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March 05, 2008

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New smart edition launched at the Geneva Motor Show

Stuttgart - At the 78th International Motor Show in Geneva a further special edition of the successful smart fortwo is celebrating its world premiere. The "edition limited two" will be produced as a limited series of 2000 vehicles and is characterised by exclusive colouring and a high quality mix of materials - on both the outside and the inside.

In addition, smart is presenting three further current variants of the unique two-seater: thanks to an innovative start/stop function, the smart fortwo micro hybrid drive (mhd) consumes 8 percent less fuel on average (NEDC), greatly reducing CO2 emissions.

The smart fortwo cdi uses state-of-the-art common rail direct injection to achieve exemplary consumption figures. With average consumption of 3.3 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC) and CO2 emissions of just 88 grams per kilometre it has the lowest standard consumption worldwide, earning it the title "CO2 champion" amongst series production cars. The smart fortwo BRABUS is a particularly powerful and sporty model and is also available as the further upgraded BRABUS Xclusive.

The "edition limited two" is guaranteed to turn heads thanks to its eye-catching appearance. The interior features clear lines and fine details. Elegant cognac brown leather with a two-tone contrasting seam sets the tone here and gives it a personal note. From the heated leather seats, interior door trim, 3-spoke leather sports steering wheel with paddle gearshift to the leather gear knob and the leather-trimmed floor mats – everything appears in a warm brown tone.

Additional matt silver highlights on the speedometer, cockpit clock, rev counter and steering wheel provide a harmonious contrast and round off the modern character. In this way, the style of the smart fortwo is maintained and developed in impressive fashion.  

The new edition is available as a coupé and a cabriolet and is based on the "passion" equipment variant. Among other things it comes with the automatic softouch gear mode, electric windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control and a panoramic roof with sunblind on the coupé.

In addition, the standard equipment of the "edition limited two" includes dashboard instruments and the radio 9. Electric power steering, a lockable glove compartment, the smart sound system with five high-quality loudspeakers and the smart MP3 interface are available on request as optional equipment.

The two-seater is powered by a 52 kW/71 bhp petrol engine in combination with automated 5-speed transmission and an automatic gear programme which also allows manual gear shifting if desired.

smart fortwo micro hybrid drive with start/stop function

The smart fortwo micro hybrid drive (mhd) rated at 52 kW/71bhp is a particularly economical variant. This is thanks to a new sophisticated start/stop function that automatically shuts down the engine when fuel would otherwise be unnecessarily consumed – for example in stop and go traffic. The principle is simple and fully automatic: when the vehicle approaches red traffic lights, for example, the micro hybrid drive switches off the engine as soon the car falls below a speed of 8 km/h and the brake pedal is pressed. The engine starts again as soon as the driver releases the brake pedal. This guarantees an immediate response. If required, the start/stop function can be deactivated at any time with a switch on the centre console.

Together with the automated manual transmission that is a standard feature, the new start/stop technology guarantees comfortable and straightforward driving with reduced fuel consumption. The new technology pays off - studies have shown that in everyday traffic vehicles come to a stop on average every 1.3 kilometres.

In conjunction with slightly modified gear ratios, the start/stop system leads to a fuel saving of approximately 8 percent in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC combined). The standard consumption is reduced by approximately 0.4 litres – from 4.7 litres to around 4.3 litres per 100 kilometres. There is also a corres-ponding reduction to the average CO2 emissions from 112 grams to approx. 103 grams per kilometre. Depending on the traffic situation, much higher fuel savings of up to 19 percent are possible - for example in heavy slow traffic.

At the heart of the start/stop system is a belt-driven starter generator. This replaces and does the work of both the conventional starter and the alternator. The belt-driven starter generator supplies the vehicle's electrical system with power and it also starts the petrol engine particularly quickly in its second function as a starter.

Three-cylinder engine with turbo power: 72 kW/98 bhp and 140 Newton metres of torque

The turbo engine that has been improved in numerous details is the heart of the smart fortwo BRABUS and BRABUS Xclusive. From a capacity of one litre the three-cylinder engine now develops 72 kW/98 bhp at 5500 rpm and lends the 780 kilogram (coupé) two-seater remarkable agility. The weight/power ratio is just 7.8 kg/bhp – 24 percent lower than that of the predecessor.

The turbo engine develops maximum torque of 140 Newton metres at 3500 rpm. The BRABUS variants of the smart fortwo sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 155 km/h. With combined fuel consumption of just 5.2 litres per 100 kilometres the new smart fortwo BRABUS and BRABUS Xclusive are some of the most economical cars in their size and power category. Carbon dioxide emissions stand at just 124 grams per kilometre.

Photos: smart/Automotive Intelligence

(March 4, 2008)

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