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Filmed by: Tomaž Kožar Jesenice
The original two-seater Smart car was a motoring milestone. Its tiny dimensions and radical styling made it one of the most recognisable cars on the road. But as DaimlerChrysler, the owner of the brand, soon found out, innovation in itself does not make you money. With the financial losses mounting at Smart, the manufacturer hoped the introduction of a larger, more practical four-seater model would put the accounts back into the black.
Introduced to the UK in September 2004, the Smart Forfour was 50% longer than its little brother, giving it not only rear seats but also a reasonable boot. That extra length also transformed the car's road manners: gone was the choppy ride caused by the ultra-short wheelbase, replaced by the sense that you are driving a proper grown-up car.
While there are some visual similarities with the Fortwo, the Forfour shares more than half of its components with the Mitsubishi Colt. It also comes with a much more traditional lineup of engines. Out went the 600cc turbocharged unit found in the Fourtwo and in came a range of three petrol and two diesel engines.
The smallest of the engines, the 1.1 litre, makes do with just three cylinders, produces 75bhp and generates a distinctive and not unpleasant warble when revved hard. Next comes a four-cylinder 1.3 litre producing 95bhp and a 1.5 litre with 109bhp. Both larger engines feel more eager and manage respectable fuel economy of around 45-47mpg in the combined cycle.
The diesel power comes courtesy of a 1.5 litre turbocharged unit tuned to either 68bhp or 95bhp. The extra power adds £1,000 to the cost of the Smart Forfour but that premium halves on secondhand examples, making them well worth the extra cash. Either engine should return you 58mpg in mixed motoring.
While the Forfour's exterior may be pretty distinctive its interior may come as a slight disappointment. There are still some familiar Smart features, such as the pod-like dials, but it's a more conservative approach than the earlier Fortwo. That said, the layout is clear and easy to use and the somewhat plasticky switchgear stands the test of time surprisingly well.
The Forfour is also admirably practical for a car that is, despite its large size relative to the Fortwo, still a very small supermini. It boasts clever rear seats that can be slid forward and back by up to 6in, giving the choice of a bigger boot or more rear legroom.
Equipment levels are reasonable and all models get antilock brakes, airbags, electronic stability control and electric front windows. Passion models add alloy wheels and air-conditioning to that list, although many owners ticked the long list of factory options when new, so most cars come with decent specifications.
Running a Forfour should be a very inexpensive exercise, and residual values look set to remain reasonably strong despite the fact that the car is no longer being built. Indeed this rarity factor seems to be working in its favour. Servicing is every 9,000 miles, and while it is best to get nearly new cars serviced by a franchised dealer to protect residual values it is often more economical to take them to a nonfranchised dealer once they creep over a couple of years old.
In the case of the Smart Forfour servicing should be relatively easy as the car is mechanically straightforward and parts are cheap to buy.
The Forfour may not be the innovator that its little brother was, but together with the rest of the Smart car lineup it must have done something right because the Smart owners' club (www.thesmartclub.co.uk) is one of the largest UK clubs devoted to a single marque.
The model may never have generated any money for DaimlerChrysler but the fact that it made it into production certainly made the UK motoring landscape more interesting.
Satellite navigation At £1,395 the top of the range factory sat nav was a rare option; pay only around £300 extra on a used model
Safety Four-star Euro NCAP rating for adult occupant safety and two stars for child occupant safety
Panels Early cars can suffer from poor panel fit so check carefully that all the gaps are even
Rear seat When sold as new, an optional third lap and diagonal rear seatbelt and headrest turned the Forfour into a "Forfive"
Gearbox Manual five-speed gearbox is standard, with the option of a six-speed semi-automatic on all but the 1.1 litre petrol model. Paddle shift gearchange was also an option
Bodywork Forfour sticks with the "exposed frame" look first seen on the original Smart City car, lending itself to brightly coloured examples, where the panels contrast well with the silver framework
Servicing Every 9,000 miles. Parts are cheap but labour rates can be very high due to the urban locations of the service centres
Air-conditioning Standard on all but the entry level Pulse model