The Herald - The Herald Magazine
First drive Smart EQ Cabriolet
IN A MOTORING world quickly converting to electric, Smart has been ahead of the game. In fact, it’s the first manufacturer to announce it would be moving from an all-combustion engine to a vehicle line-up consisting of only fullyelectric cars. The EQ ForTwo is an all-electric version of Smart’s iconic two-seater city car.
It makes sense. The ForTwo has always been designed as a city car and electric cars benefit from being used in cities where charging points are more abundant than in less populated areas. But how does the Smart EQ do as a complete package? We lived with it for a week to find out.
If you took the Smart on face value alone, you’d think very little had changed over the regular, petrol-powered ForTwo. The dinky proportions remain, the minute turning circle is still delightfully present and the bulbous, rounded looks are in keeping with past generations of Smart cars. But look deeper and you’ll notice the smoothed front grille and underneath the petrol cap there’s a charging point rather than space for a fuel nozzle. Though this may appear like a traditional Smart, the reality is far from that.
The Smart gets drive from a three-phase synchronous motor, linked to a lithium-ion battery. The combination produces 81bhp, and a decent 160Nm of torque. The sprint to 60mph may not be quick at 11.6 seconds, but