REVIEW: Smart forfour prime

Since then few car manufacturers have really embraced the concept of tiny vehicles.

In recent years only Smart and Toyota’s innovative iQ have boasted the ability the park “nose-in” at the roadside and still not cause an obstruction and complete a one-point turn on a one-way street.

This year — after 17 years with barely a change — the new Smart fortwo has landed and this time a five-door version takes its place in the line-up at the same time.

Created in partnership with Renault aptly named five-door Smart forfour is closely related to the new Twingo.

Being under the ownership of Mercedes, however, means that the forfour has been marketed in a slightly more premium position.

As such, prices start at £11,620. That’s more than £2,000 more than the base version of the French supermini.

Three specifications of Smart forfour are available from launch (passion, prime and proxy) with a choice of 71bhp 999cc or 90bhp 898cc turbocharged three-cylinder engines.

Like the Twingo, the Smart is rear-engined and rear-wheel-drive, a layout that has remained the preserve of Porsche’s 911 in the past few decades.

The effects marked.

Packaging the car in this way helps to keep the car’s kerb weight down to 975kg, while front wheels unrestricted by an engine manage to turn to such a degree that a mildly comedic 8.65m turning circle is possible. 

In terms of manoeuvrability, the forfour is a dream.

For a small car the forfour, like the Twingo, is a lofty little car, despite is diminutive 3.79m length.

As a result there’s impressive headroom and this is matched by decent rear leg room.

Where that rear-engined layout boasts benefits but doesn’t quite deliver is in terms of refinement, though. 

In terms of engine noise, the Smart forfour is a fairly quite car — quieter than the Twingo — but that puttering little three-pot engine wobbles the car on its chassis at idle.

Otherwise, being in the Smart forfour is rather enjoyable.

Like the exterior, which looks to highlight the old Smart’s safety cell styling with a contrasting colour of paintwork wrapped around the cabin, the interior is a little outlandish.

All smart forfour’s come with a textured fabric for the dashboard and a leather, three-spoke multifunction steering wheel as standard, along with automatic climate control, automatic start/stop, cruise control and a 3.5-inch TFT screen.

That fabric dash brings some real tactile quality without employing acres of leather, and also reduces reflections and glare on a sunny day.

Prominent air vents top the dash with Mercedes-esque (but very plasticky) cross-hair styling, while a pod to the right of the main instrument binnacle houses a rev counter.

The mid-range prime spec forfour tested here (£12,315) came a “premium package” which added a tablet-style seven-inch touchscreen which is once again reminiscent of the styling of Mercedes’ touchscreen systems.

It brings sat-nav, Bluetooth phone and music streaming alongside the packages other additions: fibre optic daytime running lights, fog lights, ambient interior lighting, a rear view camera and height adjustable driver’s seat.

At £1,295 it certainly ain’t cheap though.

That aside, the Smart forfour prime’s specification is fairly well furnished with standard kit.

A panoramic glass roof, 15-inch bi-colour alloys, Lane Keeping Assist, black leather seats and heated front seats are all present.

The only real let down of the interior is that the seats which are overly firm and lack side support.

This was particularly apparent in the rear seats, where I watched passengers roll from side to side with a little wilful steering manipulation.

Manipulating the steering was required to get the front end hooking into a corner too.

Anyone expecting a rear-wheel-drive supermini to be an introduction to oversteer will be disappointed as understeer rules the roost.

The forfour doesn’t have the power or torque to produce any power oversteer and the front end will push wide in response to an over enthusiastic corner entry speed.

A lift of the throttle rectifies this, but leaves you a little disappointed at the Smart’s general unwillingness to play.

It goes without saying that the new Smart’s five-speed manual gearbox is a dream after the old car’s tardy automatic-only set up, though.

Flat-out figures which reveal a 15.9 second dash to 62mph and 94mph top speed do little to excite either. This is a car built for the city, of that there’s little doubt.

Claims of 67.3mpg fuel economy and 97g/km CO2 emissions should find favour with a broader audience, however.

The new Smart puts the Mercedes-owned brand carves itself a niche as the premium part of the new double act between itself and Renault’s Twingo.

It boasts a unique style and lots of quirky features.

But where it’s little brother, the fortwo, has its own unique appeal the five-door looks vulnerable to other key rivals. Not least the one that wears a French manufacturers badge and comes at a cut price...

Smart forfour prime

Engine: 999cc, three-cylinder, petrol

Power: 71bhp and 67lb.ft. of torque

Performance: 0-62mph in 15.9 seconds and 194mph

Economy: 67.3mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 97g/km

Price: £12,315