Introduction
The Smart EQ ForTwo resembles a Brompton bicycle in appearance. You wouldn’t pick them to race in the Tour de France or the Le Mans 24 Hours, but you would if you wanted to make city living as simple as possible while improving local air quality.
And, just as a Brompton can be folded and stowed away on trains, the Smart EQ ForTwo can squeeze into even the tiniest parking spaces and turn on a dime.
It’s the smallest electric vehicle on the market, even smaller than the Skoda Citigo-e iV, VW e-Up, and Renault Zoe.
Despite a new grille and bumper, the Smart’s appearance has evolved slightly throughout the years, and It still has the same basic cheeky expression.
Furthermore…
Additionally, there are more alloy wheel and color options than ever before, allowing for even more personalization.
The dashboard of the Smart EQ ForTwo has a unique appearance that varies significantly depending on whatever model you purchase.
The majority of the plastics higher up are good quality, but some of the lower-level plastics and the Smart switches seem cheap.
How about we look at this car in a little more detail,
Here we go…
Specifications:
Steering Wheel
The Smart EQ Fortwo comes standard with a height-adjustable steering wheel and driver’s seat, allowing you to select a comfortable driving posture.
However, it isn’t great because of the rough, flat chair and the absence of reach adjustability for the wheel. The Volkswagen e-Up and other tiny electric rivals have similar features.
Seating Position
The high seating position provides a decent forward perspective, but the large rear pillars hinder over-the-shoulder viewing, which is even worse in the Cabrio when the roof is up.
Parking Sensors
While reversing or pulling out of intersections, that can be a problem, though all variants come with rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera to assist you.
Visibility:
The Smart EQ ForTwo isn’t likely to be the first pick for large families as a two-seater city car, but it’s practical. The high driving position provides exceptional visibility, combined with wide-opening doors to provide excellent access.
The Smart EQ ForTwo could serve as a pattern for describing the proportions of the ultimate city car.
Nothing with doors is as little as this, allowing you to glide through gaps and park with ease. Apart from that, the two are limited significantly more than other electric city cars by their lack of refinement, usability, and, by modern standards, electric range.
Space
The Smart EQ Fortwo’s inside is cramped, but it’s still big enough for two tall persons to be comfortable. There’s plenty of storage with door pockets, two cupholders, and a small glovebox.
The Coupé’s boot space is officially 260 liters, tiny but still greater than the Volkswagen e- Up’s (251 liters).
The boot of the Fortwo Cabrio is significantly smaller, at 190 liters. Even so, both are just big enough to cram a couple of carry-on suitcases on board with a bit of squeezing and shoving.
Power Train
It has a lot of character because of its unusual aesthetics, driving experience, and the electric powertrain’s silent, darty performance.
Its agility and small proportions make it ideal for city driving. On the other hand, its personality can only take it so far – around half the distance a similarly priced Skoda Citigo -e iV can go on a single charge.
Electric Motor
The performance of the Fortwo EQ is undeniable, and the nifty and smooth step-off city driving demands are always provided by electric drive. For a 1,100kg car, an instant-on 82bhp motor is more than plenty.
Infotainment system
The battery level is shown on a nifty pod-like dial perched above the steering wheel. The 2020 facelift adds a new center console with an extra pair of cupholders and a smartphone tray.
If you’d rather use your phone’s apps than Smart’s system, the infotainment screen comes standard, and it also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Safety Equipment
Front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS), cruise control, active brake assist, smart range, Active Brake Aid (an automatic emergency braking system), crosswind assist, an electronic stability program (ESP), light steering, and tire-pressure monitoring are all standard safety equipment.
Other features
An electric EQ ForTwo Cabriolet and an EQ variant of the larger, four-seat Smart ForFour are also available in the Smart lineup.
We mean that it’s fantastic in its particular surroundings but terrible everywhere else. It’s as agile as a cat in congested streets, as parking able as your shoes, fresh-breeze clean, and as inexpensive as the coffee you sip on your way to work.
However, it becomes slow, unsteady, and limited in range as you leave the ring road. Going electric is a wonderful idea for the Smart.
Drive
When you slow down in an electric vehicle, you can feed energy back into the battery, which is great since it recovers power that would otherwise be lost.
Unfortunately, it might also result in a spongy, uneven brake pedal. The Fortwo isn’t immune to this, but it’s not as awful as it is in some cars, and you eventually get used to it.
It is more irritation than a major flaw, but you’ll notice the lack of comfort when driving over severe speed bumps. However, the faster you travel, the more settled it feels.
The e-Up also has better dynamism on curvy roads, with more direct steering and less body lean, although the ForTwo’s nimbleness in town pulls things back.
Turns out…
Its light steering and ultra-compact proportions enable it to squeak through even the tiniest of gaps and squeeze into the tiniest of parking spaces.
It’s difficult to beat in the city, then.
Due to their whispering electric motors, all-electric cars offer near-silent acceleration, but as you gain up speed in the Fortwo, that’s all undone by the loud wind noise, especially from around the roof of the car.
Driving Range
A 41kW electric motor in the rear and a 17.6kWh, 96-cell lithium-ion battery under the cab floor provide 82bhp and 118lb-ft to the rear wheels.
An electric EQ ForTwo Cabriolet and an EQ variant of the larger, four-seat Smart ForFour are also available in the Smart lineup.
