2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive: Quick Drive Page 2

Cornering was also improved over the standard car. Although heavier, the extra weight of batteries and motor is low in the chassis. The Electric Drive has apparently had a few tweaks to the suspension to make the most of this, so grip and poise are impressive for such a tall and narrow vehicle. Steering is accurate and quick enough to avoid arm-twirling in tighter turns.

Because drive is direct, you also lose the regular car's sometimes uncomfortable feeling of drive being engaged and disengaged when you come on and off the gas, so stability through turns is better. The car still understeers eventually, but grip is more than adequate for the sort of conditions you'll find in a city.

 

Pricing

This is where things begin to go wrong.

The biggest issues are price and availability. Only 250 units are coming to the States and if you're lucky enough to be taking part in field trials, you'll find your bank balance lighter to the tune of $599 per month for the next 48 months and $2,500 at the start of the trial in October.

This makes it significantly less available and more expensive than the larger, quicker and altogether more serious 2011 Nissan Leaf, and Nissan won't take your car away again after four years.

Smart expects U.S. sales to begin in January 2012, so major players like Nissan, Chevrolet and Mitsubishi will already gained significant market share by that point. By this time prices will have to be lower if Smart are to sell any cars in whats sure to be a very competitive market segment.

Closing thoughts

Despite the pricing issues, the 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive is probably the best car Smart currently makes.

Performance is  quick enough to surprise larger cars at the lights around the city. It's incredibly quiet and smooth which is great for reducing stress levels in traffic, and although our track test couldn't shed much light on the ride quality, we suspect the extra weight will take the edge off smaller bumps, too. Handling and grip betters the standard car.

Above all, the ForTwo Electric Drive was fun. There aren't too many cars that make scooting around a grocery store parking lot fun, but this one is just that.

The limited range makes longer journeys less likely than the regular gas versions, but the ForTwo's natural environment has always been the city and to that end, Smart are onto a winner. We just hope the third generation model will be cheaper and more widely available.

You can read a further take on the 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive at The Car Connection