Used Smart ForTwo EQ 2018-present review

The excellent new Smart #1 is not by any means the first all-electric Smart car.

There have been Smart ForTwos on the road since 1998, but it was only after the second-generation car was launched in 2007 that Smart got serious about making a Smart ForTwo EQ electric version. Basically, it took the tiny two-seater Smart city car, under 2.7m in length, and replaced its petrol engine and associated transmission with a pure electric drive.

However, it took until 2013 before a production and showroom-ready Smart EV was ready to hit the streets. When the third generation Smart ForTwo arrived in 2016 an all-new electric version was announced, called initially the Electric Drive but in 2018 rebranded to EQ.

It came as a two-seater coupe or an open-topped cabrio. Power was up to 80bhp and the top speed to 80mph. More importantly, the claimed range was upped to 99 miles, and you could charge it up in two and a half hours via a home wallbox with the 7kW charging option, or just 40 minutes with the more expensive 22kW one.

On the road, its electric motor, juiced-up by a 17.6kWh battery, is quiet, smooth and effortless. And the instant hit of torque from the electric motor the minute you put your foot down makes it feel much quicker than its 0-62mph time suggests.

The handling is a little better than the petrol-engined car’s, too, thanks to a lower centre of gravity gained from having the battery under the seats. This means you don’t get quite the same alarming lean angles through corners as you do on the other versions.

The range of the electric version is limited though; it offers a claimed 99 miles from fully charged, which in the real world will probably be closer to 60-75 miles, and in our Real Range testing was actually only 59 miles.

The interior features plenty of light, brightly coloured materials to make it look a bit more cheerful inside. In general, it’s well screwed together, although some of the Renault derived switches and stalks feel a bit cheap. Both the steering wheel and driver's seat have height adjustment as standard, enabling you to find a decent driving position. It’s not perfect, thanks to a lack of steering wheel reach adjustment. You sit quite high in the Smart, giving a good view forwards, but the ForTwo’s thick rear pillars obstruct over-the-shoulder visibility.

Smart's inbuilt 7.0in Media touchscreen is actually a Renault unit, too. The menus can be unresponsive and a little confusing, but you get smartphone mirroring as standard, which lets you bypass the Renault software and use your phone’s functions, such as internet radio and sat-nav, instead.

Boot space is claimed to be a reasonable 350 litres, the same as the petrol-engined cars, but its awkward shape hinders its practicality. Fitting items such as large suitcases and pushchairs inside isn’t going to happen; it’s really a couple of weekend bags and that’s it.

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Early examples of the electric Smart start at around £9000 for a 2018 car. This will buy you one with an average mileage for the year and a full service history. Spend between £9000 and £10,000 for a 2019 car, between £10,000 and £12,000 on a 2020 model, £12,000 to £14,000 on a 2021 car and £15,000 to £20,000 on 2022 and 2023 cars.

Range

The current electric Smart ForTwo has a claimed range of 99 miles, but in real-world use you can expect this to drop to around 60 miles, as mentioned, and possibly this to be even less in the winter.

Insurance and servicing

Insurance should be low, even for younger drivers, tax will be low and servicing costs are in-line with its electric rivals. There’s no London Congestion Charge fee to pay, either. Smart does offer some flexible service plans to help spread the cost of maintenance.

There is only the one power unit in the ForTwo EQ.

At present the base trim is called Prime Premium, to which can be added a pack known as the Premium Plus. 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. The Edition Nightsky trim has this as standard, but most of the other upgrades are purely cosmetic and make the huge jump in its prices hard to justify.

Our favourite Smart Fortwo 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, can be had with rear doors and it has space for two extra passengers.

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.

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