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DaimlerChrysler Unveils New smart fortwo; Micro-Hybrid Version in 2007
10 November 2006
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| The new smart fortwo coupé. |
DaimlerChrysler unveiled the new gasoline- and diesel-powered smart fortwo city cars yesterday evening in Stuttgart, Germany. The company said it will introduce a micro-hybrid version (starter/generator with stop-start capability) on one of the models in 2007.
The new smart fortwo coupé and smart fortwo cabrio offer a range of new all-aluminum gasoline engines, developed in cooperation with Mitsubishi. Engine capacity has been increased from 0.7 to 1.0 liters. There are two naturally aspirated engine versions to choose from, delivering 45 or 52 kW (60 / 70 hp) respectively, and a turbo engine rated at 62 kW (83 hp). Torque for the gasoline models is 89 Nm (66 lb-ft), 92 Nm (68 lb-ft) and 121 Nm (89 lb-ft) respectively.
The 3-cylinder engine is mounted transversally in front of the rear axle, and is slanted at an angle of 45 degrees towards the rear. The cylinder barrels take the form of grey cast iron liners. Gas exchange is controlled by four valves per combustion chamber. The valves are controlled by separate intake and exhaust camshafts, via bucket tappets.
To allow high torque to be developed even at low engine speeds, the intake camshafts can be twisted electro-hydraulically against the exhaust camshafts (variable valve control). The camshafts are driven via a maintenance-free timing chain.
Because the masses being moved are low, there is no need for a balancer shaft—which would reduce the output of the engine. However, in the turbo version there is a torsional vibration damper on the crankshaft.
The maximum charge pressure is 0.5 bar, with control taking place via a wastegate valve in the turbocharger. To ensure a long service life, the charger is fitted with a water cooling system, while the charge air cooler is based on air/air technology and is located behind the transmission.
The gasoline engines comply with exhaust gas standard Euro 4. The naturally aspirated engines’ compression ratio is 11.5:1, while in the turbo engine it is 10:1.
In addition to the increase in power, the maximum speed has also been increased to 145 kph (90 mph)—10 kph more than the predecessor model.
Standard fuel consumption of the gasoline variants is less than five liters of fuel per 100 km (47 mpg US). From the end of 2007, DaimlerChrysler will offer a micro-hybrid version of the 52 kW smart engine with a starter-generator for stop-start functionality. This will reduce fuel consumption in city traffic by up to 13%, bring it to approximately 4.35 liters/100km (54 mpg US) under the appropriate conditions.
DaimlerChrysler enhanced the performance of the cdi diesel engine by 10%, resulting in output of 33 kW (44 hp). The diesel is also Euro-4 compliant. With fuel consumption of less than 3.5 l/100km (67 mpg US), the smart diesel emits only 90g/km of CO2.
Its diesel particle filter (open system), which stops more than 40% of soot emissions, is unique in its segment, according to DaimlerChrysler. As of 2008, the smart fortwo cdi will be available with a closed system.
All engines are linked to an automated manual five-speed transmission produced by Getrag that has also been re-engineered. In the new smart fortwo there is once again no clutch pedal, as this task is performed by an electric motor. If the shift lever on the centre console is briefly tapped forwards, the transmission will switch up a gear, and if it is drawn back, down a gear.
An automated gear program—standard on one model (passion) and optional on others (pure and pulse) is triggered by a small button on the shift lever which is preferred for use in stop-and-go traffic.
November 10, 2006 in City car, Diesel, Fuel Efficiency, Hybrids | Permalink | Comments (48) | TrackBack (0)
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Comments
These tiny things have been out for a bit? How safe are they in a collision?
A few years ago the GEO Metro XFi was getting almost 60mpg, but US drivers wanted more power, so the engine was upgraded from 1.0 to 1.3 liters, downgrading fuel consumption to 35mpg. Is the increase in engine volume on the smart a similar step in the wrong direction?
Posted by: Harvey | Nov 10, 2006 8:47:40 AM
Here we go again. Idle stop does not a hybrid make. If they could employ Toyota's hybrid system, sized for similar performance, the mileage would be nearly off the charts!
Posted by: Bud Johns | Nov 10, 2006 8:54:53 AM
i disagree. I would be very happy with idle stop. It is a very reasonable compromise between a lightweight, simple, and high mpg vehicle and the heavier, more complex, and more battery dependent strong hybrid. Your off the chart mileage is meaningless if you spend money on batteries and maintenance instead of gas.
