Are you interested in learning more about the weight of a Smart car? Well, if that is the case, then you are at the right place because there will be a lot to cover on this topic where we are going to learn all about these Smart vehicles including their weight.
Doing your own research on a vehicle before you purchase is always a good thing. Why we are saying this? Well, because it is true. Proper research will put you way ahead of getting something that you don’t ideally want, and you will get the car that you always desired.
So, before you buy, you always need to learn more about the type of vehicle and its specifications. Specifications are the most important because we all have different needs. If I need a pickup truck, somebody else does not. They want something rather small and compact. So, a Smart vehicle is always a good idea when it comes to this type of vehicle. But more on the specs, we are going to cover them later on.
First, we are going to learn what is a Smart car, then we will discuss each generation of the Smart car. We will cover the dimensions and size, the weight of a Smart car, as well as the engines and transmissions, fuel economy, and safety which is one of the most important things. So, if you want to learn more, follow along.
What Is A Smart Car
Now before we start discussing the different generations of Smart cars and learn more about their specs including the weight of a Smart car. Let’s take a look at what is a Smart car in general and learn more about the background of this marque.
If you didn’t know, Smart is a German carmaker that is producing microcars. This company even though it is German, has headquarters in China.
This company is 50% owned by Daimler. If you don’t know Daimler is basically the owner of Mercedes Benz. And the other 50% is owned by Geely. Geely is one of the biggest carmakers in China.
This partnership started in 2019, before that, all Smart models were made by Daimler. And this partnership included a factory in China and the production of a completely new generation of Smart cars.
This new generation includes the Smart 1. This model should be put in production from 2023 onward in China.
The new Smart 1 will be fully electric and powered by electric motors. What is good is that Mercedes technology will be implemented, considering that they have one of the best all-around EVs.
Overall, the future of the Smart brand seems quite bright and we can expect some cool-looking cars in the near future to come to the US.
But what is worthwhile is that there are multiple generations of older Smart vehicles. So, we need to cover them in-depth and learn more about the weight of a Smart car for each of these generations separately. So, if you want to learn more, follow along because there will be quite a lot to cover.
Smart Car Generations
Now let’s take a look a the different generations of the Smart car. What are the different generations of this mode?
In fact, there are actually three generations of this model. So, let’s cover them in the following chapters and learn more about their specs. Including the weight of a Smart car. So, let’s cover this briefly and learn more about it.
First Generation Smart Car (1998 – 2007)
The first generation known as the W450 of the Smart Fortwo model debuted in 1998. This model was produced until 2007 when it was replaced with the second generation of the model.
This generation was designed to be a small city car that will be perfect for the crowded cities of western Europe. If you don’t know, many big cities in Europe struggle with finding parking. It is not like here in the US where we have an abundance of parking spots. This is why small microcars were always more popular in Europe than here.
And the Smart Fortwo was designed with this task in mind. This small city car was able to accommodate only two people. Also, comfort and payload capacity are rather limited in comparison to other vehicles.
High-speed driving is another thing that we wouldn’t recommend with this type of car. Because the handling is rather poor since the model has really tiny wheels. But one thing where this model shines is the ability to fit in tight areas. And also the MPG. Which makes this model crazy efficient and perfect for people who don’t want to spend a ton of money on gas. But more on the fuel mileage in a bit after we cover the weight of the Smart car.
Another thing to know is that there were a lot of trims. There were the Limited 1, SE, Crossblade, Crosstown, Brabus, Nightrun, and many others. Now that we cleared the basics, let’s move on to the dimensions and learn about the size of the model before we cover the weight of a Smart car.
Dimensions & Size
As we noted the Smart Fortwo is rather small. It has a wheelbase of only 72.3 inches and an overall length of 98.4 inches. The full length of this car is smaller than the wheelbase of a mid-size car.
The Smart is 59.4 inches wide and 61 inches tall. The base tire option for this model is 155/60/R15. But there are also bigger options. Namely the 185/50/R16, and 205/45/R16. Still, they can be considered rather unsafe. Especially the 155 tires. So, we would definitely not recommend that you drive at high speeds with this car. But what about the weight of a Smart car? More on that we are going to cover next.
Weight Of A Smart Car
When it comes to the weight of a Smart car, we can say that this model is rather light. This model only weighs about 1,610lbs. And is probably one of the lightest cars on the road.
This light curb weight doesn’t benefit the safety of the model. That’s what is worth noting. But more on the safety, we are going to cover later on in the article. Now let’s move on and cover the engines and transmissions.
