Smart sold over 220,000 versions of the Cabrio in the ForTwo’s 17-year history and as a result the formula hasn’t changed, although Smart claims to have made better everything that was loved about the old vehicle and addressed everything that wasn’t. In other markets it will be available by February.
Smart has revealed the second member of the ForTwo family; the Cabrio. The 2016 smart fortwo cabrio measures in at 2,690 mm long, 1,660 mm wide and stands at a height of 1,550 mm. The polyacrylic roof is 20mm thick and features a rubber layer of insulation to keep wind and cold out.
The roof can be operated while on the move and takes about 12 seconds to go up or down. While its operation is automatic, there are some side bars that need to be manually stowed to get the maximum open space. The removable roof bars can be stored in the car’s bootlid when the roof is completely retracted.
To accommodate the new open design, the ForTwo Cabrio required addition reinforcements in key areas in comparison to the coupe. All of this adds up to a 15 percent improvement in stiffness over its predecessor.
The Fortwo Cabrio also benefits from the usual assortment of strengthening tricks to make up for the absence of a hardtop roof, including reinforced A-pillars, a special steel cross bar, and stronger bulkheads at both ends. Of course, the extra weight of the modifications will likely have an effect on performance.
Under the skin, the smart fortwo cabrio is powered by a choice of two rear-mounted, three-cylinder petrol engines – a naturally-aspirated mill with 71 hp and 91 Nm of torque or a more powerful turbocharged unit with 90 hp and 135 Nm of twist. It is only going to be available in the two door option and it will be arriving with the engine that is turbo-charged and it will offer 89 horses via a choice of 5 speed manual version or the 6 speed dual clutch.
The three trim levels offered – Passion, Prime and Proxy – also mirror that of the standard Fortwo range. The latter includes some electronic driver aids such as a collision warning system.