Posted by: ben | Nov 10, 2006 9:55:55 AM
Heres the Smart crashtest :) ... 5 years ago I saw a picture taken from a crashtest BMW against Smart and the BMW looked pretty twisted ...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q91UIYquAW8
Posted by: tmp2k | Nov 10, 2006 10:02:25 AM
That is an impressive video. It shows that this lightweight car can take an impact. It is a matter of design, materials and engineering. This is one of the areas where we can really save fuel, making lighter cars that are really strong and safe.
Posted by: SJC | Nov 10, 2006 10:18:04 AM
Can we petition/propose for a vehicle tax proportional to the weight of vehicles. We can call this the slaughter tax because heavier vehicles usually slaughters lighter vehicles like this one. In a way this can compensate for the carnage that the SUV usually does to small cars, and for that, they should have the burden of payment for insurance, road repairs, greater carbon emissions. Let us say the initial tax for vehicles as heavy as SUV would be $24,000 during the sales plus $4,000 per year, while vehicles like the smart4two the tax would only be $4/year and $1 for the sales, the rest in between are proportionately taxed depending on gross weight.
Posted by: Joe | Nov 10, 2006 10:21:24 AM
"Your off the chart mileage is meaningless if you spend money on batteries and maintenance instead of gas"
Ben, your assertion is based on what price for petrol? Last time I checked the ICE was a higher maintenance system vis-a-vis a true atkinson hybrid.
Posted by: fyi CO2 | Nov 10, 2006 10:35:06 AM
If gas goes to 5 bucks a gallon this car has a chance
also consumer reports didnt give it good marks
Posted by: kevin | Nov 10, 2006 10:45:12 AM
So this car gets about the same MPG as a Prius. Consumer Reports Canada (where Smart cars are on sale) called the smart the worst car they had tested to date. I think that people who are all wound up about the Smart might sing a different tune if they tried one.
Posted by: Tim Russell | Nov 10, 2006 11:38:51 AM
The only reason these aren't made electric is because there aren't enough places to plug-in around the city & countryside.
I think it is time for cities and businesses to start to create the charging infrastructure now.
Once in place, people early adopters will buy EVs and then the rest will follow.
Posted by: Matt | Nov 10, 2006 11:40:08 AM
joe - i am talking about life cycle costs, not what it costs in the first few years before major components go. Also, the essence of this car is its size, you won't be able to cram batteries and hybrid tech in it. Finally, if it already gets 55 mpg with the idle stop, then you are looking at a pretty tiny boost with your hybrid- maybe another 10 mpg and thats just for city miles. So gas would probably need to be 3-4 times where it is now (in US) to make this economic. Of course if you just want to have bragging rights to highest mpg, then great, but if you only sell 3 of them, it doesn't help anyone.
Posted by: ben | Nov 10, 2006 11:43:32 AM
FYI – Consumer Reports is sometimes the biggest load of crap on the planet. remember, they were the ones that said that hybrids are still "more expensive" than their gasoline-only counterparts and that you never make back the difference over the life of the car. anyone who makes such obviously erroneous claims loses all credibility in my book.
Posted by: lensovet | Nov 10, 2006 12:05:21 PM
$5 a gallon for gas, what are you talking about. The Dem's are in power now. Bush and his cronies won't be able to manipulate gas prices to line thier pockets. Gas should be about $1.30 a gallon by February.
Posted by: Joseph | Nov 10, 2006 12:16:03 PM
Joseph
The word was If. What i was saying is this car does not have a chance
Posted by: kevin | Nov 10, 2006 12:50:02 PM
lensovet:
In that CR article you read they made the VERY basic accounting mistake of including both the initial cost of the vehicle and it's depreciation in it's calculations. So the higher price of the vehicle was counted twice. The dopes hid the retraction in fine print on the inside of their magasine the next month. The damage was already done. I've noticed that both CR and the Lemonaid people have become very rigid in their views. They need to get with the times.
Posted by: Neil | Nov 10, 2006 1:05:35 PM
What were the negative comments by Consumer Reports in regards to the Smart FourTwo?
Posted by: Patrick | Nov 10, 2006 1:14:25 PM
The CR Report is crap - who here takes mainstream car journalism seriously nowadays? These are the same people trying to get you to believe that the 0-60 spec is what you should be most concerned about.
Anyway... the car HAS been well received in Canada by it's owners. I am nearing 100,000 kms on mine, and lately, I can get 70 mpg (US) with the diesel.
The next generation is going to be a great car.
Posted by: Keith | Nov 10, 2006 1:16:49 PM
Keith, what was in the CR Report that makes it crap?
I don't want to know if you think the report is garbage I want to know what they specifically cited as a negative attribute.
