The Smart Forfour is a supermini presented and produced by Smart over two
generations. The first generation was marketed in Europe from 2004 to 2006 and
the second generation was marketed in Europe from 2014 onwards.
The first generation Forfour was marketed only in Europe from 2004 to
2006 and in Australia as a 4-door, 5-seat hatchback, sharing its platform
with the Mitsubishi Colt. After an eight year hiatus, the second generation
Forfour debuted in July 2014, sharing its platform with the forthcoming third
generation Renault Twingo and mechanicals with the third generation
Smart Fortwo. First generation
= Forfour Brabus= It is a version of Smart Forfour with a
turbocharged Mitsubishi 4G15 engine rated 130 kW, 27 PS more than the
Mitsubishi Colt CZT. The Brabus Forfour requires higher than standard octane
fuel to develop full power. It can reach a maximum speed of 221 km/h and
accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds. The Forfour was to be sold in
the United States along with the revived Smart Formore vehicle.
= Engines= The 1.5 L common direct injection diesel
engine, is a three-cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine derived from the
four-cylinder used in the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, and is available with either 68
PS or 95 PS. = Transmissions=
= Production= The car was produced at the NedCar
factory in the Netherlands in conjunction with Mitsubishi Motors. This
is the same factory that produced Volvo 300s in the 1970s and 1980s and the
Volvo V40s in the 1990s. To save production costs, the Smart Forfour
shared almost all of its components with the 2003 Mitsubishi Colt. This includes
the chassis, suspension and a new generation of MIVEC petrol engines,
ranging from the three cylinder 1.1 L to the four cylinder with power up to 80
kW. The Smart Forfour was phased out from
production due to slow sales. = Marketing=
The sales brochures state that the interior "is designed around the concept
of a lounge"; to test this, Top Gear presenters spent 24 hours inside the
Forfour. They said they would not buy the car due to its high price and poor
driving dynamics compared to its rivals. Following Smart's initial success for
the fortwo in the US, and due to a surprisingly high popularity in the
Forfour, former Mercedes-Benz exec Rainer Schmückle revealed that officials
were considering relaunching the car. Second generation
The second generation Forfour, jointly developed with Renault, is internally
designated the W453 build series. Motor Trend reported the second generation
Forfour shares approximately 70% of its parts with the third generation Renault
Twingo. Smart CEO Annette Winkler has reported that the W453 will retain the
second Generation Fortwo trademark hemispherical steel safety cell,
marketed as the Tridion cell. The Fortwo will continue to be asssembled at
Smartville, and the Forfour will be manufactured alongside the Renault
Twingo 3 in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. Smartville, where the W450 and W451
build series have been manufactured, underwent a 200 million euro upgrade
beginning in mid-2013, in preparation for the C453 Fortwo. The new Forfour,
along with the new Fortwo is set to go on sale in October, shortly after their
public reveals at the Paris Motor Show. According to chief development engineer
for the C453/W453, Markus Rieder, the Smart Fortwo and ForFour will be offered
with a choice of manual transmission or double-clutch automatic — and nolonger
with the Getrag automated manual. According to Rieder, both models will
feature a wider track, overall width increased by 10 cm, improved ride and
improved noise isolation. For the forthcoming third generation,
Autoweek reported that Daimler consulted with Ford to learn about Ford's 1.0
Liter turbo-charged inline 3-cylinder engine, in turn sharing information
about its own Euro6 stratified lean-burn gasoline engines.
The launch model "edition #1" is a limited period version, unveiled in
Tempodrom, Berlin. Delivery is scheduled to commence in November 2014 with the
Forfour 52 kW and 66 kW models to follow in December 2014, and twinamic dual
clutch transmission models in the spring of 2015.
= Smart Fourjoy concept= Smart Fourjoy concept includes Smart's
signature tridion cell in polished full-aluminium, tail lights integrated
in the tridion cell, spherical instrument cluster, raised smart
lettering milled from aluminium on the side skirts, pearlescent white on the
bumpers, front bonnet and tailgate; headlamps without a glass cover,
U-shaped daytime running lights, LED front and tail lights, transparent
petroleum-coloured moulded wind deflector at the top of the front
windscreen, on the A-pillars on the sides and on the rear roof spoiler; rear
dark chrome seats, a piping-like line with the same petroleum colour as the
plexiglass accents on the exterior, instrument panel with convex surface and
touch-sensitive operating functions, spherical instrument cluster,
single-spoke steering wheel, two smartphones mounted on the dashboard and
on the centre tunnel, 55 kW magneto-electric motor, 17.6kWh
lithium-ion battery, 22 kW on-board charger, two electrically driven
skateboards on the roof, helmets under the rear seats, a high-definition
camera. The vehicle was unveiled at the 2013
Frankfurt Auto Show. = Engines=
All models are available with a 5-speed manual or 6-speed twinamic dual clutch
transmission. Electric version
A Smart Forfour has been converted into a plug-in hybrid by Lithium Technology
Corporation and Zytek Systems. The lithium-ion battery can propel the
vehicle up to 84 mph and last on its own for up to 20 miles. The engine is a
combination of a 68 hp, 1.5 L, three-cylinder turbocharged diesel
engine and two high-efficiency permanent-magnet electric motors. It
received an award from the Energy Saving Trust for the “Ultra Low Carbon Car
Challenge” project. Daimler has confirmed it will produce an
electric version of the Smart Forfour during the second generation of
production. Production is expected in 2014, as a 2015 model year.
References External links
Smart Forfour technical forum Smart USA
Press kit: The new smart fortwo & forfour: Adding a
new shine to a proven concept