smart fortwo Edition Highstyle Unveiled

German manufacturer Daimler announced today the release of a new edition, to be launched this fall, of the smart fortwo. The Edition Highstyle, based on the Passion trim, will come packed with equipment, "fine materials and an unusual appearance".

What strikes you first is the chocolate brown metallic finish of the body. Together with the 15 inch alloy wheels in a 12-spoke design and edition Highstyle logos in aluminum look, the new edition looks like no other smart.

On the interior, the edition Highstyle boasts metallic leather on the seats and in the doors with specially designed light and dark fabric. The sports steering wheel and the gearshift and gear knob are also covered in leather.

Standard equipment on the Edition Highstyle includes electric power steering, heated seats, a lockable glove compartment and the smart sound system with a smart MP3 interface.

As for what makes the smart move about, customers have two choices. They can either go for the 71 hp engine or the 84 hp one, the difference in price between the two being only 500 euros: 15,695 for the smaller unit and 16,195 for the bigger one.

The 71 hp version of the Edition Highstyle comes with what Daimler calls "micro hybrid drive" (mhd); in fact, a start-stop system which shuts down the engine as soon as the driver brakes and the vehicle's speed falls below 8 km/h. According to the manufacturer's figures, the mhd allows for fuel savings in city driving of around 20 percent.

"The new smart fortwo edition highstyle continues the series of unusual and successful special models from the trendsetter for urban mobility," Daimler said in a release.