2004 Smart City Coupe Review: Road Test

It was designed as a Swatch for the world of wheels and aimed at young people who could see the potential of a compact subcompact in the crowded cities of Europe.

Australia Smart was turned down twice before the booming DaimlerChrysler empire realized it could take a place in the Down Under and that the baby brand would eventually become a full blown car company with solid youth backing.

It also probably helped that private importers were bringing smart cars with mobile phone booths to Australia, bypassing official channels, and doing so at prices that were not conducive to long-term success. Basically too expensive.

Now we've gone through the launch of the City coupe and convertible, with 58 sales in the first two months of 2004, and bumped into a sporty roadster.

This is the first car that puts Smart against real opponents.

Honestly, there's nothing that can compete with the City twins, which are so small you can park them nose-to-curb without bumping into traffic. If you need a city car, then you will get it. Game over.

But a roadster, even with a $37,990 net worth and outstanding styling, will have to win customers over from a wide range of competitors.

It still only has a 700cc Suprex turbo engine, but it has enough room in the back for two, with a pop-up sunroof and more equipment, including air conditioning, alloy wheels, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors.

Potential rivals are both sporty and fashionable, as the roadster will continue to be a fashion item for many owners.

So while the roadster looks a little like the Lotus Elise, it will also take on the VW Beetle convertible, the Peugeot 206CC, and even the really stupid Daihatsu Copen.

It will also be sold in place of the Toyota MR2, which has a similar purpose but is larger and heavier at a higher price.

The design of the roadster is exactly what you'd expect from a sports car, with a low plastic body and tightly wrapped wheels at each corner.

It has nice curves, and the two-piece hardtop is designed to be stored in a shallow trunk behind the cab and above the engine.

Smart places great value on the Tridion car's rigid roll cage, claiming superior crash protection.

The mechanical package starts with a 60 kW engine mated to a sequential manual transmission.

It's rear-wheel drive, and Smart's engineers even installed wider tail wheels to improve cornering, which is handled by electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering.

On the way to

IF you get into a Smart Roadster expecting the full sports car experience, then . . . well, you'll be disappointed.

It's fun and functional, but far out of step with the Nissan 350Z. Smart says it takes 10.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h, and there are plenty of fairly conventional family sedans that can do better.

But the roadster has a sharp edge and looks very, very good.

You'll have to work hard - if you're over 20 - to get down to the salon, but it's great and there's a lot to enjoy.

The seats are supportive, the steering wheel feels good, and the instrument design shows a lot of smart thinking with a youthful touch.

The location of the key is unexpected because it is hidden on the B-pillar behind the gear lever. But it works well enough.

Turn the key and you will hear a brute fire from three pots flaring up right behind your head.

The audio performance includes a set of chugs, whistles, and burps as you start moving, and anyone who enjoys the whistle of a Subaru WRX will enjoy the noise. We found it amusing.

The Smart coupe isn't all that powerful or fast, but it feels good in it. There's a good response if you're in the right gear and you always feel like the car is trying to help.

The gearbox, however, resists. If you use it manually, it responds slowly to any commands and completely ignores low odds calls, switching up on the red line.

It's not good if you're racing between corners and want to hold a gear.

The auto mode is also disappointing, with slow shifts and a reluctant kickdown. We've used it in city traffic, but the Smart really needs to do some work to make it better match the rest of the Roadster package.

Smart says it revives the purist feel of an earlier era, and it's true.

It's like it's wrapped in a film around you, and like the more expensive Lotus Elise, you always know what's going on behind the wheel.

It also encourages you to take turns, any turns with quick steering pressure and plenty of gas.

It has good cornering balance and good traction. So it's an impressive chassis that also handles most of the bumps, although it hits potholes and the chassis makes more noise than we'd like.

It's hard to compare a roadster to the competition, as many people will buy it because they like the look.

It doesn't have much room and not much room for luggage, but it's much nicer to drive than a Beetle Cabrio or a Peugeot 206CC.

It is closest to the MR2 but has a much more focused feel.

As a stepping stone to the future, it also proves that Smart is more than just a phone booth on wheels.