Sticking To It

The smart EQ fortwo Maintains A Sense Of Self – Minus A Gasoline Engine

By: Rane Newcomb, RPM News Weekly Correspondent

MIDDLEBORO, MA – With news of the smartUSA transition to purely electric vehicles still making the rounds on social media, the 2019 smart EQ fortwo Coupe and Cabrio hit the scene at the New England Motor Press Association’s headquarters in Middleboro, Massachusetts as the aspiring new kids on the block in the EV field.

Learning from and improving upon the automaker’s previous Electric Drive models, the EQ rejuvenates smart’s legacy of environmental consciousness and driving convenience in a singularly unique package.

The compact size of smart’s offerings have always been a double-edged sword for the brand – what makes them massively popular in the parking free-for-all of Europe’s densely populated cities has simultaneously fostered an enduring stereotype that questions their safety and undermines driving confidence on overcrowded American highways that are packed with vehicles three to four times the size.

However, with features such as a reinforced “Tridion Safety Cell” that wraps around the rear doors and comes down the door sills to the front fender, creating a sort of roll cage for the EQ, these categorizations are largely unfounded and reactionary. Other advances include crosswind assist, traction control that CANNOT be turned off (sorry, no burnouts here), and optional proximity warning functions. With this bevy of safety features, along with a rather wide wheelbase, the smart EQ fortwo provides a driving experience nearly indistinguishable from larger compact sedans such as the Toyota Corolla… that is until you turn the steering wheel.

If there’s one spec that a smart vehicle has always had going for itself, it’s turning radius. In its natural habitat – the concrete jungle, the smart EQ’s sub-25 ft. turning radius has made it a solid choice, providing an excellent complement to its stellar parking abilities.

Having never experienced a smart for myself until recently, I was genuinely surprised and slightly intimidated by how well the EQ can do a 180-degree turn. At one point I found myself locking the steering and doing circles, flabbergasted at the EQ’s almost forklift-like ability to turn on a dime. I remember thinking that the amount of fun I had just doing circles in a smart equals levels attained going in straight lines in cars twice the price and 3 times the size.

Outside of circles, though, the EQ begins to show it’s weaker points. Performance has never been high on smart’s list of priorities, and the EQ carries on this proud tradition of meh-riddled driving experiences.

With a 60-kilowatt 3-stage synchronous electric motor sending 80 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels, the Smart can achieve a semi-depressing top speed of 80 miles per hour. “But at least it will get there quick,” one may imagine, what with all of that torque on tap immediately and all. However the EQ much less channels the Tesla’s breakneck acceleration, than it embodies the early Prius in its drowsiness-inducing driving mannerisms. With a zero-to-sixty time of 11.4 seconds, performance junkies need not apply.

Performance woes aside, the smart EQ fortwo is an intelligent decision when applied to the correct environment – skyscrapers, claustrophobically tight side streets, and equally snug parallel parking spots all make up home turf for this vehicle, and have served as the grounds to prove it as the quintessential city car.

With a 58-mile driving range as calculated by the EPA, the EQ fortwo is an unlikely candidate for a road trip, but it is ideal for the jaunt to and from work for the many folks that commute from downtown apartments or nearby suburbs.

Another plus comes in the cargo area – with just over 7 cubic feet of space, there’s room to hold a briefcase and four bags of groceries. An exceptionally small 3rd passenger might just fit back there, but there’s no seatbelt.

Also in its favor, scratch resistant and interchangeable body panels put an end to fears of chips, dings, and key marks from angry persons, as well as open up an opportunity to create a multicolored 1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin tribute, if that’s your thing.

With all of the facts on the table, it’s important to take a chance exploring the ethos of the car, if you will.

The smart has always been an oddball, capturing the doubts of people who have little-to-no experience with the car itself, and the scoffing of those perched high above in more traditional vehicles.

But this hasn’t diminished smart’s spirit, and the brand wins the day for that. For in a motoring world dominated by computerized designs, where new offerings look more and more alike every day, smart has remained its unyieldingly unique and endearingly quirky self.

And that’s more than a fast zero-to-sixty time ever will be.

2019 smart fortwo EQ specs:

Motor	three-phase synchronous motor
Battery	96-cell Lithium-ion battery
Battery capacity (kWh)	17.6
Range in miles (EPA)	58 / cabrio: 57
Charging time, home socket (120V/10A)	0-80%: 17 hours 0-100%: 21 hours
Charging time, wallbox (240V/32A)	0-80%: 2.5 hours 0-100%: 3 hours
Length	106.1″
Width	65.5″
Height	61.2″ / cabrio: 61.1″
Wheelbase	73.7″
Curb Weight (lbs)	TBA / cabrio: TBA
Fuel Economy (MPGe) (city/hwy/comb)	TBA cabrio: TBA
Drive Config.	Rear-Wheel Drive
Performance	80 hp 118 lb-ft
Transmission	single-staged
0-60 mph (sec)	11.4 / cabrio: 11.7
Turning Radius (ft)	22.8
Top speed (mph)	81

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