Why I love this unusual, rear-engined City Car - the Smart ForFour W453
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ส.ค. 2023
- When Smart and Renault teamed up for the rear-engined ForFour and Twingo (and the shorter ForTwo) I was hooked. It was such an unusual concept for a 2010s car design. But does the driving experience match my expectation?
The engine is a three-cylinder Mercedes-Benz unit, also used in Renaults and Dacias. And yes, there is a proper gearbox!
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Apologies for this one disappearing briefly. Used some music which wasn't as free to use as I thought it was...
Only about 3 seconds worth lol I saw it you lost all sound
There was me thinking you were getting over Up and Down's windscreen wiper video.
ooops
another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍
You appear to have the beginnings of a mullet infection. Please visit a doctor or hairdresser and have the unsightly carbuncle dealt with.
Tyre kit fits where the passengers toes are, lift the carpet and there's a panel
Take it out, slide the front seat forwards and you can carry passengers with legs!
I was going to say this. I think I may be the only mechanic who takes them out at service to check the use-by date on the can of foam!
@@chrisdowns1987good lad, I would've been the only one in my work as well. If I was still mechanicing.
To J50Gant. Ok - that's where the tyre "repair" kit is. But in this nerdy time, it seems impossible to do most things properly, and have such a thing as a SPARE WHEEL.
@@nygelmiller5293 absolutely nowhere to fit one in the Smart.
I leased a Twingo in 2015 for 3 years and absolutely loved it. I actually miss it loads and would love it back. Turning circle is absolutely amazing. I had the 900cc 90hp version in Dynamique trim in flame red. I would certainly recommend the TCE version over the 1.0 version. Wherever you are Lulu, I hope your owner is treating you well
I rather like the 1.0. It responds well to a merciless thrashing.
@@davidquinn5906 the 1 litre engine is a good engine I agree but the 900cc turbo engine just has a bit more punch to it
I had a 453 Fortwo cabrio with 1l and the 6 speed dual clutch auto. Loved it and my sister now has it and she loves it.
Hi! Is 70hp enough to keep you moving around! Thanks
My late wife had the first generation for many years, a 1.1 Passion. What a fun car that was - full of character, and no trouble at all. No grin factor, more a HUGE smile. Happy in town, or on the motorway. That engine was a gem.
She sold on for a Mini Convertible having a mid life crisis - never to be sold, and hence still in my hands.
@@dizzy2020 none. It's in the garage, and currently comes out for high days and holidays 😁
I have a 2006 Smart Forfour with rare (in NZ) manual gearbox. Most had the robotised manual/auto which was less than ideal. I really like the car and it does regular 100 km commuting trips with ease. It was a blend of Mitsubishi and Benz. Great handling, feels very strong and rigid. I see very few on the road nowadays.
"That lives there now." OMG - I howled!
I love this little jewel. Its so unique having an engine in back. Its the car that drives to a different beat.
I’ve got the 0.9 litre turbo Edition One with the orange interior - puts a smile on my face every time I get in and so much fun to drive! It replaced my old Roadster - which was ridiculous amounts of fun. Still miss it, but the FourFour feels similar in spirit 🙂
Thought they might have storage under the bonnet! I used to enjoy loading my shopping into my Skoda Estelle and getting strange looks from passers-by!
Rented and drove one of the Twingo versions on a business trip around France. Picked up in Lyon, over to the Alps, on to the Massif then to Paris. Brilliant, especially in Paris. Could park it in the hotel car park where no one else would fit.
I remember a spin in my boss's 3-pot Aygo, like driving half a V6. I also remember mullets...
The magic sound of three cylinders! Now I know what this is all about with the front lid. I always thought these two locks are to remove the grill for some reason... Thanks for the road test (I will keep my C1 as long as possible 😄). Bye and see you soon - Martin
My dad's Up! has a three pot and it feels like a 4 pot with a misfire. I wonder if that is how they designed it?
@@MattBrownbill That is right! There are different ways of building a 3-cylinder engine. It can be "symmetric" or it can be more like a 4-cylinder with one missing cylinder. This is well known in the motorbike world.
Nice review. I don’t often think about what a “future classic” might be - but the ForFour and Twingo may very well fall into this category.
Had a Brabus cabriolet one of these for a few years and it was a riot. The turning circle was incredible and the dual-clutch gearbox made it feel like a mini F1 car on changes.
Quite fancy a Brabus as a "project " car , to tweak the engine if possible etc!
