The cdi 2006 Smart Fortwo..

October 31, 2006
2006 smart fortwo pulse cabriolet Road Test
by Michel Deslauriers , Auto123.com 

Eat your heart out, John Deere

2006 smart fortwo pulse cabriolet (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)
I know what the majority of you are thinking. You're saying to yourself that this isn't a real car; it's a joke on wheels. A smart is a parody of the automobile, right? You're thinking that driving a smart is slightly more embarrassing than being seen walking out of the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to your shoe, isn't it?

In all honesty, that's what I thought, too.

You might be expecting the old cliché, about me saying how the smart changed my perception of it, and that I'm now in love with the car. Didn't happen. However, it did gain some respect.

I briefly drove the smart in December 2004, and the only thing that impressed me then was how it made it to the Canadian market. Now, after a whole week of driving this lawn mower, it's time to admit that I survived it unscathed.

2006 smart fortwo pulse cabriolet (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)
For such a small car--what am I saying, it's miniscule--the interior space for two occupants is amazing. The doors cover about 90% of the length of the car, and getting in and out is a no-brainer. The seats are comfortable despite their thin backrests, and there is sufficient headroom and shoulder room for just about anyone. Cargo space is pretty tight, but you can fit a suitcase or several grocery bags in back.

The instrument panel looks a little dinky, but the overall appearance is distinctive and rather amusing. The tach is located on top of the center console, right beside the clock. It took me three days to find the button that displays the trip odometer beneath the speedo. The fuel gauge 
2006 smart fortwo pulse cabriolet (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)
worried me at first when I was down to the last dot, but the display tells you when you've got 5.0 liters of fuel left.

I can't complain about the heating and ventilation controls, since they work as well as on any other car, and there's even an electric heater for cold winter mornings. The sound system is really disappointing, and the $195 speaker upgrade is a necessity, in my opinion.

Driving the car is both amusing and frustrating. Every time you press the throttle or apply the brake, or during every gear change while accelerating, the car squats and dives like a rocking horse. It's funny for the first few days.

2006 smart fortwo pulse cabriolet (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)
The 40-horsepower engine (yes, 40) is slightly more powerful than my weedwacker, but it can get the fortwo moving up to about 130 km/h on level ground. You can achieve 140 km/h driving downhill. The 800cc turbodiesel makes up for the shortage of power with 73 pound-feet of torque at a low 1,800 rpm, so car moves adequately off the line and gets up to speed in an acceptable timeframe. Is it too slow for our SUV-crowded roads? Not at all, but it's the bare minimum; any car slower than the smart would unfortunately have to be forbidden here, as it would be too dangerous in traffic. And no, that doesn't make logical sense. 

Every smart comes equipped with a 6-speed sequential gearbox, but for $400 more, the company will add an automatic program for it. You can use the paddles located on the steering wheel to row though gears, or flip a switch on the shift lever, and you'll activate the fully-automatic mode.

The car's handling is puzzling. You don't expect much, but the smart doesn't squeal its tires on every street corner, and doesn't become tipsy in tight curves. The car's very slow steering and dull reflexes don't urge you to drive aggressively, either. A small car like this should behave like a go-kart, but not this one. Despite its small-diameter tires, its ride is pretty good, but I find steering effort a little heavy while driving around town.

2006 smart fortwo pulse cabriolet (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)
The fortwo coupe's Tridion cage is very safe. Several videos can be found on the Internet that show smarts crashing into other cars or giant concrete blocks, and the cockpit is virtually untouched. I'm less sure about this cabriolet model, but I guess it's almost as safe. When picking up one of my kids at the day-care, I'm not too happy about being unable to manually deactivate the passenger-side airbag, which I could do on other two-seat cars I've tested.

Are you ready for a diesel car? In my opinion, that no longer depends on the engine itself, since diesels are not as smelly, noisy or weak as they were a decade ago. The reason I still wouldn't consider a diesel is that the pumps at gas stations haven't changed; they're still filthy. Also, the price of diesel fuel doesn't fluctuate as much as gasoline. During my week with the smart, gasoline was 94 cents a liter, and diesel was $1.09. Fortunately, I averaged an extraordinary 4.0L/100 km (70 mpg).

2006 smart fortwo pulse cabriolet (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)
The smart fortwo starts at $16,700, but this pulse cabriolet model carries a base price of $21,700. This test car also includes the automatic transmission mode ($400), air conditioning ($890) and jetline alloy wheels ($165). Add another $1,030 for the exterior color scheme, and you're looking at a $24,185 car. That hurts.

Whatever the price, however, we need the smart on our roads to make us realize that we can live with small cars. The commute to work and back for me in the smart was just like in any other car, but it cost peanuts in fuel. Now, what would you like to see on the road in the future? More trucks, or more smarts? John Deere should start making cars.

