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our test drives or view them all

Smart fortwo cdi Passion

IT’S new to the Highlands, cosy for two, will cover 85 miles on a gallon of diesel, and is the cutest little car you’ll have seen for a long time.

What is it? The new three-cylinder diesel Smart fortwo with automatic transmission and a style and attitude all to itself.

This must be the ultimate commuter car – a tiny 1.55 metres long with a kerb weight of around three-quarters of a tonne.

I’ve driven the Smart car petrol models before – frankly I was not amused. I found them too frenetic with a tendency to dart around on uneven surfaces, and equipped with a jerky transmission.

But that was eight years ago – and a lot has happened since, not least of which is a new Highland dealership attached to John Weir’s Mercedes-Benz main franchise where trainee sales executive Siobhan Creech has set her sights on introducing the north to the delights of sophisticated compact motoring. She's off to a good start with a couple sold already.

There are 12 models in the Smart fortwo range – everything from an £8,680 71bhp 999cc petrol Pulse to a crazy 98bhp BRABUS Xclusive with a tuned version of the same engine and a price tag of £16,250.

You also have Coupé and Cabriolet models, a choice of petrol or 799cc diesel engines, and trim levels starting with Pulse and moving through the most popular, Passion, and on to Xclusive.

And, as the name suggests, they all share one point in common – they are a four-wheel, two-door car built exclusively for two people.

Smart started with this design, then unwisely branched out into a Mitsubishi-based four-door which it unimaginatively called the forfour, and also produced a clever little two-seat Roadster.

Thankfully the forfour has been consigned to history – so too is the Roadster, although in that car’s case it was a pity because it was a fun-packed way to enjoy a good-looking micro sports car.

Built by Mercedes-Benz in a specially developed plant on the France-Germany border, the fortwo is the survivor – and to all intents and purposes is the best model in what is undoubtedly a quirky range.

This is a car for the stylish, the adventurous, the individual and the experimental. And now, for the frugal of mind.

I was astonished by the latest fortwo’s combination of performance and economy. Drive it as hard as I might, I could not get it to alter much from its average 85mpg.

That’s as much a tribute to the car’s superb paddle shift “softouch” automatic transmission as it is to the perky 54bhp turbodiesel engine and the tiny unit’s impressive 96lb.ft of torque.

The little car may not weigh much but it’s no lightweight either, and having pulling power available from 2250rpm from such a small capacity sub-800cc engine is the result of careful design.

Mind you, acceleration is not ballistic. The fortwo is a slow accelerator and takes a yawning 16.8 seconds to scuttle from rest to 62mph.

But the good news is that round town it is brisk enough to clear a way through traffic and, with a little practice, its open road overtaking times can be trimmed by judicious use of the autobox and the diesel’s best torque band – a narrow window between 2250rpm and 2500rpm.

But the fortwo is not a long-distance cruiser. Short to medium trips are perfect for this luggage-shy micro car.

To be fair, I was surprised to find it could accommodate two adults up front plus 220 litres of luggage behind the seats – and you can expand that by folding the passenger seat and hitting 320 litres.

But it’s no cargo ship – the fortwo is strictly a commuting star that’s great in traffic and able to carry home a week’s groceries.

However, I know one man who might disagree. Old pal Charlie McPherson from Oban had a petrol fortwo when he worked in Edinburgh and set off on a tour of the Continent with his then girlfriend in a car he called his “angry bee”.

Five years ago he claims the Smart took him and his lady friend as far as the Alps and northern Italy and back – a total of 4,200 miles in less than three weeks. It didn’t miss a beat and was great in European city traffic.

I never did get the same enthusiastic response from his passenger, though – she left him within days of their return. Was it the car or Charlie? We may never know!

The turbodiesel fortwo is a different beast to the petrol. It is incredibly frugal and very easy to drive.

The “softouch” transmission can be left in full automatic mode, or you can opt to change using the floor-mounted lever by simply flicking it forward to change up and back for down.

But the best point about the latest “softouch” system and its partnership with the diesel is the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

By lifting off momentarily between up or down changes I easily achieved smooth gear changes right through the five-speed’s range.

It makes the fortwo a real delight to drive around town, with its gruff little oil burner growling away to itself just behind the two passengers.

The 799cc three-potter engine is far from silent. Its proximity to the Smart’s exceptionally rigid and strong passenger cell means noise and vibration has an easy and short path to the interior – but it’s not all that intrusive.

Strangely, the gruff bark from the diesel is soft enough to be pleasant – vibrant almost. It suits the car’s terrier character and makes it feel nippy round town.

On the open road the Passion trimmed test car was a bit buzzy at an easy 60mph cruise when engine and tyre roar vie for dominance.

But that’s the price many are willing to pay for the cdi’s outstanding economy and strong pulling power.

As part of the Passion package, it has a huge fixed panoramic glass sunroof as standard along with a good radio/CD system and a neat sat-nav installation.

The two doors are big and open wide on comfortable seats with good support. But don’t expect “Mercedes” space – it may be built by the people at the Three Pointed Star, but the cabin is snug at best.

It’s simple to park, and handling – thanks to smaller front wheels and tyres – is safe and predictable.

By making the driven rear 15-inch alloy tyres wider and giving them a 55 section the fortwo has great rear end grip, while the narrower steering pair at the front with 60 section 15-inch covers induce a little understeer in a tight bend for added confidence.

It does mean the car darts around a bit in the wind, but it’s surefooted.

It’s not the car for me – a little too quirky for my traditionalist stance.

But the latest fortwo is smart enough for anyone looking for a well-built and easy-to-drive city commuter that is so frugal that visits to a diesel pump, even with a tiny 33-litre tank, will be few and far between.

It may not be as “smart” as it was when it first appeared, but the fortwo is undeniably chic – and well screwed together.

Rating: 7/10

FINAL THOUGHT: Smart’s fortwo has been improved and refined in many ways since its launch – but it’s still chic, a neat package and a breeze to park. The new cdi turbodiesel is on the noisy side, but its economy is spectacular. Best buy? The Passion.

Smart fortwo cdi Passion

• Price: £10,160
• Capacity: 799cc
• Power: 54bhp
• 0-62mph: 16.8 seconds
• Maximum speed: 84mph
• Economy: Combined 85.6mpg; Urban 85.6mpg
• CO2 emissions: 87g/km
• ESP: Standard
• Insurance: Group 2