Competes with: Fiat 500C
Looks like: A Targa-top version of the wider, bug-eyed ForTwo redesign
Drivetrain: 89-horsepower, turbocharged 0.9-liter three-cylinder with five-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: Early summer 2016
Smart's one-car makeover continues with the 2017 ForTwo cabrio, a convertible version of the redesigned 2016 ForTwo coupe that hits dealerships this fall. The brand will delay the cabrio one model year; it arrives in mid-2016.
Related: 2016 Smart ForTwo: First Drive
Like the prior ForTwo cabrio, the redesigned cabrio's power soft-top can slide back to the B-pillars for a Targa-top effect or completely down above the trunk. Like before, removable ceiling pillars frame the windows and flank the fabric top. You can remove them to make the ForTwo a more open-air experience than the rival Fiat 500c, which has fixed ceiling pillars.
The ForTwo cabrio comes in Pure, Passion, Prime and Proxy trims. Pricing is still pending, but the 2016 ForTwo starts at $15,400, including a destination charge. The outgoing cabrio cost a $3,000 premium over the equivalent hardtop.
Exterior
The cabrio has the same pint-sized shape and larger, bug-eyed headlights as the redesigned hardtop. Its B-pillars are slimmer, but they still sweep — complete with contrasting paint — toward the car's bottom. LED daytime running lamps are standard.
Like the coupe, the cabrio's biggest dimensional change is its width, which Smart increased some 3.5 inches for a beefier stance. The car is slightly shorter than its golf-cart-sized predecessor, and its turning circle is now less a long putt: a scant 22.8 feet, down a huge 6 feet from the previous version.
Interior
The two-seat cabrio shares the hardtop's interior, chock-full of rounded shapes, bright colors and a mesh-like dashboard material. Standard features include automatic climate control, power windows, cruise control and a Bluetooth-integrated stereo with steering-wheel controls. A wind deflector is optional.
Under the Hood
Technically, the ForTwo's engine isn't under the hood. It's mounted in back, and it makes 89 horsepower and 100 pounds-feet of torque from a turbocharged three-cylinder that displaces just 898 cc (that is, 0.898 liters). The engine drives the rear wheels through a five-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
EPA mileage is still pending for both the ForTwo hardtop and cabrio, but one pesky detail is already out: Like its predecessor, the ForTwo still needs premium gas.
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