Breaking: 2016 Smart Fortwo Cabrio Means Suns Out Funs Out
By Paulo Acoba
Daimler went ahead and took the wraps (or top off) its 2016 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet.
It’s summertime for Daimler even though Fall fast approaches. Daimler went ahead and dropped a full press release showcasing its newest Smart Fortwo cabrio earlier today (Aug. 28, 2015) well before the Frankfurt Motor Show kicks off later next month. Daimler has heralded this tiny city car three cars in one. You can have the soft top fully covering you, you can unfurl just the top all the way or you can remove the supporting roof bars altogether for what they call a truly “Cabriolet” experience.
The soft top itself is a smart piece of engineering. The whole opening-closing operation can be controlled via the key fob and the entire operation is a 12-second affair. Smart even says you can operate the soft top at maximum velocity, which according to the previous generation is 90 MPH.
Safety wise, the Smart Fortwo cabrio is super rigid, 15 percent more rigid than the previous generation. Not only does the Smart Fortwo pass all the regular battery of tests required of new cars, it passes additional tests done by Mercedes which includes a drop from a height of 50 cm, roof first.
Don’t expect to be zipping in and out of traffic at breakneck speeds. There are two engines available a 71 HP unit and a 90 HP unit. There’s a 5-speed manual available or a DCT. 0-60 will take you 14.9 seconds in the 71 HP engine and an acceptable 10.8 seconds in the 90 HP engine.
Daimler was adamant to point out that the Smart Fortwo went through the same cycle of endurance testing as the Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet. Long story short, your soft top won’t break or leak anytime soon.
The Smart Fortwo has always been an attractive option for city streets. Its small size makes it a wise choice for city parking and adding a cabrio to the mix makes that experience more enjoyable. The only other car that has an open top that can compete with the Smart ForTwo would be the Fiat 500 convertible.It’s fun, it’s quirky and it’s quality. What more can you ask from a city runabout?
