In the face of increasingly stiff completion in the city car segment Smart is to facelift its fortwo model to keep abreast with cars like the Fiat 500 and the upcoming up! / Mii / Citigo trio.
Available to order now, with expected deliveries in April, the refreshed fortwo retains the model line-up of coupé and cabrio with five trim levels - pure, pulse, passion, Brabus and Brabus Xclusive - to choose from.
The main changes are to the exterior where a more prominent Smart logo is integrated into a larger radiator grille. The air inlets that used to sit either side of the grille have now been combined into a single unit and the optional LED daytime driving lights are now arranged horizontally.
"The way in which the fortwo now displays the smart logo more prominently stands for the brand's new self-confidence," notes Smart boss Dr Annette Winkler. "The smart fortwo has long become an icon that is a defining feature of urban traffic throughout the world."
Inside a new leather/fabric upholstery has been applied to the seats and door trims with imitation black leather on the instrument panel leading to what Smart says is a "high-quality interior package."
No changes have been made under the bonnet so the fortwo will continue to be powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with outputs of 61-, 70-, 84 or 103hp - the latter in the Brabus model. The solitary diesel option is an 800cc unit the offers 54hp, fuel economy of 85.6mpg and CO
2 emissions of just 86g/km.
Paul Healy - 2 Feb 2012