If it were car & driver I'd suspect that it wasn't fun enough around a twisty road course. With consumer reports I'd guess they would complain about the interior space for groceries & cup holders...but if they claim that it has a higher number of reliability related issues than the norm for the segment the vehicle competes in; then it is a valid concern in my eyes (just as an example). I just want to see the data for myself so I can form my own opinion based on the data.
Posted by: Patrick | Nov 10, 2006 2:34:37 PM
Why on earth does anyone rely on CR for automotive reviews?
Anyway - go here:
http://www.clubsmartcar.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6397
Now - about reliability, the 2005 smart, according to a German automotive survey, was the MOST reliable out of 78 surveyed... to see that, go here:
http://www.100mpg.ca/wp-content/pannenstatistik 2005.jpg
And finally, the 2008 is re-engineered, and has double the storage capacity behind it's two seats. (Not that it really needed it - I drove across Canada and back over 33 days and 10,000 miles with no issues for space...) To see my article about the new smart, and get a copy of the press release, go here:
http://100mpg.ca/?p=149
Posted by: Keith | Nov 10, 2006 3:55:41 PM
I don't rely on them for news otherwise I probably would have seen the article already. I was just interested in what they had to say. It seemed like mostly opinion with no hard numbers other than the 22 second 0-60 time.
Thanks for the link.
Posted by: Patrick | Nov 10, 2006 4:29:09 PM
You're welcome.
CR continues with the sleaze in the way they try to align the price of the smart against the Prius... First by showing a loaded smart passion in USD after tax, and then comparing it against the US pre-tax MSRP of the base model Prius. And this for a 'Canadian' issue of the magazine?
Here's the real facts:
Base price of smart in Canada: $16,700
Base price of Prius in Canada: $31,280
DCX should sue CR, IMO.
Posted by: Keith | Nov 10, 2006 4:39:07 PM
Actually, there were quite a lot of credible researches which indicate that by $ per mile basis Prius is slightly more expensive than comparable gasoline car (for regular yearly travel of about 15K miles). However, I do not have much credibility to these claims. Couple of factors are still at play which makes it difficult to make solid comparison:
Prius is still highly subsidized.
Nobody really know how much it is really more expensive then regular car: Prius is still selling as hot cake, so Toyota has no reason to reduce it price and their profit margin.
Resale value of Prius is still quite abnormal – due to shortage of supply it does not depreciate as regular vehicles are.
Data on long-term maintenance savings is still insufficient.
Fuel saving in real-life city driving is way higher then governmental estimations.
Couple of things are already proved quite decisively. In taxi service Prius is capable to run up to 1 million kilometers without reliability problems. Saves in fuel and maintenance in taxi service are very substantial.
And people love their Priuses.
Posted by: Andrey | Nov 10, 2006 7:59:17 PM
There are over 500 diesel smarts happily running around Victoria BC right now. Good thing they didn't read CR.
Posted by: Doug | Nov 10, 2006 9:11:54 PM
Unfortunately a lot of people did read the CR article on hybrid returns.
Posted by: Neil | Nov 10, 2006 11:37:09 PM
Hats off to all those who buy fuel efficient cars. CR has trouble thinking outside the box. They panned the Insight too. Thankfully I ignored them. :D
Posted by: Kip | Nov 11, 2006 12:22:33 AM
Hats off to all those who buy fuel efficient cars. CR has trouble thinking outside the box. They panned the Insight too. Thankfully I ignored them. :D
Posted by: Kip | Nov 11, 2006 12:23:47 AM
Thank you Audrey!! It's refreshing to hear someone state some actual facts about the Prius. I have over 50,000 miles experience with mine, and would only part with it when the next gen comes out.........
Posted by: Bud Johns | Nov 11, 2006 3:53:09 AM
BTW, how do you know the Prius is subsidized?
Posted by: Bud Johns | Nov 11, 2006 3:54:26 AM
We rented a Smart in Berlin for a week this summer. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Smart is by far the worst car I have ever had the displeasure to drive. Even on slow city streets it pitches violently back and forth when accelerating and braking because of the short wheel base. Body roll makes it feel more like a boat than a car and if that doesn't get to you the vibration from the 3 cyl engine will. The manumatic transmission takes ages to shift. Buy one if you want. Given the choice I would rather walk. We returned the Smart after only 4 days and got a VW Polo for the rest of our trip.
Posted by: Frank | Nov 11, 2006 3:58:00 AM
Everybody knows the Prius is subsidized. If you believe anything else you are kidding yourself. Mind you it is a very good deal for the consumer as long as Toyota can keep up the subsidies. GM bought and took apart a Prius to not only figure out how its built, but also how much each part costs. They came up with a total cost of $35000.