Ian - my lovely old pooch used to prefer to travel in the front passenger footwell of my old '68 VW camper in the summer when the ambient temperature in the back was too much. I think the wind chill on the front kept it relatively cool down there! Love the content, all the best👍
Cool water to drink rapidly cools down the doggos.
88bhp for the turbo...sounds tempting. As much as a healthy 2.0hdi Citroen then ..
I expect to see "Hold on Diego" tee-shirts in the HN Store shortly :-)
Slightly prefer the Twingo exterior styling but both underrated city cars. The rear engine setup was what VW originally wanted to do with the Up before realising development would cost too much. V good interior space on the Twingo/FourFour for the size of car (shorter than the earlier Twingo too, which makes a nice change) and more interior room than a Mini. You can also replace a battery in that front aperture too, speaking from experience and slightly grazed knuckles!
When I worked at Bristol Street motors Ford about 8 years ago it was in the process of transitioning from a Renault dealership so we still did some work on Renaults and had the pleasure of working on these wee little fellas, To do anything on the engine it had to be removed so we had to use these purpose built stands that you sat the engine on and bolted it on, Removed a couple of engine mount bolts then sent the ramp up to remove the engine it took literally minutes to do.
I did a bit of research on these and Twingos before I eventually bought my Hyundai i10 a couole of years ago. The rear engine layout really appealed to me.
I drove the first version of the four four and I've never had a car put such a huge smile on my face as it did the sound was like it wanted to be a race car when u put ur foot down to 60mph
Ok, but that first generation ForFour had not anything more in common with the shown version than the name and "it was a car", right?
I never drove the first gen for four but I did have a courtesy Mitsubishi Colt for one memorable night in 2014, that little 1 litre 3 cylinder engine sings so sweetly 😊
@Rob2 yes it was the first generation of the the smart four four
Hi Ian. Don’t know if you’ve come across the TH-cam channel from High Peak Autos. This week it features a Berlingo.
In a world of all cars essentially being the same I really like smarts. They do things a little differently. I used to have a roadster which was fantastic and I've driven a for 2 which was pretty nice too.
Loved the idea, went for a c3 instead. Also funky and a better all round package for a city car thats a bit different and strangely, quite loveable.
I've just got myself a smart Roadster project car ...they certainly have there quirks !!!!
The lower spark plugs are....fun..... 😭
My KA+ does not have a spare but has the inflation kit. Liked the Smart chunky little thing. Enjoyed the vid.
The original Twingos were the only ones worth having. Front engined and really spacious inside. I see a lot of these still on the road today in Belgium.
There is a guy around where I live in the UK who is in his 50s and has a lovely MK1 Twingo in silver with nice original alloy wheels, It is immaculate and looks quite sporty kind of like a Renault Sport version although I'm aware they never released a hot Twingo MK1. It is clearly his pride and joy you often see him at Lidl when he has been shopping dusting it down in the carpark.
Looked at the ForFour a while back but it was a little too sensible for what we wanted. So we bagged a Smart ForTwo with the manual box and turbo a few years back. It’s a silly thing for sure but always puts a smile on my face and for us that’s the point. Massive turbo lag but when it decides to play its chuckles all round. Just get used to the quirks and have some fun. Tax exempt and easily mid to high 60’s MPG and cheap insurance too and that split folding tailgate 😂
Love it and many thanks for the review.
Great little car. Had no idea they were rear engine. I want one. Cute looks too...
A most enjoyable video with an interesting vehicle indeed well done 👍👍👍
I really like that steering wheel. Looks quite sporty.
I had one of them on loan for a few weeks, while my Badger damaged car was in the body shop. I actually liked it.
Wife has a 2018 Twingo iconic, peppermint with the graphics and enormous sunroof, it's the 900 turbo, goes like stink and can park anywhere.
My daily is a 2007 series 1 Twingo, one of the last, leather, all the goodies, tout ouverant panoramic en verre. It's sitting on 180,000 miles now, still 50 mpg, still a smile on my face, bought it new from Renault Colin, Montrouge, Paris.
I have a MK3 Renault twingo which is the same base car and I love it
Have you watched the latest High Peak Autos video, it's right up your street as they say.
Berlingo!
My stepmum had one but hers was the sporty version. I drove it once, nice little car
We swapped out our turbo ForTwo for the EQ. although we had easily got used to the auto with it’s interesting attitude to gear changing the EQ is the car I think the Smart was originally intended to be ( we had our first LHD one last century! ) . They are an incredible package. I’ve often wondered about the ForFour. Thanks for this. I’m now thinking about possibly getting one!
