First drive: Smart fortwo passion BoConcept cabrio | New Release - Car News Jan 2014

12:47 Thursday 09 Jan 2014

The Smart fortwo has been with us now, in one form or another, for more than fifteen years, and in that time it has resolutely established itself as one of the most innovative cars on the road.

Thanks to its two-seater layout and lack of storage space, it has never been a practical proposition, especially when it is priced above most city cars, all of which offer more car for your money; however, the fortwo is a heart-over-head sort of car and to compare it to the likes of the VW up!, the Fiat Panda and the Dacia Sandero is largely irrelevant as well as unfair.

The fortwo's appeal lies in its looks and Smart has just made the fortwo a little more appealing with this: the new fortwo BoConcept edition.

Contrary to its name, the BoConcept is not a concept but a special edition model designed in collaboration with the Danish urban interior design specialist BoConcept, taking many of its styling cues from the company.

Smart ForTwo BoConcept

On the outside there's a new crystal white paint finish and light lemon mirror caps and accents. You also get a smattering of BoConcept badges and 15-inch alloy wheels.

But it's on the inside that the BoConcept really excels. The tobacco faux leather upholstery feels top-rate and the light lemon stitching adds a distinctive and classy touch. There's also a 6.5-inch touchscreen multimedia and navigation system, as well as air-con and electric windows as standard.

Underneath, the BoConcept is fitted with the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine as the standard fortwo, developing 71bhp. Performance is leisurely, with 62mph arriving in 13.7 seconds and a top speed of 90mph but, in typical Smart fashion, it never really feels that slow.

Smart ForTwo BoConcept

The BoConcept is a joy to drive around town but getting it up to 70mph takes some effort. At high speeds it is badly affected by crosswinds and feels nervous, and the sequential gearbox takes an infuriatingly long time to shift.

Venture out onto Britain's chronically-underfunded road network and you'll discover the stiffness of the suspension. It's nowhere near as jarring as it used to be in Smarts of old but you'll still find that quite a lot of the topography of the tarmac transfers itself directly to your coccyx.

Prices for the cabrio model start from £13,440 and there's a coupe version available for £11,940. This makes the BoConcept an expensive proposition.

Objectively, then, it's hard to recommend the BoConcept; however, if you're considering buying one you know this already. The thing is that despite its deficiencies, the fortwo remains an eminently likeable car and the BoConcept edition makes it feel just that bit more special.