We’ve had a total of four Smarts in our family in the past two decades – all Fortwo models – so you might expect me to express a modicum of regret that the company chief of the past eight years, Annette Winkler, is stepping down as the company begins a transition to making all-electric cars.
But the only regret I honestly feel is for some of the decisions the company’s top management, led by Winkler, has made in recent times. I regret the most recent 'potato' restyling job, and I especially regret the rebirth of the ugly and not very capable Smart Forfour (closely related to the equally lacklustre Renault Twingo), surely one of Europe’s crummier cars.
Smart CEO Annette Winkler resigns
The plan to re-establish Smart as a specialist electric car marque, in the hands of a new management, sounds like a decent way out of some thorny problems, given that the two iterations of battery Smart we’ve had so far (the first engineered in the UK) were among the most interesting and logical of the breed so far. Another, the Roadster, died far too soon back in the mid-2000s.
Smarts have big advantages for the future. Their compactness, cabin space efficiency, Mercedes quality, fantastic turning circle and high seating position all combine brilliantly with the increasingly obvious advantages of electric propulsion – a compact powertrain, near-equal weight distribution front to rear, a low centre of gravity, exceptional torque, smoothness and quietness, plus perfect step-off from rest – to make an ideal battery-powered urban car.
Bring it on, say I, as long as you allow Renault’s last act in this dubious alliance to be to let its brilliant design chief, Lawrence van den Acker, oversee the creation of a brand new Smart look as fresh and appealing as his other small creations, which include the Renault Clio and Renault Captur. Then we’d have something truly worthy of the fascinating 2020s that are almost upon us.
Why, you may ask, did I repeatedly spend money on Smarts if I now feel so lukewarm about them? The first came because I’m sentimental about cars. I loved the initial mid-1990s concept of a 'Swatch car' – complete with the involvement of Swatch’s Nicholas Hayek – and impetuously bought an early model straight off the motor show stand. It worked okay, especially after the several software upgrades Mercedes-Benz provided gratis, even for us grey market buyers.
The other three were bought on the grounds of big doors, small size, that high H-point, exceptional manoeuvrability and top-level quality as transport for my mother-in-law, a very active older lady. She drives one now. But what we want – both she and I – is something that restores the spark of the original concept. Then Smart could start living up to its name.
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Steve, you say that the Smart ForFour is not very capable...
But you do not explain why or in what way?
I bought one recently as a second car used solely for commuting through heavy city traffic, which is what it is designed for, and in this respect I find it extremely capable. Comfortable, spacious in the front, well equipped and reliable with good visibility and easy to park almost anywhere. The turbo engine is also great and pulls strongly up to motorway speeds, with a nice slick gearbox, which makes exploiting gaps in traffic easy.
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I take it...
Of course it does not make sense for everyone, but for some it makes a helluva lot of sense.
Indeed, as ever its 'horses
Indeed, as ever its 'horses for courses', which many folk (generally and here) dont want to acknowledge as a viable, possibly even better, option than the 'jack of all trades' solution where every car should apparently be able to drive 400miles without refuelling, carry a family of four with luggage for a fortnights holiday, be a hoot to drive etc.
For some the smart makes perfect sense, fits perfectly for their needs and is the best choice for them. For others it won't, which is absolutely fine. Same as electric cars, same as diesel cars...