World Premier: The New Smart ForTwo Makes Its Official Debut

Posted by www.eMercedesBenz.com on November 10th, 2006 At 8:25 AM CST

It's official ladies and gentlemen - just four days after the first  
photos of the next smart fortwo began their trek across the internet,  
DaimlerChrysler today has officially taken the wraps off their new  
model, finally revealing to the world what to expect from the  
stylish, incredibly fuel-efficient micro-car.

What's the best way to describe the new smart fortwo?  "The new smart  
fortwo can do everything that the current model can do - but better"  
says DaimlerChrysler, and looking at the specs, I'd have to agree.

To begin with, there's the styling.  Slightly larger; slightly more  
masculine; slightly more refined; all while maintaining the  
characteristics that made the original smart such a success.  Gone  
are the odd three-tiered tail lights, replaced by a simpler two- 
lights set.  An increase in length of 19.5 centimeters adds cargo  
capacity as well as driver and passenger comfort.  An updated  
interior which includes a new instrument panel offers a revised-yet- 
still characteristically smart driving environment.

Then, there's the power.  When it launches in April of 2007, the new  
smart fortwo will feature three re-engineered, uprated petrol  
engines:  a 45kW, 61bhp variant; a 52kW, 71 bhp variant; and a 62kW,  
84bhp variant; as well as a 33kW, 45 bhp diesel variant.  All engines  
are linked to a re-engineered automated manual five-speed  
transmission from Getrag, with the petrol models noting a maximum  
speed of 90mph - an increase of 6mph over the previous models.

And finally, while it's true the added power of the next fortwo is  
nice, the smart's true strength lies in the incredible fuel  
consumption it's capable of achieving.  With each petrol model  
boasting fuel consumption better than five liters per 100km (47mpg)  
and the diesel cdi model achieving fuel consumption of less than 3.5  
liters per 100km (67mpg), the new models easily live up to their fuel  
efficient billing.

Believe it or not, that's just the beginning. Starting at the end of  
2007, customers interested in the 52kW smart variant will also have  
the option of adding a starter generator, the result of which is even  
greater fuel savings.   By automatically switching the vehicle's  
engine off when stopped (such as at a traffic light) and  
automatically re-starting the engine the moment the accelerator is  
pushed, the starter generator is capable of achieving an additional  
fuel savings of up to 13 percent in city traffic.

Beautiful.

So to sum it up: it looks better; it's faster; it's more fuel  
efficient; and did we mention, it will cost the same as the previous  
models?

What more can you ask for?

But enough talk; you want to see it, so see it ye shall. Visit  
www.eMercedesBenz.com to view photos of both the standard and  
cabriolet smart models, followed by the official press release  
detailing the entire smart lineup.

Enjoy.