Smart Car: The clever way to commute
By Neil McDonald
IT'S Smart by name and definitely smart by nature.
This supersafe 2.5-meter-long micromini will cost between US$16,000 and $20,000 when it hits the roads in continental Europe from next April.
A convertible version will be released in 1999.
Although the car is primarily aimed at European cities, Asian markets are being considered but no decision has yet been made.
Smart features the latest safety technology and will be powered by a choice of three-cylinder turbo petrol, turbo diesel or hybrid version engines. The petrol version achieves 4.0l/100km; the diesel 3.0l/100km.
At 2.5 meters long, the car would fit between the front and rear wheels of a Ford Laser.
Although it only weighs 700kg, its crash safety is comparable to a midsize sedan, courtesy of its joint-venture parent, Mercedes-Benz.
The other company involved is Swatch watchmaker, the Swiss Corporation for Microelectronics and Watchmaking Industries Ltd.
They claim the Smart is the safest vehicle in its class.
The extremely rigid body shell is based on what Mercedes calls the Tridion safety cell and impact girdle principle.
The Tridion body shell has a sandwich platform, similar to Mercedes-Benz's new A-Class, which provides all-round protection against intruding bodywork components that might reduce the occupants' survival space.
Driver and passenger sit 200mm higher than in conventional small cars. This raises them above the dangerous impact zone at bumper level of a midsize car.
What makes this, and the bigger A-Class model, different to other small cars is its underfloor engine position.
The engines in both models sit below the cabin floor, allowing bigger crush areas at the front, which enables the cars to offer customers high levels of safety.
The backbone of the high-strength passenger cell is a sturdy floor structure with dual chamber-side members.
Standard safety features include dual air bags, the antilock brake system, self-tensioning seat belts and knee impact bolsters. Side air bags will be optional.
Other standard features are an electric-powered six-speed transmission and an electronic antitheft device. A light tap on the shift mechanism is enough to change gears.
Smart's modular design allows owners to decide how they want the car to look.
A complete set of new panels can be fitted in a short time, for the price of a new suit.
Smart will be sold in France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany Italy, Belgium and Spain through new sales outlets.
The target group for Smart buyers is singles and couples with two incomes and no children. Its makers also believe people who already own two cars will add Smart to their garages as a trendy commuter car.
Mercedes believes the car will also appeal to young-at-heart retirees.