The Smart is the worst cars on earth. Well maybe an Aztek looks worse. In its 9 year history Smart has never turned a profit. Its too small, too expensive and too damn impractical. The Smart is also subsidized. Its a miracle they are even doing a second generation. If this one fails to turn a profit in America you can be sure this will be the last one.
Posted by: Pastulio | Nov 11, 2006 4:06:40 AM
Pastulio -
aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder. Many Europeans find a lot of US car and truck designs bland, overbearing or just plain ugly. I imagine many Americans feel much the same way about a lot of European designs. One shape does does not suit all.
The original fortwo does indeed feature an ultra-short wheelbase, causing it to pitch noticeably when braking or accelerating hard. The ultra-small 700cc engine has to rev high to produce power, generating unwelcome vibrations. The gear box is indeed a little sluggish. All three negatives have been addressed in the redesign.
As for practicality, it depends on what you expect from the vehicle. In Europe and Asia, cities are crowded and parking hard to find. There, the small size is very valuable not just for commuters but also for small businesses that need people to scoot around town while they're on the clock. Here in Vienna, many smarts feature corporate logos & contact info, so they double as rolling billboards. The shape may be weird but it does turn heads.
Your argument wrt profitability is perhaps the most relevant one. DCX has not figured out how to share the intellectual property nor many of the parts that go into a fortwo with any other model or manufacturer.
This is mostly due to an absence of lateral thinking: they should license the technology to manufacturers in China, India and elsewhere for a modest fee but retain exclusive distribution rights in OECD countries for all products derived from it.
The also wasted a lot of money barking up the wrong tree with the forfour, the roadster and the planned formore pocket SUV (all canceled by now). If the base fortwo can turn a profit, they should consider adding only minor variations, specifically a stretched version with four seats and/or additional cargo space.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | Nov 11, 2006 4:31:06 AM
Do not kid yourself. Toyota pays 2000$ to Sanyo for Prius battery pack, which lasts, well, forever. The price is old–time hedge, and modern price for a battery is close to 1000$. All other components are quite inexpensive to manufacture, let out R&D spending.
Do not kid yourself. Smart is not a car. It is motorized armchair. If somebody OK with it, good luck.
Prius is fun to drive. Last month I got an article from Australian performance junkies. The guy with Carrera, Skyline, Eve and alike in his garage suddenly realized that he unconsciously choose Prius to drive his kids to soccer practice and to get 12-pack from corner store – because Preius is fun to drive.
Posted by: Andrey | Nov 11, 2006 4:44:53 AM
Having just visited Barcelon, Spain for a week, I saw a lot of Smart cars plus a lot of other cars that were nearly as small as the Smart. During the entire week, I only saw two SUVs, terribly out of place. Barcelona, like a lot of European cities has great public transportation and walkability; a car is rarely necessary.
If one chooses to drive a car, the roads are terribly congested and parking is a nighmare. For those few times when driving might be necessary, I can see the utility of a car like a Smart. I saw it parked in places that would have been impossible for a larger car.
For a city like Barcelona, I can see that the advantages of the Smart would outweigh the disadvantages. Besides, in cities like Barcelona, the chances of getting crushed by a giant vehicle are considerably less than in the U.S.
As for the kind of driving that people typically do in the U.S., I can see how people would be hesitant to buy a vehicle like the Smart. For the foreseeable future, I will stick with my Prius, which apparently gets mileage as good or better than the Smart.
In concept, I personally like the Smart because I love small cars. Hopefully, these latest modifications will get it closer to prime time. If I lived in the city, however, I would mostly walk and use a bicycle.
Posted by: t | Nov 11, 2006 7:03:04 AM
There is no market for these cars. Not even in europe. The few that are sold are not enough to ever turn a profit. The SMART is an expensive dead end for DCX.
Posted by: banada rama | Nov 11, 2006 2:57:26 PM
"BTW, how do you know the Prius is subsidized?"
The same way that a Ford Expedition "subsidizes" a Focus.
There's more profit in an Expedition....or use to be.
Posted by: dursun | Nov 11, 2006 5:42:39 PM
Banada Rama - what you say is not true - I'm a german who
lives in the states since 2 years. The smart is extremely popular in europe since around a decade. I don't
advocate the smart..Volkswagen has built the Lupo 3L(almost 80mpg, a turbodiesel) and Audi built the A2(turbodiesel) which had nearly the same fuel economy. I would prefer them to the smart because they are 4 seaters.
