Smart fortwo with twinmatic – test report

The new smart fortwo is now available for the first time with a dual-clutch transmission. We tested the basic version with 71 hp.

Tuesday, 2. February 2016 wednesday, 22. May 2019

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The third generation of the smart fortwo is the first to feature a manual transmission in place of the automated transmission previously installed in the smart. Instead of the automated transmission, the new smart is now equipped for the first time with a dual-clutch transmission that is supposed to impress with its fast gear changes. This allows the gears to be changed either automatically or manually. For our test, we chose the city runabout in the "passion" version selected and combined with the 71 hp base engine.

The list price for this combination is incl. The twinmatic at 13.412 euro. The price already includes electric windows, the "passion", and more-interior with very fresh materials, an automatic start-stop system and cruise control. This leaves plenty of room for options, which in the case of our test vehicle took the form of a tridion safety cell in "cool silver", velour floor mats, a lockable glove compartment, the light& sensor package, the cool& audio package, the comfort package, 15"-alloy wheels, radiator grille in "cool silver", audio package, a cargo cover with rollo and seat heating on board were. The total price thus adds up to 16.144.37 euros and is thus already in the battlefield of the compact class.

Inside, however, the smart fortwo is also extremely stylish and has a very fresh look. the round shapes that dominate the dashboard look very good on the small car, and the mix of black and white is also very charming. Compared to its predecessor, everything in the new smart fortwo looks more upscale and also much more modern. the semi-circular speedometer with a nice display for the on-board computer, the design of the radio and the control of the automatic climate control, which is also very unique, catch the eye.

The new smart also offers slightly more generous storage in the doors, and small cup holders can now also be found in the smart. The space on offer is still very generous, even tall people will find plenty of room in the small smart. Depending on the position of the front seats, you still have 260 to 350 liters of storage space available, which makes the single- or. duo household can easily bring home the weekend groceries. The clarity is also very nice; you find your way around immediately and feel very comfortable.

Now it remains to be seen whether the powertrain is also as much fun to drive. In our first test with the new smart fortwo, we were not very convinced by the 1.0 liter 3-cylinder with 71 hp (52 kW), as the engine seemed very sluggish. The smart delivers its maximum torque of 91 nm at 2.850 rpm, which means that there should already be some power missing from the bottom of the paper. on paper, the dual-clutch transmission doesn’t exactly promise more driving pleasure either; the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h is estimated to take 16.9 seconds, while the smart with manual transmission manages the same task in 14.4 seconds.

In practice, the smart with twinmatic has more than convinced us. Not only were our low expectations exceeded, the smart with twinmatic proved so agile in our test that we took it firmly to our hearts after just a few kilometers. In combination with the 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, the engine develops an agility that the smart never offered with manual transmission. From the bottom up, the small car has perfect throttle response and sprints off as if stung by a tarantula, especially in the city, when you press the accelerator pedal firmly.

The smart with twinmatic can also impress at intermediate sprints. The best gear for the sprint is engaged in a flash, and you accelerate again very pleasantly to the desired speed, as long as it is not over 151 km/h, because that is the end of the forward drive of the fortwo. The gears are not only changed very quickly, but also extremely smoothly – the pitching movements that repeatedly caused criticism in the predecessor with automated manual transmission are now a thing of the past.

Even the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h is completed faster in practice than stated by the factory. The fortwo uses more gasoline than promised. the 4.2 liters stated by the factory are difficult to achieve, we averaged 6.0 liters at a brisk pace, which means that the smart with automatic transmission does not consume more than the smart with manual transmission.

The ride comfort is the same in both versions, the city car is always inclined, even with automatic, to alert the passengers to every bump in the road, which is not exactly pleasant, especially on our highways, which already look like a carpet of spots.

In return, the smart fortwo has a maneuverability that is otherwise only possible on foot or by bicycle. You always have the feeling that the smart can turn while stationary, that’s how small its turning circle is. The 6.95 meter turning circle makes it possible to turn around without having to reverse, even on single-lane roads with a parking space on the side. The smart fortwo is the star in every city, and you get parking spaces that you wouldn’t even think of with other vehicles.

so if you want to own an agile city car, the smart is a good choice and you should definitely go for the twinmatic version. The double-clutch transmission is what makes the fortwo a real smart, and it’s even better than the previous automated manual transmission. The transmission is definitely worth the extra cost, especially since the smart seems much livelier in operation.

What we like:

The design, the agility, the twinmatic and how agile it makes the smart

What we don’t like:

The price is a bit steep

equipment security: 1-
equipment comfort: 1
consumption: 2-
mileage: 2
handling: 1
processing: 1
space driver/passenger: 1
trunk: 2
deposits: 1
clarity: 2

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