| How to Save Money by Greener Driving |
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| Green Car
Guide |
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The Top 10 Green Cars
| City Cars |
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Petrol
6. Smart Fortwo
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| Model/Engine size: 61 bhp/71 bhp |
| Fuel: Petrol |
Fuel economy combined:
60.1mpg |
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Summary
The Smart ForTwo is a great concept which in its original form brought pleasure and pain in equal measure. After a rocky few years for Smart, parent company Mercedes has kept the faith with the original concept and has invested in the second generation.
At first glance the new ForTwo is hard to tell apart from the original but there have been a raft of important changes under the skin. It is now slightly longer than before to improve pedestrian safety but it remains extremely compact at just under 2.7 metres in length making it perfectly at home in the city.
Engine capacities are up from 699cc to 999cc but now only two of the variants have a turbocharger. Both the 61 bhp and 71 bhp engines achieve exactly the same fuel consumption so go for the more powerful engine if you can. The semi automatic gearbox remains but now has 5 rather than 6 gears and whilst it is faster to shift than the old unit it still isn’t as quick as we would like.
Interior quality has taken a big step forward although some of the most appealing features have gone in the process, mostly notable the eyeball air vents. What you won’t miss is the fidgety ride that plagued the original which has thankfully been banished.
The new ForTwo keeps the essence of the original but feels far more polished. In the process it has lost a little of its personality but we are happy to trade that for a far more convincing all rounder. It’s still not perfect though, with the semi automatic gearbox top of the list. Either make it quicker still, or gives us a manual! |
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| Fuel economy extra urban: 70.6mpg |
| Fuel economy urban: 46.3mpg |
| CO2 emissions: 112g/km |
| Green rating: VED band B - £35 |
| Weight: 750 Kg |
| Company car tax liability (2007): 15% |
| Price: £7,290 (From £6,900 to £13,520) |
| Insurance group: 2 |
| Safety: |
| Max speed: 90 mph (electronically limited) |
| 0-60mph: 13.3 seconds |
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