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Smart ForTwo 451 ownership review: Cute, peppy and easily manoeuvrable

2nd March 2024, 12:45 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

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All in all, this car is very much like the venerable Maruti Suzuki Alto, compact, efficient, reliable and capable.

BHPian hifisharu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

What comes to mind when one describes the following characteristics of a Car?

2-Door, 2-Seater Coupe
Horizontally placed rear mounted engine
Rear wheel drive
Extremely lightweight construction
Designed in Stuttgart, Germany

Maybe 90% of the respondents might answer, that's easy, a Porsche 911

Even Google Aunty seems to suggest the same

But, there's another car that fits this description, presenting the OG City Micro Car, the SMART ForTwo Coupe!

SMART Cars GmbH, as many might know: The marque was founded in 1994 by Micro Compact Car AG (MCC), a joint venture between SMH and Daimler-Benz. The name Smart derives from the cooperation of the Swiss company Swatch with Mercedes-Benz: "Swatch Mercedes ART". In its branding, the company lowercase its logotype and the logo incorporating a "c" and an arrow for the car's "cute", "compact", and "forward-thinking" styling, respectively.

We were on the lookout for a second car, mainly to be driven by my wife for short grocery runs, picking up our kid from school etc. We looked at everything in the Compact Car category: Renault Twingo, Fiat 500, Renault Zoe etc. This was in 2022 when the new car deliveries were facing issues due to chip shortages and therefore new cars couldn't be acquired in a short time and the used car market was the only option. With its cute cuddly looks, great peppy engine and ease of use in city traffic, the Smart ForTwo was quickly liked by my wife and in about three days' time, the car was with us at home.

Going into the test drive, the first indications that it was a good vehicle was how quickly and easily it started at the first crank, despite being a 10 year + old vehicle. The car had already run 1,23,xxx kms and everything was in working order. Even the Automatic Gearbox responded very well, changing gears very smoothly and quickly. Of course, it's no DSG, but for an AMT, it's quite peppy and very well-tuned for city traffic.

LIKES

Amazing interior pace, despite Micro car dimensions
Unmatched manoeuvrability in City traffic
Excellent cargo space
Very well-lit, airy cabin, thanks to the all glass roof
Brilliant engine performance, delivers from the get go

DISLIKES

Extremely noisy at Autobahn speeds
High speed stability is poor, though Autobahn capable, better to stick to city and country roads
Seats have no adjustability, other than fore and aft
Safety in a high speed accident is questionable
Hard, stiff suspension

Exterior Design

From the very first look, it is evident the theme of styling was a cute, friendly look. It appeals to many women, including my wife with its cuddly proportions. The almost non-existent front and rear overhangs make it perfect for zipping in city traffic and parking. The front face is reminiscent of Pikachu, though the Nano fits the bill more aptly. Rear design is very restrained and functional, with emphasis on large glass area and easy-loading hatch. The White body and Black styling elements surely earn it the name of Panda. The wheels/ tires have a staggered setup, 15 inch, 155s in the front and 175s at the rear.

The doors are quite large, better than many mid-sized hatchbacks, making ingress and egress very easy and the high seating position makes it a breeze getting in and out. Frameless windows help reduce weight, make the cabin airy and add to visibility.

The rear hatch opens in two stages, the glass area, just to toss in stuff or open the lower hatch to load heavier items. Below the storage area is the engine tucked away. In the front is the service opening for the fluids, behind an easy access panel.

Lighting is strictly average, everything is designed mainly for city usage. The low beams and high beams use a standard H7 lighting setup.

Interior Design

Interior Design is truly a masterclass in packaging and the designers have really made use of every available centimetre and the space of offer is amazing. There's ample leg room and overall a great sense of lightness in the cabin. Seats have a good range of motion but no other settings which can be adjusted.

The windshield is quite rakish and combined with the high seating position, the visibility is just fantastic. Since the overhangs are almost non-existent, manoeuvring the car is a breeze and parking is the easiest of all.

In this MHD trim level, there's a cloth cover on the instrument panel, cloth seats and cloth-covered door cards. This being an early 2000s design, the instrumentation is no-nonsense, no modes nothing. Standard info displays speed, fuel available and other telltale lights. Additional instrumentation is placed on the Instrument Panel in the middle in the form of a Rev counter and a Clock.

Air-Conditioning and Heater work well since there's very little volume to be covered. Infotainment and Navigation are provided by a small DIN I unit, which albeit slow, works very well. It even has a concealed CD player and the usual Micro SD card reader integrated.

The entire roof is made of glass, which adds to the airiness of the cabin. For the hot summer days, a cloth sunshade makes sure things are kept cooler.

Storage spaces are mainly the Glove Box, some nets in the Door Cards for small nick-nacks and a coin holder slot. In the Trunk door, there is a sizeable storage area, for the warning triangle, some winter tools etc. Behind the seats is a fairly large trunk, which can accommodate large grocery bags or a suitcase even.

Driving and Handling

The steering is unassisted and almost no weight on the front axles, steering is direct and extremely light. With the small turning radius, one can do a U-turn in one lane. Braking is handled by discs at the front and drums at the rear. Braking is quite progressive and even in extended mountain driving have never given any reason for complaints. Suspension is on the stiffer side and the ride is quite bouncy. Due to the tall-boy design, there's quite a bit of body roll and is not so confidence-inspiring to take corners at higher speeds. Engine is a naturally aspirated 1.0 lt unit, which is very peppy and a hoot to drive. The gearbox has its typical AMT rubber-band characteristics, but the overall car being light makes up for the slow gearbox. On the side is a small switch to toggle between the Automatic and Manual override modes.

Conclusion

All in all, this car is very much like the venerable Maruti Suzuki Alto, compact, efficient, reliable and capable. Other than fuel and the usual annual services, we've not had to pay for anything, speaking for its overall quality of components. The car has been used in all kinds of weather conditions and the little car just soldiers on. I love using the car on city runs, grocery runs and other small jaunts. My wife is extremely satisfied with the vehicle and enjoys every opportunity to take the Panda out, making it the ideal city companion.