Mercedes-Benz has announced the Smart fortwo cabrio ahead of its official world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. It will be available from mid-November and in dealers by February 2016.
The Smart fortwo cabrio is built upon the latest generation model. It features a large sliding canvas roof that can be partially opened for a bit of a breeze or fully-opened for a full-on cabrio experience (weather dependent).
It takes 12 seconds to open the roof and there’s no limit to how fast you can be driving for it to work unlike most cars. The removable roof bars can be taken off and put in a compartment in the tailgate, while the three-button key lets you open the roof from afar.
At 1.8m², the 20mm thick ‘tritop’ fabric roof is four per cent larger than its predecessor and made from a lightfast polyacrylic fabric on the outside and a polyester and cotton mix on the inside. While the inside is always grey, the exterior can be blue denim, red or black.
To keep the torsional rigidity like that of the coupe, the Smart fortwo cabrio features two torsional bulkheads under the vehicle at the front and rear, while a high strength hot-formed inner tube can be found inside the A pillars. It is unclear how much weight is gained in doing so.
Two engines will be available at launch, a 71hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol with 91Nm of torque and a 90hp three-cylinder 0.9-litre petrol with 135Nm. 0-62mph takes 10.8 seconds in the 90hp model, 3.1 seconds faster than the 71hp. Both offer 99g/km of CO2 emissions.
Standard equipment includes Crosswind Assist and hill start assist and ESP. Forward collision warning and Lane Keeping Assist can be specified for extra, as can a wind deflector for a less breezy ride.
No word on a price just yet. The fortwo coupe costs from £11,125 so expect the cabrio to command a premium.
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