Almost everyone loves the cute Smart Fortwo but let's face it - not everyone will buy one. Compact and fuel-sipping it may be, having just two seats does limit its appeal in practical terms. Enter the Forfour, a five-seater 'conventional' car that shares some 60 per cent of parts with the Mitsubishi Colt. Yes, underneath the bodywork is a platform that was jointly developed by Smart and the Japanese company when the latter was still allied with DaimlerChrysler, even the engines of both cars come from a joint-venture factory in Germany.
Yet you would not have guessed that the two cars have similar genes because the Forfour stays true to the styling philosophy of Smart. Like the Fortwo, a different colour is used to emphasise the Tridion safety cell that protects the occupants. You can pick a variety of colour combinations (18 for the Malaysian market), thanks to the Smart concept of having interchangeable plastic body panels -just like the casings for your hand phone.
The styling features of the Forfour provide an immediate link to the rest of the Smart range - from the cheerful front grille to the high-mounted rear light clusters and over-sized rear wheel arches. The short overhangs front and rear also provide the same visual linkage.
The same design DNA is also evident inside the car not only visually but also in the clever little ideas and accessories available. Above the fabric-covered dashboard are two auxiliary meters that can be rotated to face the passenger or driver. The speedometer and tachometer are housed in individual binnacles with warning lights on opaque white faces, but the additional warning lights lining the outer edge are not so apparent under bright sunlight.
Our test car was an evaluation unit so it did not have the multifunction steering wheel that allows for the operation of the trip computer and audio system, as well as gear shift paddles. Adjustment of the door mirrors is a manual affair, unfortunately. Accommodation in front is comfortable enough and at the rear, there's space for three persons with three-point seatbelts for everyone. The rear seat can be moved 150mm forward if more space is needed for cargo, and the divided backrests can be folded down too.
Boot volume is limited but for daily motoring, it is adequate. The rear window does not open individually, but the boot sill is fairly low so loading groceries is convenient. The 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre engines available are four-cylinder units and feature variable valve timing (actually they are the same as Mitsubishi's MIVEC engines but that point is never publicized). The 1.5-litre version that we tested showed itself to be very zippy (0-100km/h in less than 10 seconds) although that's hardly a surprise when it produces 109bhp and has a kerb weight of just 980kgs. The top speed is claimed to be 190km/h.
The long-stroke engine gives the Forfour a punchy feel and midrange is especially impressive. However, you are very aware of the engine working hard because the noise level is high. Perhaps owners will come to accept this but many who sat in the Forfour felt that the engine noise was too intrusive considering that this is positioned to be a 'premium' supermini.
Like the Fortwo, the Forfour also has an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), essentially a manual gearbox with an electric motor working the clutch. The one in the Forfour, called 'Softouch plus', is an improved version made by Getrag and has six forward speeds.
Transitions between ratios has been smoothened by two gear sets (1,3,5 and 2,4,6) so that as one gear is in use, the next one is ready to be engaged In spite of the improvements, using the AMT still needs a period of 'training' and it helps if you rode a motorcycle before! For most people, the initial driving experience can be awkward but with the AMT, however, you need to understand that you are actually operating a manual transmission and therefore there has to be a small lapse of time for the gears to change.
Ideally, easing off a bit will induce an up shift otherwise the change will occur rather abruptly on its own. On deceleration, the transmission will downshift sometimes, depending on conditions, to provide engine braking. It can be disconcerting for many drivers used to automatic shifting but once they get used to it, the AMT can be quite enjoyable for brisk driving.
And brisk is how many owners will be driving much of the time because the car is agile and encourages spirited cornering. However, the trade-off for such agility is that the suspension is on the firm side, not taking kindly to road irregularities (Smart claims that 180 mm of travel for the rear suspension to cope with bumpy roads). There's also Electronic Stability Program (ESP) to keep things in check.
The listing price for the Forfour may sound like a lot of money for a small hatchback but considering that it is not your typical hatchback, perhaps the premium price tag is justified. And there's always the 'Mercedes-Benz connection' to mention when you have to explain why you didn't settle for a Jazz instead!