Love this glass roof! Never seen it before, myself.
Ahhh your back!
Ive been sulking 😂
Be glad you tested it on a nice day. In the wet the design of the the plastic tailgate panel drops approximately a teacup of water on your head as you open it.
Power Less is More!
Love a 3 Cylinder Engine, a great and honest little review as always.
Enjoyed that !
Have owned an Edition One from new (2015), orange and grey with orange dash material and seat inserts, lifts the interior. Also lowered 10mm and has bigger wheels, because sporty :) Has ferried our kids from birth to 8 years old. Been through the associated car park and school run wars so bearing various battle scars. Have been on 3 driving holidays to south of Ireland (we're up North), still going strong (touch wood), has had 2 replacement front springs and drained its battery a couple of times (stop/start+aircon on full blast+radio=battery drain). Just hit 60K miles and will be buying another soon, hopefully the turbo (Brabus version!)
In June 2019 you posted a video - "Bromley Pageant of Motoring 2019 Walkaround" and I posted a comment at the time about how saddened I was, when you said that Mercedes was ruining the Smart brand with it's later models and clearly didn't like them.
You replied: "Chances of me approving any latest version are pretty slim to be fair!"
So there was a chance after all !!
Had one as a hire car in Spain a few years ago it was the auto and even had flappy paddle gear change! It really did't carry any speed up hills and a few times I had irate Spaniards flashing/waving at me to speed up as if that was an option...
2:10 "And there we go"....lol so British!
5:23 missed opportunity for a dad joke...
Great video :)
Looking forward to you driving this car in 15 years time :D
3:15 Now that's some James May fun 😀
After owning two original smarts in 1999 (UK spec LHD) and 2003 (RHD), in March 2017 and needing to carry passengers we bought a forfour 0.9turbo manual. It was a hoot to drive at first, but the lumps of turbo power became tiresome and the the steering was far too quick, a slight of the wheel resulted in very tight turns which made manouvering more difficult.
By February 2018 it had suffered turbo failure, handbrake issues and numerous other niggly faults. The dealer was terrible, they decided four bolts were enough for the engine cover, left oil stains and scratched the leather on the rear seat. I believe MB had lost all interest in the brand so didn't care.
We saw sense and swapped it for a Yaris, which 5 years on hasn't missed a beat!
The "small 3-cylinder engine with turbo" concept was sort of pioneered by Mercedes/Smart, but these days it is much more common. Almost all smaller cars now have engines like that. And they usually are extremely unreliable too.
I'm surprised how little space there is for rear seat passengers given how much longer it looks than my C1. I'd always looked at these on the street and thought they'd be a nice step up, but perhaps not. Granted, it has some niceties the C1 doesn't, but I can't imagine the running costs are as low as the C1 (my main reason for having a C1).
Having recently seen some MK1 Twingos up close at FOTU, I have to agree with others who prefer that car over either of the later Twingos.
I loved my 0.9Tce in my Dacia Sandero, I have since gone back to my first love, a Fiat Panda 😉
I watched this with the question "would this get me out of my Fiat Panda?" and the answer is NO. I love that little car, it's getting on now, a 2011 with 113k on the clock but I think the only way I'd get rid is for a later car but still with the 1.2, 68 bhp engine.
I have a Twingo of similar age (tho 0.9 turbo with DCT) , which I've has since new and has been brilliant. The SD slot between the seats is for the SD card that holds map data if you have the optional satnav. Obviously not a great piece of design, as is vulnerable to being removed (and lost) by curious small passengers
@3:37 You forgot to mention the Brabus version with over 100 bhp almost identical to the Renault Twingo GT version but more expensive.
Hubnut on tour......Barrybados, sun, sea and slot machines😀
I’m extremely happy to see you test this car, maybe the earlier Smart 4 door would have been more of a hubnut car, they are incredibly cheap and if you find a good one they are great.
Cheap NOW
Love it. Now, what are your views on the Smart Roadster?
I need to film one. It's a complex question.
Drove/hired one of these for our honeymoon in Lake Garda. I really liked it.
Super manoeuvrable. Couldn't believe how small the turning circle was. Very easy to park. Really came in useful when I drove through Torbole, Riva, Garda and Sirmione.
Interior was comfortable, well packaged and the air con came in very useful in 32 degree celsius heat in Sirmione.
Was susceptible to cross winds on the motorway at 140km/h which I didn't like and it was slow although not annoyingly so.