There is so much misinformation here in the US, maybe you should take a trip to europe..
Posted by: Mike Weindl | Nov 11, 2006 8:45:24 PM
Everybody knows the Prius is subsidized.
There's an airtight argument.
Posted by: pizmo | Nov 11, 2006 9:21:52 PM
We have both an 05 smart and an 06 Prius, the smart returns better fuel economy and cost half the Prius. I use the smart for work and my wife drives the Prius for her work and if we need to haul more than two people (rarely). I think the smart is more fun to drive.
Posted by: Doug | Nov 11, 2006 11:31:17 PM
Doug.
What mileage do you get for the Smart and the Prius? If you don't mind my asking, where do you live? In any event, good for you. Your attitude rocks.
Posted by: t | Nov 12, 2006 7:26:15 AM
Thanks
We are in Victoria BC Canada. My wife's Prius city driving results in 5.5 L/100km on the trip computer. She makes no effort to drive it any differently than any other car she has owned. My smart gets 4.6 average city and 3.3 hwy if I observe the 80 and 90km speed limits. It goes up to 3.8 if I start to haul along.
Posted by: Doug | Nov 12, 2006 7:44:52 AM
When can we buy a Prius plug-in from Toyota?
Our excellent 4-cyl Camry is due to be replaced in 2007/08 and we would be willing to pay $10K more for a Prius PHEV with an electric only range of 60 to 100 Km.
The garage in our new place is equipped with 115 VAC and 220 VAC 20 Amps outlets.
Anything else on the horizon?
Suggestions?
Posted by: Harvey D. | Nov 12, 2006 3:58:07 PM
Harvey:
http://www.hymotion.com/
Posted by: Neil | Nov 12, 2006 8:06:20 PM
pizmo
Do you take quotes out of context in order to make yourself feel better about being wrong or do you actually have something useful bit of information to contribute?
Posted by: a | Nov 12, 2006 11:13:13 PM
There are developments in DME in China today:
We see great potential for DME as a clean alternative fuel . The present diesel oil is a major source of air pollution from diesel engine of trucks and busses in large city like Tokyo. The potential market of diesel oil substitute is larger than LPG. DME is one of ideal fuel for diesel engine. DME vehicles were demonstratively manufactured in Japan, China and Korea and their driving test already started. Practical durability fleet test of a DME truck is under going in Japan.
We are pleased to organise a conference on China taking the lead in the DME market in production from coal and Japan and Korea activities.
If you would like to know more on COAL to Syngas to DME developments, join us at upcoming North Asia DME / Methanol conference in Beijing, 27-28 June 2007, St Regis Hotel. The conference covers key areas which include:
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By:
National Development Reform Commission NDRC
Ministry of Energy for Mongolia
Production of DME/ Methanol through biomass
gasification could potentially be commercialized
By:
Shandong University completed Pilot plant in Jinan and
will be sharing their experience.
Advances in conversion technologies are readily
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By: Kogas, Lurgi and Haldor Topsoe
Available project finance supports the investments
that DME/ Methanol can play a large energy supply role
By: International Finance Corporation
For more information: www.iceorganiser.com
Posted by: Cheryl Ho | May 23, 2007 8:04:16 PM
I would like to know where I can find this chrysler Micro Car and I can try it and know the price.
thank You, Anna K
Posted by: Anna | Apr 11, 2008 9:57:46 PM
All these comments are very interesting. My question is where can I purchase one?
Posted by: FWFineron | Jun 5, 2008 5:55:55 AM
when can I buy one
Posted by: Richard Eaton | Jul 15, 2008 11:21:57 PM
These message threads are a hoot to read.....everyone is an expert with little personal experience. I was doubtful about the smart until I watched my sister's positive experiences with hers and an acquaintances amazing performance with his smart. The 2nd mentioned has acquired 320,000kms in year round driving in HARSH prairie climate. From extreme cold with blizzards to summer heat his little smarty just chugs along. He realizes it aint no sports car but IS reliable, cheap to operate, and fun to drive. He recently bought a 2nd smarty, the new gas version and is just as pleased. I guess if you buy what you want and need you'll be happy.....whether or not its a smarty or an SUV. I just dont understand the Hummers I see going to 7-11!
I'm buying one before year end to cash in on the Federal govt rebate program.....$2000 back on $20000 car is a bonus.
Buy what you like, drive safely and we'll share the roads......ok? Smarty owners just wont see you at the pumps very often.
Oh, smarty's are pretty much recyclable.....can the same be said for most other cars?
Posted by: Derek | Sep 9, 2008 10:18:59 AM
