Smart has revealed its new look line-up ahead of next week’s Frankfurt motor show, as the firm makes the switch to only offering electric vehicles.
The German city car maker announced last year that it planned to stop selling combustion-engined vehicles in 2020 and has now revealed details of its refreshed line-up.
Its Fortwo and Forfour models will only be available with an 80hp electric motor, which will offer a claimed range of 91 to 99 miles in the Fortwo and 87 to 95 miles in the Forfour. Both models have a 0-60mph time of approximately 12 seconds and a top speed of 81mph.
UK models come equipped with a 22kW on-board charger as standard, meaning the Smart EQ’s batteries can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 40 minutes.
The current electric Smart ForTwo has received only modest reviews, according to The Car Expert’s unique Expert Rating aggregator, currently holding an overall rating of just 64% – one of the lowest scores from the 120 models we have analysed so far.
2020 Smart EQ ForTwo coupe
2020 Smart EQ ForTwo cabrio
2020 Smart EQ ForFour
Fresher styling to reflect electric power
The powertrain offering means Smart can provide a unique new look to its models’ styling. The front end no longer has a grille between the headlights, as has become common in combustion-engined cars, instead sporting smoothed bodywork with a Smart badge. Interestingly, the new models also seem to have largely abandoned its curious ‘C’ logo in favour of ‘smart’ lettering.
The interior has been updated with a new infotainment system that includes smartphone integration, while the Smart EQ app that lets you interact with the vehicle through your phone has received an overhauled user interface.
Daniel Lescow, head of brand and product management at Smart, said: “As a pioneer of urban mobility, it has always been part of Smart’s credo to rethink things.
“The switching of the entire product range to all-electric powertrains marks the start of a new chapter in the story of the Smart brand. In concert with innovative sharing concepts and digital services, we are the first manufacturer to switch completely and systematically from combustion engines to solely electric powertrains.”
The new Smart EQ Fortwo and Forfour will make their public debuts at the Frankfurt motor show next week, and are expected to arrive in the UK in early 2020.
Keyword: Smart goes EV-only in range overhaul