A New Generation of Smart with a Fabric Roof Hits the Market

The driver can lower the roof in two stages: first to the rear window, and if that is not enough, in the second stage it lowers to the trunk.

The previous generation of Smart offered a convertible version, so it is completely expected that the same model has arrived in the new generation. In Croatia, the new Smart has not fully taken off yet, but this probably does not concern the principal who has simultaneously broken all sales records in other, significantly more important global markets. The convertible version of Smart features a classic fabric roof, which is currently in trend.

In three colors

The driver can lower the roof by pressing a switch or using the key if outside the car in two stages: the first refers to moving the fabric roof to the rear window, so you actually have a panoramic roof, but without glass, and then, if that is not enough, in the second stage the roof lowers completely to the trunk and then additional elements are removed from the vehicle and stored in the trunk. This system has already been seen, for example, in the Fiat 500 and is currently the most practical when it comes to small cars.  The roof comes in three different colors: blue, red, and black, and the final choice is, of course, a matter of personal taste, or sometimes bad taste. The Smart convertible is indeed an attractive car and realistically serves a purpose. Namely, convertibles are most often driven in the city, where, of course, Smart is the absolute law. German engineers have further reinforced the vehicle’s chassis to make it resistant to torsional bending.

More expensive by about 3000 euros

When it comes to the engine, as with the traditional version, there will still be a one-liter atmospheric unit with 71 horsepower and a stronger 0.9-liter turbocharged engine that develops 90 horsepower. Buyers will be able to choose between a five-speed manual transmission or an automatic with a dual-clutch. The latter is certainly recommended because, in fact, until the last generation, there was no Smart with a manual transmission considering that this vehicle is driven in the city. Perhaps it is precisely because the automatic came more than six months after the model’s launch that some buyers have given up on the new Smart thinking that a manual transmission is not appropriate. The exact price is not yet known, but it is estimated that it should be about 3000 euros more expensive than the hardtop version.