Engines & Transmissions
The first generation of the model offered three engines. The first engine was the 0.6L inline-3 turbo that produced between 45hp and 61hp. The second engine introduced in 2002 was a 0.7L inline-4 engine that produced 50 and 61hp depending on the option. And there was also an inline-3 turbo-diesel engine with a 0.7L in displacement that produced 41hp.
The Smart car’s horsepower as we can tell ranges between 45hp and 61hp in this generation. It doesn’t need more since if the engine was more powerful, the whole car would be rather unstable. Even though, there was a tuned model by Brabus that produced 74hp.
In terms of transmissions, there was only one transmission available. And that was the 6-speed automated manual transmission. Now that we learned more about the weight of a smart car, let’s move and look at the Smart car’s MPGs.
Smart Car Gas Mileage
The fuel economy of the first generation of the Smart Fortwo was excellent. The 0.6L engine managed to get about 45 to 50 mpg on average. Which is a rather good performance. The diesel versions can even go up to 62 mpg. Which is a rather crazy amount. But considering the low weight of a Smart car, this is possible.
Smart Car Top Speed
The top speed of the Smart car was 83 mph. Even though we wouldn’t recommend going above 60 mph since most roads do not allow going above this speed.
Not to mention that the car is all shaky and creates a ton of vibrations when pushed this hard because of the low weight of a Smart car. So, rather be safe than sorry later on.
Smart Car Crash Test
When it comes to crash tests, we couldn’t find a proper test for this generation because it wasn’t imported here in the US.
But we found one test by the team of a UK automotive show named Fifth Gear. And it is a miracle how solid this car is, even though it crashed so hard. But even if the car survives, the driver can face fatal injuries. Mainly because of the kinetic energy.
Most road cars can absorb the hits well but the Smart does not have a big crash structure. So, this force will be directed toward the driver and it could be fatal, unfortunately. So, you win some and you lose some when it comes to the weight of a Smart car.
Second Generation Smart Car (2007 – 2014)
Now as we covered the first generation of the Smart car and the weight of a Smart car. Let’s take a look a the second generation. As you probably assume, this generation has replaced the old one. The first model year of this generation was 2007 and the model was produced until 2014. The codename of this generation is W451 and came in both versions, as a coupe and cabriolet.
What is good about this generation is that it was imported into the US. Unlike the first one which was only sold in Europe and other parts of the world. So, this means that you can purchase one on the second-hand market here in the US. Which is rather good.
This new generation implemented a lot of improvements in terms of safety as well as in other aspects. It increased a bit in size and also in weight. So, even if this is the case, this model implements more powerful engines that will not make you notice a difference in fuel economy. But more on that, we are going to cover in a when we are going to discuss the weight of a Smart car. Now let’s first learn about the dimensions.
Dimensions & Size
In terms of dimensions, it is worth noting that this model grew a bit in terms of size. The new model has a wheelbase of 73.5 inches and an overall length of 106.1 inches.
The model is 61.4 inches wide and 60.7 inches tall. Which is rather an improvement in comparison to the previous generation. This increase in size made this model a lot more able to absorb impact compared to its predecessor. Also, the bigger size allowed bigger engines to be introduced with the model. But more on the engines, we are going to discuss after we cover the weight of a Smart car.
Weight Of A Smart Car
The weight of a Smart car for this generation ranges between 1,653 to 1,753lbs for the coupe version. And 1,720lbs to 1,808lbs for the cabriolet.
Overall, there is a 100lbs to 200lbs difference in weight compared to the previous generation of the Smart. This was mostly due to the bigger engines. And more on the engines we are going to cover in the following chapter.
Engines & Transmissions
This model saw an improvement in terms of engines. The base model was a 1.0L inline-3 gasoline engine that produced about 70hp. Then was a 1.0L turbo inline-3 that produced 83hp. And a Brabus 1.0L inline-3 gasoline engine that created 101hp. There was also a diesel engine for the European markets. The diesel engine was a 0.8L inline-3 that produced 53hp.
Also, there was a fully electric model that came with a 17.6 kWh battery and 82hp.
In terms of transmissions, there was only one, and that was the 5-speed automated manual transmission.
Overall, the Smart car horsepower for this generation grew substantially. And also, the top speed of the model is mainly because of the weight of a Smart car. And more on the top speed, we are going to elaborate later on.
Smart Car Gas Mileage
The gas mileage was rather good. The gas-powered version was averaging about 50 mpg. While the diesel model got 71 mpg. All this is due to their very efficient engines and the low weight of a Smart car.
For the electric version, the range was about 145 km or 91 miles in imperial units. Overall, in terms of fuel efficiency, this model performed rather well. Similar to its predecessor and is an excellent buy if you are looking for something really fuel efficient.
Smart Car Top Speed
The bigger and improved engines also improved the top speed. This model increased the weight of a Smart car. So, it becomes possible to drive a lot faster and be more stable on the road.