The range is estimated to be around 70 miles, which may not seem like much in comparison to, say, a Zoe, but it is more than plenty for a day of meandering around your chosen city.
Adding in more…
All UK EQs have a 22kW on-board charger, which means recharging from 10% to 80% takes less than 40 minutes using a rapid charger, three hours and 18 minutes using a home wall box, or eight hours and 30 minutes using your three-pin socket in the safety and security of your own home.
Because electric cars do not have a traditional gearbox, so pressing your foot down in the Smart EQ ForTwo enables power to come in a smooth wave instantly.
It may not seem rapid with a 0-62mph time of 11.6 seconds, but acceleration up to 40mph is pleasingly swift, making nipping in and out of city traffic a breeze.
While…
Its 6.95-meter turning circle gives it a significant edge over a London taxi, allowing it to U-turn in practically any street. The suspension is particularly noteworthy since it effectively absorbs cracked asphalt and potholes.
Performance
Smart loves to talk about acceleration from 0 to 40 mph. Yes, forty seconds: less than five. As a result, you can catch the powerful SUV next to you off guard at the lights by leaving rather – sorry – smartly.
It’s a smooth transition. Importantly, the regenerative braking system is effectively integrated, allowing you to zip around fluidly. Seventy miles is a good range aim if the weather isn’t too cold outside.
Moreover…
The 0-62mph time is 11.6 seconds or 11.9 seconds in the Cabrio we tested. When traveling at highway speeds, both acceleration and available range deteriorate dramatically.
But as you go above 60, you’re being pitched, wiggled, and bounced around so much that it feels like you’re on a fast-paced adventure.
The steering is light but not particularly precise. So there’s a little more arm-twirling than you may think, mainly to keep it from tipping over due to unexpected inputs.
Before a recall, this happened to a few of the Mk1 Smarts. For the same reason, the ESP intervenes quickly and forcefully to prevent any mischief. Even yet, the electric version doesn’t lean nearly as much in corners.
Insurance
The basic warranty lasts three years and has no mileage restrictions. On the other hand, the Zoe lasts five years or 100,000 kilometers. Both the Fortwo and the Zoe have eight-year battery guarantees, but Smart’s is limited to 62,000 miles while Renault’s is unlimited.
We recommend sticking with the entry-level Exclusive trim level to keep the Fortwo affordable.
One of the best electric cars includes LED daytime running lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, automated climate control, infotainment, parking sensors, and a camera.
Stepping up to Exclusive trim, which adds full LED headlights, automatic wipers, and leather seats isn’t too big of a jump if you don’t mind spending a little more.
Plus…
The Brabus Line option gives the car a sportier appearance, but even if the price difference isn’t significant, we find it difficult to suggest it only for cosmetic reasons.
Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the Fortwo since 2014, and that was when it was still a fuel car. Back in the day,
Is New Smart Eq Fortwo 2020 Reliable?
Despite being owned by Mercedes, Smart is a niche company, and neither it nor its cars will be included in our 2020 Driver Power customer satisfaction study.
Those Mercedes roots, on the other hand, should give you peace of mind, and everything inside the EQ ForTwo seems solid and well-engineered – except the odd bit of scratchy plastic.
Because the EQ is fundamentally identical to the now-discontinued petrol ForTwo, Euro NCAP has given it a four-star (out of five) safety certification.
Let me add in more…
The Euro NCAP tests have been toughened up in recent years, and many cars now receive four stars; still, with 82 percent adult and 80 percent child occupant ratings, you can rest comfortably in the EQ ForTwo.
Front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS), Active Brake Aid (an automatic emergency braking system), crosswind assist, an electronic stability program (ESP), and tire-pressure monitoring are all standard safety equipment.
Cost and Verdict:
Running costs are quite modest once you’ve invested £20,000 or so on your EQ ForTwo. Electric cars with zero emissions have no road tax, and the EQ ForTwo has the lowest Benefit-in-Kind rating, making it particularly appealing to corporate purchasers.
Like other low-emissions zones established around the UK and Europe, it is free from the London Congestion Charge.
Adding in more…
The ForTwo’s lively urban nature is well suited to electric propulsion, but the onboard technology is behind the times, and the range is just about 70 miles.
Even though it is the cheapest electric car in the UK, it appears to be overpriced for what it offers.
The Skoda Citigo-e iV isn’t much more expensive, but it has rear doors and seats, a stated 160-mile battery range, and less roly-poly driving. Instead, we’d want to snag that before they sell out.
Conclusion – New Smart Eq Fortwo Car Review:
A city is ideal for electric power, and a little automobile is the best city car. The electric Smart Fortwo appears to have a strong case in this regard.
It’s not as if Smart hadn’t foreseen this. Electric power was envisioned when Mercedes and Swatch teamed up and built a two-seat city concept car a quarter-century ago.
However, the batteries were not up to the task.
Despite this, all three models of the Fortwo have had electric variants, making it the first electric car to be sold in Europe.
Smart has redoubled its efforts, producing its final combustion-engined vehicles in 2018. It’s now an all-electric car, with Mercedes-EQ Benz’s sub-branding.
It’s been given a makeover, and a new facelift has lowered the grille.
That was a descriptive article about New Smart Eq ForTwo. Hopefully, you enjoyed reading it.
The End.
