smart forfour Review
Published: 21st August 2005
smart forfour
The electric power steering (EPS) is direct and well-weighted giving the correct amount of feedback to the driver keeping you composed and in tune with the road.
ESP (electronic stability programme) is standard on all but the purestyle model ensuring that the car always follows the direction in which the driver steers, the result is excellent grip and road holding ability. We found that the more powerful (1.5 Litre 95 bhp diesel and 109 bhp petrol) front wheel drive forfour's suffered from inevitable torque steer although it did not prove to be too much of a problem and you soon get used to it.
All forfour's are equipped with all round disc brakes, ABS (anti-lock brakes) and EBD (electronic brake-force distribution).
Ease of Use
The smart forfour is an exceptionally easy car to drive and manoeuvre - visibility is good but we did find that the ‘A’ pillars could hamper forward vision depending on the driver’s seating position.
The cabin is ergonomically laid out and the controls are tactile and intuitive to operate apart from the electric window switches which are positioned either side of the handbrake making them fiddly to operate - rear passengers cannot open or close their windows without leaning forward. Rear electric windows and electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors are part of the optional smart comfort package which also includes adjustable lumbar support and twinface armrest.
Despite the forfour's compact exterior dimensions interior cabin space is superb - almost tardis-like.
The forfour is a very easy car to get in and out with wide opening doors and both head and leg room is excellent in the front and rear. The rear bench seat moves back and forth to increase the luggage area or to increase the rear seat passenger’s leg room by up to 15 cm, but one is at the expense of the other.
The smart forfour is a 4 seater as standard - the rear bench seat is available with three seats as an option. The extra seat is equipped with a headrest and a three-point belt system, you can also opt for a central armrest which is integrated into the backrest.
The rear backrests can be folded flat either individually or together and the entire rear seat has a tumble function which means that the seats can be folded vertically. With the seats in place the luggage capacity is just under 270 litres and this is increased to 620 or 910 litres by folding down the rear seatback's or folding forward the seat system. The boot features a light
The optional Lounge Concept gives the interior of the forfour a living room feel. The backrests of the two front seats can be folded down so that they are level with the rear seats to create a large horizontal seat surface. Lounge pads extend the seat backs of the rear seat bench at the sides.
On a practical level the smart forfour is equipped with 1 cup holder in the front and 2 in the optional folding armrest, seat rail trim storage compartment, door bins front and rear, small glove box, 2 x vanity mirrors, storage compartment in passenger footwell, storage compartment in rear centre console, heated rear window, indicators with lane changer function, 12v socket and front map reading light.
