan as it offers plenty of standard equipment and it looks pretty good. Plus, it probably is the most fun to drive car in this price range.
Source: cars.about.com
Post tags: Tags: Cheapest New Car You Can Buy, chevrolet aveo ls sedan, ford fiesta s sedan, hyundai accent gl, kia rio base sedan, kia soul base, nissan cube 1.8, nissan versa 1.6, smart fortwo pure, suzuki sx4 sedan, top 10, toyota yaris 3-door liftback
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I’ll never understand why anyone would want to launch a tuning program for the tiny Smart ForTwo. Anyway, the aftermarket specialist over at Vilner have released one, featuring lots of visual modifications, but no power upgrades. Dubbed “Square Style”, this special ForTwo was developed for a Bulgarian businessman that wants to use it for advertising purposes.
As you can see, Vilner worked on the entire exterior look. It has an orange tridion safety cell and chromed plated panels. Also orange are the headlights, mirrors and the wheels.
Inside, we find a two-tone upholstery in black & orange. Some of the other accents have been chromed and a new steering wheel has been installed.
You can see the end result here:
[youtube width="470" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pepqsOma7Wc[/youtube]
Post tags: Tags: smart-fortwo, vilner
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