2016 Smart ForTwo is safer, more powerful, and (hopefully) more refined

When the first Smart went on sale in the United States, it gained a ton of interest for its distinct appearance and tiny size. This diminutive city car was relatively affordable, relatively safe, and had impressive estimated fuel economy. The ForTwo was full of promise and whimsy, but its numerous shortcomings quickly rendered it a forgettable novelty act.

So now, seven years after the original model officially launched Stateside, the Smart division of Mercedes-Benz has brought version 2.0 to our shores for the 2015 New York auto show. Overall, the ForTwo is similar to the original: a two-door, two-passenger microcar powered by a three-cylinder engine, all packed into a vehicle that measures 8.8 feet in total length.

The next-gen Smart gets an all-new turbocharged engine, producing 89 hp (compared with 71 hp) driving through a choice of all-new transmissions: a five-speed manual or a six-speed automated dual-clutch unit. This updated powertrain promises to improve upon the glacial acceleration from the previous edition. Fuel economy figures, however, haven’t been released for the North American ForTwo. Top speed with the manual is set at 96 mph.

Hopefully the all-new transmissions are better calibrated than in the original ForTwo... That automated-manual delivered jerky, jarring gear changes.

Crashworthiness is something many people question about the ForTwo, given its small footprint. Mercedes-Benz says it focused development on car-to-car crash compatibility with “substantially larger and heavier vehicles,” resulting in a model that “performed well in frontal collisions with the S- and C-Class” models.