smart city-coupe passion review

city-coupe passion

Comfort and Refinement

The two seater smart's cabin is deceptively spacious with more than adequate head and leg room. Our test car was equipped with optional leather heated seats (2 heat settings) which were firm but supportive and had integral head restraints. The leather steering wheel and gearshift knob are standard on the passion and were very tactile.

The smart city-coupe passion has a glass roof and sun screen as standard which gives the cabin a light and airy feel. However, this can allow the cabin to heat up and the standard air-conditioning (with light and maximum power functions and exterior temperature indictor with frost warning) was particularly welcome. The sun screen although useful to provide shade in the cabin did tend to slide across the glass roof under heavy acceleration/braking and also had a slight rattle.

A new standard feature throughout the range is automatic headlamp switch-off, the headlamps are now switched on/off when the ignition is switched on/off, this also applies when starting the engine and reduces the load on the vehicle power supply. Our test car was also equipped with the optional light package which included daytime running lights and coming home function. The daytime running lights are switched on as soon as the ABS sensor reports wheel speed and with the coming home function the running lights are switched on when you press the key fob twice as you return to your vehicle and after 12 seconds the lights automatically switch off again.

Further standard features include: 'theatre dimming' of the interior lighting and a lane-changer function for the indicators briefly flicking the indicator stalk makes the selected direction indicator flash three times.

The smart has a high seating position and large doors which makes it particularly easy to get in and out the car which would be ideal for people with mobility problems.

Central locking and an immobilser with radio remote control is standard throughout the smart range, as are electric windows, heated rear window, heat-reflecting windows, intermittent rear windscreen wiper and 12-volt power socket.

The split rear tailgate has an interior release switch and can also be remotely operated allowing access without opening the rest of the car and the bottom section of the tailgate flips down to allow easy access. The boot is also very large for a car of this size.