By Jonathan Crouch
Introduction
If the smart fortwo is the perfect citycar, then with full-electric drive, you might think that it would be even more perfect. Potentially, what we have here is the ideal combination for urban mobility. But does it make sense as a used buy?
History
Back in 2017, while other manufacturers were just getting to grips with electric power, the Mercedes-owned smart brand had been perfecting it for over a decade. Which is why by then they were already on the fourth generation 'electric drive' version of their fortwo. This was the smallest battery-driven production model you could then buy. The diminutive size of this little contender certainly supported its maker's claim that this was the most suitable full-electric vehicle for urban use, a proposition that smart had been developing since 2007 when it pioneered cars of this sort by building 100 fortwo electric drive city runabouts to be tested around the streets of London.
Following the success of this trial, a production 'electric drive' derivative was developed for the second generation fortwo range and launched in 2009. Sales of this variant exceeded all expectations, as was also the case with the MK3 fortwo 'electric drive' model announced in 2012, the first all-electric vehicle from a European importer to be sold in China. All of which encouraged smart to broaden its horizons when it came to further developing this technology. There was of course an 'electric drive' version of the much improved 'C453'-series generation fortwo - the car we're looking at here, the battery-powered version of which was launched (with 'Electric Drive' branding) in 2017. And this model's much improved all-electric powertrain was made available right across the company's model line-up. This meant buyers could have it not only in cute fortwo coupe and cabrio variants but also in the four-seat five-door forfour model too.
As you'd hope, the engineering and usability of this car took a decent step forward with this 'C453' model. The driving range increased from 90 to 100 miles, charging times more than halved and there was even a clever radar to monitor traffic conditions on the move and adjust energy recuperation accordingly. Add in provision of a clever app that allows you to pre-set charging times and pre-heat or cool the cabin before you set off and there was the potential for a really state-of-the-art battery-powered proposition here. What really hampered this car though, was its tiny battery and consequently tiny driving range. In 2019, combustion versions of the fortwo and forfour models were dropped, with only the full-electric versions continuing - with EQ branding. These sold until the end of 2023.
What You Get
Styling-wise, full-electric cars tend to be divided into a couple of categories. There are those that like to trumpet their eco-minded credentials with futuristic design. And then there are models like this EQ fortwo that restrict references to their milk float mobility mandate to subtle - or as in this case, not quite so subtle - badging. As we've said elsewhere in this Review, this technology was fitted to all three of the smart brand's bodystyles - the fortwo coupe and cabrio and the five-door forfour hatch.
At the wheel, you'll quickly find yourself wondering how on earth something so diminutively small outside can feel so large and airy within. The cabin of the electric drive variant was hardly changed at all over that of an ordinary combustioned-engined smart. In fact, the only initially obvious difference is the way the dinky little circular pod on the right of the dash top (which normally houses a rev counter and a clock) was changed into a power meter that as you drive, shows the charge you're using and the battery power remaining. Most eyes though, will be drawn towards the centre console, which on electric drive models is dominated by a standard smart Media-System, featuring a 7-inch touchscreen display and a TomTom navigation set-up. Otherwise, your main tools of operating functionality are housed in the semi-circular binnacle you view through the three-spoke leather-trimmed multi-function steering wheel.
At the back with everything open, you get an amazingly tardis-like cargo bay, boot space unaffected by the electric drive powertrain because the battery is tucked away beneath the car. With both fortwo body styles, luggage room to the windowline is rated at 260-litres, while if you load to the roof, there's 350-litres in a fortwo coupe and 340-litres in the cabrio model.
What to Look For
As a car designed primarily for city streets, it's unlikely you'll find a high mileage example that's spent a life on the motorway. Because of this, the condition of this smart and a service history are more important than the distance it's travelled. Low miles may sound good but urban driving puts more stress on a car than you'd think; regular maintenance is vital. There's also a good chance it'll have seen a few supermarket car parks and tight spaces, so look for damage to the bodywork and wheels. The good news is that the plastic panels should make repairs fairly cheap.
We've come across reports of the vehicle bottoming out because the suspension is poor. Walk away from cars that do this because the cost of repair is quite expensive, shock absorbers being particularly pricey. We also heard that the brakes wear out fast and pads need to be changed frequently. A normal lifespan for brake pads is about 40,000 miles but on a smart fortwo, you can only expect 25 to 30,000 miles. Otherwise, it's just the usual things: check for alloy wheel scrapes and interior child damage. On the cabrio version, obviously check the powered roof mechanism thoroughly. We'd close it and put it through a car wash to check for leaks too.
Replacement Parts
(approx based on 2017 EQ fourtwo inc. VAT) An air filter is £14-£16, front brake pads are in the £27-£40 bracket, while front brake discs are in the £75-£87 bracket. Wiper blades are in the £4-£23 bracket. Replacing the battery and shock absorbers can be extremely expensive.
On the Road
It's hard to imagine a better starting point for electric propulsion than this. The fortwo has always been uncompromisingly designed for the city, the perfect playground for electric cars where journeys are punctuated by stop start traffic and usually quite short. That also alleviates the need for the extended driving range that would be delivered by a big expensive battery, not needed so much here because there are usually plenty of recharging points in this smart's preferred habitat. And because it has very little mass to move around, its compact battery pack, stored out of the way beneath the floor, can (in theory at least) get it quite a long way.
Or at least a long way in town terms. In this era of Tesla technology, it's tempting to sneer at a quoted 100 mile driving range, especially given that such official figures are always about 25% higher than those you actually get. Actually though, this return isn't too bad when you consider that it's delivered using such a small 17.6kWh battery. This approach keeps this smart affordable, light and agile - all essential fortwo attributes. And makes it surprisingly quick too. As you'd expect it might be with 81bhp and 160Nm of torque all available all-at-once from a standstill via the single-speed auto gearbox. As usual with a fortwo, the short wheelbase means that the car rather crashes over speedhumps and through deeper potholes. And it's certainly somewhat out of its comfort zone beyond the city limits. But if you can live with that, there's a purity to the electric drive package in the way it delivers everything you need and nothing you don't.
Overall
If you're planning to use the smart fortwo as its maker intended, it's difficult to see why you wouldn't want the electric drive version. If all you're going to be doing is tripping around town, the 100 mile driving range is going to seem more than sufficient. It feels much perkier than the equivalent petrol variant. And though there's quite a premium to pay over the equivalent 1.0-litre model, the asking figures should seem like decent value for money. In many respects this is, in short, a city dweller's dream, especially in cute Cabrio guise. Of course, if you don't have an exclusively urbanised lifestyle, a smart with milk float mobility probably won't seem such a perfect fit. A fortwo is never at its best beyond the city limits - or over longer distances that introduce the issue of range anxiety, something that won't be solved until there's a wider network of recharging points.
As for other issues, well these tend to be those that relate to this fortwo design, rather than specifically to the electric drive powertrain that in this case has enhanced it. Like any normal fortwo, this car certainly doesn't have the ride and handling finesse to match some of its small electric rivals. And some elements of cabin quality are a little questionable. But then, the rivals that better this smart in these areas are all much more expensive. We also wonder whether these criticisms would really matter to someone who was virtually exclusively using this car around town: probably not. This is in summary an uncompromising answer to the challenges of credibly ecological modern mobility. And it's actually a bit of fun too. What's not to like?
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