2007 Frankfurt Auto Show: Smart ForTwo Micro Hybrid
- Competes with: Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid
- Looks like: A Smart ForTwo
- Drivetrain: 71-hp gasoline engine and electric motor
- Hits dealerships: In Europe, this October; no word on the U.S.
It’s all about green in Frankfurt, it seems — that is, besides the Lamborghinis and Bentleys on parade. Smart — which will introduce its new ForTwo in the U.S. early next year — rolled out a hybrid version of that car yesterday. It’s called the ForTwo Micro Hybrid — you know, because it’s small.
Smart sells a diesel version of the ForTwo in Europe, but because the hybrid runs on standard gasoline it has a much better chance of making it to the U.S. if the Smart launch goes well. The company is saying the hybrid will get 8% better fuel economy overall; in heavy city driving it could get up to 20% better mileage.
Smart hasn’t released EPA numbers for the ForTwo yet, but it said it will likely get a combined rating of 40 mpg. That means the Micro Hybrid would get around 43 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway, at a cost of just 500 Euros more than a basic ForTwo coupe. Even at a roughly 1.4 conversion rate, that’s not a bad deal to be green … and small.
More Smart News (KickingTires)