Wife is learning to drive. Thought about getting her one.
The older renault sport twingo 133 was a car I always like the look of, obviously a very different car and platform
Joseph Ganz developed front suspension steering for those 130 to 170 Heckmotor Mercedes models.
I've always thought that these looked like an updated BMC Mini. I must admit that I find them intriguing, which isn't something you can say about a lot (possibly most) cars made after 2010.
If you can drive along that stretch of the A4232 and cocnclude that road noise isnt too bad, then it's doing very well indeed!
I had a Twingo 0.9 TCE Dynamique S in orange with stripes. That's the one with the turbo 🙂. It was as close as you could get to the GT without actually being one (insurance.) It was also an ex-press car with only 250 miles and I'm pretty sure the engine had been mapped accordingly. On the test drive I had the biggest grin you could imagine. "Weeeee! I'm Mr Toad!" It was really hard to negotiate a proper deal as the car had already convinced me it was a puppy that only wanted to have fun. It was significantly better than the Fiat Panda 4x4 Cross that I replaced it with (See your road test a couple of years go.)
My brother still has his mk1 4 4. Bought new I think, or nearly new and he likes it. Windscreens are apparently a bugger to obtain and fit, and some servicing can be expensive, but I don't think he's going part with it!
I had the 0.9t edition #1 for three years. £130 per month, no deposit and £0 tax. I wish I hadn’t given it back at times as it was a really good little car. I still keep an eye on Auto Trader in case it comes on sale again 🙂
I actually like these ...though never had one ...perhaps it's time
The engine is not Mercedes-Benz. The 1 litre is a Mitsubishi and the 900cc turbo is a Nissan-Renault unit (as used in the Dacia Sandero)
Quite like the previous Mitsubishi based Smart ForFour with its bright colourways. Why on earth have EPAS when the heavy engine is in the back?
Did you notice a little vague steering during driving straight in the middle position of the steering wheel. Just about 2cm. It feels a little like "swimming" when turning the steering just a little from left to right. Mercedes dealer told me that is normal. Thx for the video
Can't recall that sensation.
The original smart was initiated by Swatch and was intended to be electric with the motor and battery rear mounted, hence the eventual rear engine layout.
The two seat packaging favoured this layout and the original smarts didn't have an amazing turning circle considering the size of the car.
This was improved on the modern smarts but was never originally intended as a feature.
I think you should include something about servicing, repairanbility and spares
Having had a Renault 10 and tried everything to make it practical, including fitting a towbar and building a trailer because the luggage areas on them are hopeless, I know exactly what you mean about how rear engine Renaults were mechanically dominated on the rear axle.
I've never paid much attention to smart cars, but this review does rather demonstrate that the rear engine format can be made practical.
What you find with the manual 5 speed gearbox, I wonder if it could be fitted into a rear engine Renault
I only drove the original Smart. The steering was so vague I didn't dare drive it faster than 50km/h and that gearbox, oh my goodness that gearbox.
I can imagine it being a lot better with a manual but I'm sceptical :D.
That interior is screaming Renault of that age. The textures on the plastics around the gear lever/doors where its not patterned, the switchgear, shapes of the steering wheel, seats, levers and so on - all looks like a Renault with a slight facelift.
Weather thats good or bad is up for debate.
Mechanics must get a really aching back working on that engine 😢
On these the alternator loves to go out and I changed it once and it is a pain in the butt.
You have to loosen the rear axle and the engine.....
Just bought a clk200 kompressor on a 57 platefor ulez and it new compared to my sadly outgoing e39 523. Even though it 16 years old
I like a small 3 cylinder non turbo. Had seat mii courtesy cars (60bhp) and seat ibiza. Been in citroen c1s and one of these. Hired Kia picanto (69bhp) which was also fun. Love the charismatic sound track. Much more interesting than a 4 pot if less smooth low down especially at idle but smoother higher up the rev range. Then hired a 115bhp seat ibiza 1.0 3 cylinder turbo. Very accomplished but way too quiet. It seems turbos make these engines far quicker and more usable but rob the car of some character and having to rev the nuts of it to do 40 up a hill is part of the fun. Despite that 50mpg all day long whereas the turbos in traffic nose dive.
Ok but there is a big difference between hiring such a car or having it on loan while another car is in maintenance, and on the other side owning such a car and having to maintain it for a long time.
Unexpected costs will pop up all the time. Not something I like.
