Nother CarGuy

Smart has unveiled the facelifted EQ ForTwo and EQ ForFour. Set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 10th, the models have a revised design that incorporates a number of styling cues from the ForEase and ForEase+ concepts. Starting up front, the cars have been equipped with a new fascia that features a prominent mesh grille. It’s flanked by newly optional LED headlights and a modified bumper with vertical openings near the outside edges. Additional changes are limited, but the cars have updated taillights with a rhombic design that consists of “hundreds of elaborately arranged” LEDs. The cabin largely carries over, but there are a handful of notable changes. First and foremost, there’s a new 8-inch infotainment system which promises a “seamless interaction” with a driver’s smartphone.  The infotainment system is also more intuitive and easier to use. Designers also created a new center console which features a large storage compartment in front of the ...

The Smart Forease+, a tiny concept car bound for the Geneva Motor Show, has just been unveiled as an updated version of last year’s Forease concept. In creating the Forease+, Smart took the eye-catching Forease and improved its form and function with a sleek Speedster design. The concept bound for Geneva features a bright orange fabric roof that stretches right to the rear of the tiny car. Smart says the roof is robust enough to be used all-year round and that it can be quickly and easily removed with two clips at the rear. Alongside its new roof, the Smart Forease+ incorporates a shortened windshield to further increase its Speedster characteristics. The concept also lacks side windows and has been designed to look rather aggressive from the rear thanks to a large ducktail spoiler. Viewed from the front, there are headlights incorporating three active LED elements. Additionally, there are small lights found where the vehicle’s front grille would usually be. Subtle orange a...

Smart is celebrating its 20th anniversary and the company is marking the occasion by introducing the new Forease concept. Set to debut at the Paris Motor Show next week, the Forease is a two-seat roadster which pays tribute to other “pioneering” concepts such as the 2001 Crossblade and 2011 Forspeed. Billed as “uncompromisingly open” and “reduced to the essential,” the Forease concept is based on the EQ Fortwo Cabrio and features a chopped windscreen and flush-mounted door handles.  The model also has a metallic white body that is contrasted by stream green accents and a matte silver Tridion safety cell. Designers also installed unique bumpers, a massive diffuser and two stylish roll bars. Other highlights include distinctive headlights, a revised grille and 3D taillights. The stylish design continues in the cabin as drivers are greeted by a unique steering wheel and two-tone seats with stream green accents. The multi-colored theme is visible elsewhere as the...

Mercedes‘ EQ subrand will be in full force in Geneva with Smart joining the family with two electric versions of the ForTwo and ForFour. Offered in the Nightsky Edition, the battery-powered EQ ForTwo Coupe and Cabrio are the first to go on sale this spring, from €28,255 ($34,800) and €31,515 ($38,816), respectively, in Germany, tax included. They will be followed by the EQ ForFour Nightsky Edition in the third quarter of the year, whose pricing will be announced close to its launch. Both of them feature a fast-charging function. All Smart vehicles with electric drive come with a 4.6 kW on-board charger as standard. This provides for fast recharging of a drained battery – in less than 3.5 hours at a wallbox or in under six hours at a domestic wall socket (10-80 percent in each case) However, before arriving in showrooms, the two cars will be brought to the Geneva Motor Show, where the Daimler-owned brand will highlight some of their strong points. Get ready t...

According to Brabus, the Ultimate E Concept is an exclusive city sports car and it's got plenty of power to back up that claim. As far as the Smart ForTwo goes, this concept unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show is pretty darn impressive. It's got a transverse electric motor, juiced by a lithium-ion battery pack, with a capacity of 22 kWh and a maximum range of 160 km (100 miles). In terms of performance, we're looking at 204 PS (201 HP) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque, allowing it to get from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.5 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph). "Electric city sports cars must primarily be fun. This includes breathtaking and virtually silent acceleration paired with a sufficient range," said Brabus CEO, Prof. h.c. Bodo Buschmann. Currently in its road-testing phase, the Brabus Ultimate E Concept was developed in collaboration with Kreisel Electric. In total, the car weighs just 1,085 kg (2,392 lbs...

Smart revealed its new Vision EQ concept Fortwo ahead of its Frankfurt Motor Show public debut. The tiny concept shows how Daimler envisions the future of urban mobility and the local public transport: a fully autonomous all-electric vehicle that’s always connected to provide its services when needed. This is also the first Smart vehicle that falls under the EQ brand. Daimler is planning to launch more than ten electric vehicles by 2022, starting from a Smart model and ranging up to a large SUV. "The smart vision EQ fortwo is our vision of future urban mobility; it is the most radical car sharing concept car of all: fully autonomous, with maximum communication capabilities, friendly, comprehensively personalisable and, of course, electric," says smart CEO Annette Winkler. The Smart Vision EQ Fortwo is built with car sharing in mind; inside there are no controls, with the vehicle’s functions being controlled by the user’s mobile device or voice input. Inste...

Smart has dropped a teaser image of a new concept it will debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Set to premiere on September 11, the Smart concept is tipped to receive an all-electric powertrain from the upcoming Mercedes EQ range and will be designed as a car sharing concept designed with city use in mind. In the Instagram post teasing the mode, Smart said “the future starts here: the smart vision of urban mobility for tomorrow. Stay tuned: you will find more information here in the next days and live from the IAA on September 11th.” As you may have guessed from the car’s fake grille that reads ‘On my way’, the concept is fully-autonomous and the first vehicle from Daimler’s Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Service and Electric Drive (CASE) corporate strategy. Carscoops

Smart’s world premieres for the  upcoming Paris Auto Show  are the pure electric versions of the  ForTwo Coupe  and Cabrio, and for the first time, the ForFour. All three models share the same electric motor producing 82hp (61kW / 83PS) and 160Nm (118 lb-ft) of torque in European specification, allowing for a 0-100km/h (62mph) time of 11.5 sec in the ForTwo Coupe, 11.8 sec in the ForTwo Cabrio and 12.5 sec in the ForFour. Top speed is electronically limited to 130 km/h (80 mph) on all three cars to help maximize efficiency. A Renault-sourced, single speed fixed gear transmission drives the rear wheels, and if you’re wondering, for reverse, the gearbox simple changes the engine's direction of rotation. A 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery offers a driving range of 160km (100 miles) in the ForTwo Coupe, and 155km (96 miles) in the other two, with a charging time of 2.5 hours in the USA and Britain, which is half as long as the previous electric Smarts. In Germany where a d...