smart is the world’s first car brand to have made the complete switch from internal combustion engines to electric powertrains. A choice that was not at all difficult to make for a brand that basically has just three models in the lineup, but one that gives Daimler enough reason to brag about it.
The tiny little car will be on the floor of the Frankfurt Motor Show next week (starting September 10) to show how it has changed since the last time we saw a refreshed version of it. Dubbed by Daimler the new generation, this new variant of the smart EQ is boasting a limited number of visual changes and virtually no modifications to the powertrain.
The design changes – some inspired by the smart concepts shown by the carmaker in the past year - are most visible at the front, where the grille has been reinterpreted and the bumper mildly redesigned.
For the first time, the front ends of the fortwo and forfour will no longer be the same: forfour’s front is now an open A-shaped piece with fog lamps at the bottom, while the fortwo carries over the design of the previous version.
At the rear, both models receive updated tail lights, that are now based on “hundreds of elaborately arranged LED lighting elements” that form the lamp’s contours.
The interior has remained pretty much the same as before, with the exception of a few extra storage options. The infotainment system that goes into the car now supports smartphone integration an the smart EQ app allows control over some of the car’s features.
The powertrain of the new smart EQ is based on a 17.6 kWh battery and one synchronous motor mounted on the rear axle. The motor develops 82 hp, the same as before, and allows the car to accelerate to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds.
Daimler did not say when the reinterpreted smart goes on sale.
The design changes – some inspired by the smart concepts shown by the carmaker in the past year - are most visible at the front, where the grille has been reinterpreted and the bumper mildly redesigned.
For the first time, the front ends of the fortwo and forfour will no longer be the same: forfour’s front is now an open A-shaped piece with fog lamps at the bottom, while the fortwo carries over the design of the previous version.
At the rear, both models receive updated tail lights, that are now based on “hundreds of elaborately arranged LED lighting elements” that form the lamp’s contours.
The interior has remained pretty much the same as before, with the exception of a few extra storage options. The infotainment system that goes into the car now supports smartphone integration an the smart EQ app allows control over some of the car’s features.
The powertrain of the new smart EQ is based on a 17.6 kWh battery and one synchronous motor mounted on the rear axle. The motor develops 82 hp, the same as before, and allows the car to accelerate to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds.
Daimler did not say when the reinterpreted smart goes on sale.