What I like:
Fuel miser
Interior passenger space
Distinctive looks

What I don't like:
High price, especially the cabriolet
Passenger-side airbag can't be manually deactivated

Who started the Smart car project ?

Originally, the same team that owns the Swatch watch empire in Switzerland devised the Smart concept. The project was nicknamed the "Swatchmobile".

The car was to use innovative attributes including a hybrid engine and was targeted for young people, as an affordable car. According to Swatch's CEO the cars objective was to "transport two people and a case of beer".

Being inexperienced in automotive manufacturing, Swatch's CEO Mr. Hayek required an established car manufacturer to produce his Swatch car, and thought he found a partner in Volkswagen. Plans never got off the ground so

Swatch teamed up with Daimler-Benz.

Since their global product launch in 1998, Smart Cars have added new meaning to the definition of a small vehicle, in terms of the nuts and bolts of safety, function and efficiency.

What was the Smart originally named?

The Smart car was called (1998) the MCC Smart, short for Swatch Mercedes ART.

The MCC Smart and Swatch had set a first year production goal at 100,000 vehicles and expected that figure to double over the next several years. The companies hoped their new model would capture 7 percent to 8 percent of the car market; they expected to see its initial profits within six years.

The car provide evidence far from expectations: technology was conventional and it was more expensive than most small 4-seater cars sold in Europe.

The joint venture experienced intense losses and in November 1999, Swatch sold its remaining 19 percent involvement in the project to Daimler-Chrysler.

Smart is made with the co-operation of Germany, Switzerland, and France. Motors would come from Germany, now from Mitsubishi Motors, electronics from Switzerland and the end product would be assembled at the company plant in Hambach, France.

Smart car is part of DaimlerChrysler, the world's 5th largest automotive group. MCC Smart is a subsidiary of Chrysler AG; it is the youngest automotive manufacturer in the world and produces the smallest production vehicle to date.

The Smart sales towers are large replicas of the Swatch watch counter displays.

Smart Centers were planned; over 40 are already constructed. The price for the Smart Sales Tower is around $3,000,000 USD.

Since 2000, additional models have been added and the car made its first appearance in Japan and Mexico.

In 2003 the Smart was introduced in Australia.

In December of 2004 Smart Car of Canada got the intelligent treatment.

The smart development..

The Smart enterprise is the most enormous marketing implementation the modern motor industry has ever witnessed.

With the arrival of the Smart Cabriolet, Cross-Blade, Roadster and Roadster-Coupe models, Smart For-Four and the Smart For-More, Smart underwent a vital transition, from a single-concept car company to a multiple-car manufacturer.

Unfortunately a variety of factors have encumbered the smart car division's development plans.

We believe this impulsive expansion along other dynamics was a contributing factor to the bleeding.

What other vehicles does smart gmbh manufacture?

The company has created several models: the Smart Roadster, Smart CrossBlade, Smart ForFour and had planned to product a SUV called the ForMore.

To date DaimlerChrysler has ceased production on the Formore SUV, Smart CrossBlade (April 2005) Roadster and Roadster-Coupe (November 2005) Smart ForFour (March 2006).

DaimlerChrysler presented a prototype based on the Smart ForTwo. They call this newest creation the Crosstown .

The Smart division has yet to turn a profit. However, they recently reorganized the entire sector and many new plans have been implemented.

The smart brand had yet to make a profit after eight years in operation and the Daimler group has lost over $3,000 on each and every vehicle that has rolled off their assembly lines.

DaimlerChrysler has made the determination that the money-losing brand will live to fight another day; it will just have fewer bullets in its gun.

As a consequence of their fresh business model, the main factors which were announced on April 1, 2005, fixed costs are to be reduced by 30% within the next two years and productivity will be boosted.

Since April 2005 additional cost cutting realignments have been initiated. They continue to reduce the work force, (by 300 employees) axed the ForFour.

DaimlerChrysler will also attempt to strengthen sales and for the smart brand by better incorporating smart into the Mercedes organization.

The bleeding has eased and they plan to bring about profitability for the smart for 2007.

 DaimlerChrysler will now center “exclusively” on its Smart ForTwo models.

According to our DaimlerChrysler sources; the 2008 Smart will meet the U.S. Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency requirements and be US compliant.

The headlights will be more aerodynamic, tail light updates, a slight weight increase, revitalize horse power, enhanced safety features, more available colors choices, however much to everyone’s likely the general appearance dimensions and the Smart appeal will stay put.

Success should come effortless for the 2008 Smart in the U.S. Smart must be the celebrate vehicle for the new millennium.

The 2008 Smart ForTwo will be state side and according to our sources sooner than later.

Currently (2005) an Independent Commercial Importer is the only licensed entity to convert and modify this version of the Smart For-Two.

The way we look at this situation is DaimlerChrysler has received substantial vehicle awareness, a huge test market and complimentary publicity.

What will this mean to the American public?