@@Rob2 a point well worth mentioning as I know someone who has a smart for four and it has broken down rather too often leaving it's owner stranded! The problem seems to be caused by heavy rain working fine once things dry out and has been fixed a few times. The other small non turbo city cars tend to have very good reputation for reliability as they are relatively simple.
@@paultasker7788 No, e.g. the Citroen C1 that you mention has well known problems with its 3cyl engine as well. Those small engines with turbo were developed to exploit a loophole in environmental regulations and tax rules e.g. here in Europe, and to reduce cost of manufacture the same time. Cost of maintenance and breakdowns was left out of scope.
@@Rob2 the same is definitely true of my 2012 mini cooper S. 1.6 turbo, variable valve, dual vaanos. Previously they would probably have used a non turbo 2.0 or 1.8. That prince engine is ridiculously complex. Even the revised version n18 I have. N14 had numerous issues. Many fixed. Sadly not all. I keep replacing parts due to reduced power light coming on and misfires. Coil pack (had 2 fail separately in a month) always causes the misfire which is now history. The reduced power light is a mystery. It's intermittent, maybe once or twice a week. Next time you restart engine it goes off and is fine. When I test it for misfires by revving it hard the car absolutely flies! It feels fine. Better than fine. When the lights on feels like a cooper rather than a cooper S. Revs freely but feels like there is no extra boost. I think something like a valve is sticking. It's a nightmare to diagnose as one faulty sensor will put 9 fault codes on so working out what's wrong even for a specialist is quite challenging. To be fair they won't replace anything until proven faulty. Not cost that much so far but lack of trust in the car and time at the garage is a pain. Our other car a golf whilst reliable now had an engine light come on at just 1 year old. Faulty cam sensor. They can fail that soon!
there's still one or two of the regular ones floating around here. it wasn't just the size that put people off (storage and passenger room) but the jaw droppingly LOW Mileage. 32 (ca. 38 UK, I think) out of the US-spec ones was ridiculously thirsty; I think we were all expecting motorbike mileage.. btw, those Colts you guys mention? I believe they brought them back after the Lancer and Evo turned out to be too bare-bones, slapping the Mirage name back on. seeing either of the little boogers floating around US 3 lanes even in our area just raises eyebrows, especially if it's one of those Mauve colored ones :P
Much better turning than most front engined cars today, with their overpowered engines. HOW come manufacturers routinely produce "bank robber specials" that can do 140 m.p.h., when the speed limit is only HALF that? Frightened that their speed limit breaking customers might have c.v. joint failure at speeds they're not meant to do, manufacturers reduce the danger, by simply INCREASING the turning circle instead! Wrong priorities! With more and more cars on the road, cars need TIGHTER turning circles, to find parking spaces they can fit! The old Mini can show such cars a thing or two! Well done Smart, for thinking outside the box!
I think the engine is actually a Renault engine borrowed from them as it is shared with the similar Twingo.
Previous to this was a Mitsubishi engine, from another collaboration, used in the for two.
Previous to that was the Mercedes designed Suprex engines as used in the original smarts and the roadster.
Since 2014 the Merc m281 engine was used by smart, Renault, nissan and Dacia,so the chap doing the review was correct 🙂
My mistake; the m281 is Mercedes designed and Renault built.
Hubnut, next time your pooch is in the car , drop all the windows an inch or two if the car is stationary and the engine isn’t running.
Ideally pooch should be outside the car if possible.
Not a criticism mate, just friendly advice.
I own a 2017 Smart Fortwo.
Great little car.
Hopefully a potential future classic for a 2050 onwards hubnut successor.
He was never in the car with the engine off and no ventilation for longer than a minute or two. Didn't always show, but there was usually a door open or the engine running.
Had one of these as my first car, a 2015 prime premium in red/black two tone. Absolutely frightening to drive especially around corners, in strong winds (it had a crosswind alarm much like an old cessna), merging onto motorways etc. Had the 1.0 non turbo with the automatic. Abhorrent as it tries to be a car and falls just about short. Also my specific one had an ant infestation a few weeks before I sold it so that wasn’t great! HOWEVER with an insurance group of just 2, enough space to throw some bags in the back, cheap to fill up, free road tax, turns on its own length, couldn’t have asked for a better choice because at least it taught me to be appreciative and what a car shouldn’t be like.
Of course, I drive a honda civic now lol
From an owner’s perspective if you ever consider getting one please go for the 0.9 turbo and the top spec (maybe even a brabus if you’re that mad), mine had heated seats, TWO sunroofs, but manual mirrors and no touchscreen, which was very odd.
