Used Smart ForFour EQ 2017-present review

In some ways it’s the small city and urban runabout cars that should benefit the most from the ongoing electrical revolution. Those cars designed to cover short distances in towns, often in dense traffic, are just the sort to need and to benefit from zero emissions powerplants, and provided you have access at either end of your journey to a charging point they seem to make excellent sense to the consumer too.

The Smart ForFour is the lesser-known sibling of the Smart ForTwo, that diminutive two-seater city car that comes in at under 2.7m in overall length - about the size of an iPhone. The ForFour adds two more seats and two more doors, with a resultant and inevitable growth in size but an increase in overall usefulness. Usually, it is powered by the same engine options as the smaller car, a choice of two petrol units. However, the recent introduction of an electric ForTwo paved the way for the electrically powered ForFour, known initially as the ED but more recently as the EQ. Its claimed range is 99 miles, which is a lot less than the figures quoted for rivals such as the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf, but of more interest is its real-world range: when we tested the car as part of our Real Range procedure it managed just 57 miles.

Standard equipment is pretty good and includes LED rear lights, 15in alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped gearlever and steering wheel, leather seats, electric door mirrors, heated seats and electric windows. The Premium Plus equipment line package isn’t too expensive and adds some useful extras, such as a rear-view camera.

To drive, the ForFour EQ is nippy around town, and its turning circle is wonderfully tight. Its steering is light, and it’s easy to park. It’s not the last word in dynamism, though, despite having a lower centre of gravity than other ForFours, this brought about by having its battery pack low down in the car’s chassis. It actually rides better than the standard petrol-engined cars, too, but alas its ride can still be both bouncy and jiggly over broken surfaces, and it doesn’t really ever settle down.

Inside, the driving position suffers for not having an adjustable steering wheel. The cabin is solidly constructed, with an attractive array of glossy plastics set against a fabric dash, although it’s difficult to ignore some of the cheaper-feeling, Renault-derived switches that are dotted about. Space up front is plentiful, even for taller drivers, but the rear has limited room for two passengers, especially if they’re lanky. The optional panoramic sunroof can also eat into head room. Boot space is fairly poor, less than you’d get in rivals like the Zoe and the Volkswagen e-Up. The rear seats do fold in a 50/50 fashion, though, and the floor is nicely flat with all the seats down.

Find a used Smart ForFour in the What Car? Classifieds here

You can put a 2017 model on your driveway for as little as £15,000, though most hover around the £16-17,000 mark. Up that spend to between £18,000 and £20,000 and you’ll land a nearly new 2018 car bought from a franchised dealer.

Well electricity is cheaper than petrol or diesel so day to day running is going to cost you very little. Car tax will be free as the Smart EQ is a zero emissions vehicle. Insurance should cost you very little too, thanks to its low groupings. There’s no London Congestion Charge fee to pay, either. Smart does offer some flexible service plans to help spread the cost of maintenance.

We’d stick with the basic Prime Premium, unless you happened across one with the pack included that was being sold for a competitive price. The Premium Plus equipment line package adds some useful extras, such as a rear-view camera, so it’s worth consideration.

Our favourite Smart ForFour EQ: Prime Premium

The Volkswagen e-Up is one such rival that manages to maximise interior space while being compact on the outside. It’s also much better to drive than the Smart.

The Renault Zoe also seats four and has five doors. It’s nicer to drive than the Smart, too, if not quite as handy in town, and it has a longer range. Like the Smart, expect low running costs.

Find a used Smart ForFour in the What Car? Classifieds here

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here