But the top speed was limited to 90 mph for the 1.0L engine. The 1.0L Brabus turbo managed to go up to 96 mph. The all-electric version managed to go up to 78 mph. While the diesel version managed to develop 84 mph. But what about safety? Is this model safe because of the greater weight of a Smart car? Let’s find out more about that next.
Smart Car Crash Test
In terms of safety, there was a big improvement in this model. Mainly because of the increased weight of a Smart car. Also, the 2011 model featured knee airbags as a standard that improved the safety of the model even more. And this was rather needed because of the poor crash structure in the front.
Overall, the model performed well on both IIHS testing where it got an overall Good score, as well as on the NHTSA testing where it got 4 stars on most of the tests. In the video that we attached, you can see how this model performs on the IIHS testing.
Third Generation Smart Car (2014 – Present)
The third generation of the Smart Fortwo was launched in 2014 and this model was jointly created with Renault. This model codename is W453. The model was produced up until 2019 when the gasoline version was discontinued. But the EV version is still in production as of 2022 and the model was rebranded in Smart EQ.
The sales in the US were terminated in 2019 due to low sales numbers. So, unfortunately, you can’t purchase a new Smart EQ model.
This model has a lot of similarities with the Renault Twingo and shares about 70% of the parts. And this new model also has a four-door version known as the Forfour.
This model similar to its predecessor grew in size considerably. And this model is not the Smart that we knew before. But more about that and the weight of a Smart car in the following chapter.
Dimensions & Size
In terms of size, this new model grew by a few inches in every aspect. The wheelbase of the new mode is 73.7 inches. The overall length is 106.1 inches.
The width of the new model is 65.5 inches and the model is 61.2 inches tall. This was rather needed in order to improve the safety of the model. But what about the weight of a smart car? More on that we are going to cover next.
Weight Of A Smart Car
When it comes to the weight aspect. This model probably has the biggest curb weight out of any other Smart. The curb weight of the model is 1,940lbs.
And this is rather heavy we must admit. Even though needed to boost safety and implement other modern features.
Engines & Transmissions
In terms of engines, this model came with three different options. The first was the 0.9L turbo inline-3 that produced 90hp. There was a 1.0L inline-3 that produced 71hp.
And also there was an electric model with a 17.6 kWh battery.
In terms of transmissions, this new model offered a 5-speed manual for the first time in the history of this vehicle. And there was a 6-speed DCT automatic. As well as a single-speed direct drive for the electric version.
Smart Car Gas Mileage
So, we learned the weight of a Smart car. Now let’s take a look at the gas mileage. And the gas mileage for the 1.0L is really good since it is getting about 52 mpg. The electric model has a range of 100 miles.
Smart Car Top Speed
The top speed of this new model is much higher than its predecessor. The base model accelerates up to 96 mph, while the more powerful Brabus version can speed up to 102.5 mph. Which is rather insane considering the weight of a Smart car.
Smart Car Crash Test
In terms of safety, this model is rather an improvement in comparison to its predecessor. Mainly because of the all-new platform borrowed by Renault.
So, the new model performed well on most of the crash tests and by today’s standards, we can say that it is rather safe in comparison to the first generation. On the Euro NCAP testing, the model got 4-stars overall.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to Smart cars. First, we learned what is a smart car and we introduced ourselves to this company and its history.
Then we covered all three generations of the Smart car. We discussed all aspects. We learned some of the specs, including the weight of a smart car, as well as the horsepower, top speed, and other important aspects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.
Who Makes Smart Car
Smart is a company that is 50% owned by Daimler, the company that owns Mercedes Benz and 50% is owned by Geely, a Chinese carmaker.
Are Smart Cars Safe
They are rather safe because they have an extremely hard shell. Even though, there is a small crash structure to absorb the kinetic energy. So, even if the structure isn’t damaged, you can still get a fatal outcome when you crash one of these cars.
How Fast Do Smart Cars Go
The early models are not that fast, they can go up to 83 miles per hour. The newest generation can go up to 93 mph for the standard model and 102.5 mph for the Brabus version.
How Long Is A Smart Car
The overall length for the second and third generations is only 106.1 inches. The first generation is the shortest with only 98.4 inches in length.
How Heavy Is A Smart Car
The first generation is 1,610lbs heavy, the second generation is 1,753lbs heavy. While the last generation of the model is 1,940lbs heavy.
Do They Still Make Smart Cars
Yes, they do. But only electric models are produced. There are no Smart cars with internal combustion engines. Also, the model was discontinued for the US market in 2019. So, this means that you cannot purchase a new Smart EQ in the US.