Rant/essay over, absolutely delighted to see you test drive one!!
Despite all the internet people going on about crosswinds mine never gave me a moment's bother with them. Cornering is a fine pootling about until you push it and then it understeers before the stability control has a hissy fit.
@@davidquinn5906 to be fair its probably local area bias, i used to live in a very windy place. the stability control I DEFINITELY remember would panic if it detected you were about to have fun, as much to the disappointment of the guys at college who kept egging me to drift it because of the whole RR layout thing.
@@quas392 apparently the wheel offsets on these, unlike earlier Smarts meant you could put a set of fat rear wheels on the front if you didn't like understeer. Not sure where that left you with insurance and such.
@@davidquinn5906 huh never knew about that, should have opted to have done that when i had mine, ill spread the good word.
Speaking of the Smart Forfour/Colt a friend of mine Dan Harris who owns Dynodaze did a bhp test of a 1.1 Colt and it had 86bhp , the weird thing is manufacturers specs say its only meant to have 76bhp ? I own the same car so now i know why it feels so quick lol cant imagine a Smart car with same engine but turbocharged that would be crazy
MK1 Citybug has the edge for passenger space, luggage not so much. A comparison with the Mk2 Aygo platform maybe as that is a fairer and more similar specification ❤
I like a bit of luxury in a small package; I'm amazed we didn't hear Miss HubNut snigger when you said that Ian! 😊
I must admit, when you were showing the general layout of the engine and front underbonnet etc , all I could think was " why ?"
QUESTION: How does the Smart ForFour compare with Chemmy the Daihatsu Charade?
Smart is quieter and a little more refined. Still really like the Charade though. Which is much more spacious inside.
@@HubNutAgreed. I too prefer the Daihatsu.
We had a 'aport' white with black alloy wheels. Great little city car but just about OK on the motorway.
ooh arr shipmates nice Carr
This is very cool. I’m not sure if this is sold in the states.
Pretty sure not sadly.
No, sadly it was not ever sold here. We only received the second and (briefly) third generations of the ForTwo here, and they were not well received. Underpowered for American highways, and far too small. I don't personally hold that opinion, but that is the general reception.
@@AliceC993 Well, at least I have my air cooled 66 beetle to drive around, here in SoCal.
I suspect the Twingo GT is ideal … I drove a Smart in Italy and the power was adequate, but could do with a little more for the motorway.
Are those wipers upside down as changed to RHD but still the same arms. The original Smart was very popular with estate agents liveried up to transport them to viewings. The dog should be in a harness for its and your safety.
They are not.
I'd like to see you try the mk1. A much more iconic design.
I don't know where you found out this engine has been created by Mercedes. The Renault-Nissan H series engine appeared in 2004 on a 4-cyl version (HR15DE) on the Nissan Tiida/Versa, the 3-cyl version appeared on the Clio 4 0.9 TCe in 2012 (H4Bt - turbocharged, Mercedes M281 E09 LA) and this 71 hp SCe is the H4D400 (Mercedes M281 E10).
The only specific Mecedes version of this engine is the M281 E10R whis is only used on the Smart.
the tyre inflator is kept under the passenger footwell
We had one of these as a hire car in Italy a few years ago and I didn't rate it myself. Yes the turning circle was impressive but we found the boot got hot so not good for food shopping, the front seat backs I found too big which made rear visibility worse and the fuel economy for a modern car was poor. I drove it to try and maximize economy but it was low 40s so the 2cv is way better without trying. Didn't get on with the info screens either, had to scroll through too many screens to bring up basic stuff.
I think most small engined cars have improved torque so that they can use tall gearing.
My Sandero stepway is a cvt automatic and at 70 mph, it sits at 2,100 rpm. even at 80 its still low reving. really tall gearing.
0 to 60 is slow but its makes for a very relaxed motorway cruiser. just bung on the cruise control and clock up the miles
Hi Ian, how are you going to review and test cars after 17th September when all roads in Wales will have a 20 MPH speed limit thanks to Mark Drakeford.
It's not all the roads, main roads and trunk roads will be 30mph or more. The legislation makes residential areas 20mph as a default but the local councils can increase this on roads they see fit for a faster speed. The area around Barry where he tested this car is one of the test areas so already has the 20mph limits where they apply, didn't stop the road test in the slightest.
Yup, some big misunderstandings about the new rules. There will still be 30 limits and there will definitely be higher limits in places too.