SMART ForTwo 2007-2012 Photos, engines & full specs

Smart unveiled the second generation of its micro-car in 2007 and showed its commitment to continue the struggling brand on the market, with some help from Mitsubishi.

Mercedes-Benz tried hard to keep the SMART brand alive after the Swiss company Swatch pulled back from the MCC (Micro Car Company) deal. But the Germans were determined to succeed and asked for help from Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Together, they developed the ForTwo, which was sold only as a SMART product, and the FourFour, which was also sold as Mitsubishi Colt with a different shape but on the same platform.

The second generation of the ForTwo was longer than its predecessor. It was still short enough to fit inside a medium-sized pickup, but it was good for transporting two occupants inside. At the front, the 2007 model featured boomerang-shaped headlights above the smiling grille. There was no way how to tell where the bumper was ending, and the rest of the plastic body panels continued. All panels were removable, and the owner could just order a new set in a new color and changed the car's color with only a few tools. In the back, the ForTwo kept the split-opening system for the trunk.

Inside, the two occupants enjoyed a roomy area. Its high seating position and the big glass area around the cabin reduced any claustrophobic sensation. The new instrument cluster featured a wide speedometer in front of the driver with an LCD screen at the bottom. On the top-middle of the dash panel, SMART offered an option for a tachometer and a clock.

Under the trunk's floor, SMART offered a choice of gasoline or diesel engines and an MHD (micro-hybrid-drive) system that included a belt-driven starter-generator, which helped the car increase its fuel-efficiency.