2013 Smart Fortwo Passion on 2040-cars

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Smart shows off the Fortwo Cabriolet ahead of Frankfurt

The Smart Fortwo Cabriolet is official. The 2016 model gets a larger, three-position soft top, remote top operation, a tweaked design, and more package options. It looks a little different than the coupe, with a slimmer B-pillar and some so-called "more progressive" lines for the Tridion safety cell. The 20-millimeter thick "tritop" folding canvas soft top can be slide back to open an aperture like a targa, or it can be slid all the way back like a proper convertible in just twelve seconds. In that latter guise, the guiding roof bars can be removed and placed in a storage area inside the tailgate. The top can be opened with a button on the key, and it's available in three colors: blue denim, red, or black. The roof bars come in the color of the safety cell, and the top headliner is always gray. Passion, Prime, and Proxy comprise the three model lines, with two engines and two transmissions on tap. There's a 1.0-liter, 71 horsepower three-cylinder, or a 0.9-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with 90 hp. Shifting choices are either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed twinamic dual clutch transmission. This model is stiffer than before thanks to more high-strength steel, crossbars underneath the car and the front and rear bulkheads, and a steel "inner tube" in the A-pillar. More safety comes with the available safety systems like Crosswind Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, and forward collision warning. We'll get a look at it in person at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month before it hits European showrooms in February of next year. The press release below has all the nitty gritty. Related Video: The new smart fortwo cabrio: Summer in the city Stuttgart, Aug 28, 2015 - The countdown has started for the new fortwo cabrio, a particularly iconic variant of the new model series. The open-top two-seater will have its world premiere in September at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. The new smart cabrio will be available for ordering from mid-November and the first models will reach dealers in February 2016. Three cars in one: at the touch of a button the new smart cabrio is transformed from a closed two-seater into a car with a large sliding canvas sunroof, or a fully fledged cabriolet with the soft top completely open. This enables the fresh air driving experience to be adapted to the weather or the driver's mood.

Smart brand will be built in China as a Daimler-Geely joint

FRANKFURT/BEIJING — Daimler will build its next generation of Smart electric cars in China through a joint venture with Geely, as a way to increase economies of scale in a market segment that is struggling to turn a profit. China's Geely built a stake of almost 10 percent in Daimler last year, saying it wanted to forge an alliance to develop electric and self-driving cars to better compete against new challengers such as Uber and Google. Daimler said on Thursday it would build the next generation of Smart-branded city cars at a purpose-built factory in China, and planned to share its expertise in manufacturing, engineering and design with Geely. The high cost of electric car batteries has made it hard for automakers to build affordable zero-emissions vehicles, leading several of them to strike alliances with Chinese partners. Daimler's German rival BMW recently unveiled plans to build electric Minis in China, where production costs are low and demand for small electric cars is rising. Daimler and Geely did not disclose financial terms of their deal. The details of the joint venture will be finalized by the end of 2019, they said in a joint press release. Daimler currently develops and builds Smart cars with Renault at factories in France and Slovenia. The Daimler factory in Hambach, France, will be retooled to build Mercedes-Benz cars. Geely has been expanding rapidly through mergers and acquisitions since 2010, when it acquired Swedish carmaker Volvo from Ford. Last year, Daimler and Geely set up a ride-hailing joint venture in China. Daimler's Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said last month the German carmaker was in talks to deepen its alliance with Geely after the Chinese's group's chairman Li Shufu bought a 9.69 percent stake in Daimler in 2018.

The future of urban travel, according to Mercedes-Benz

The Smart vision EQ fortwo is Daimler AG's take on the future of mobility. This electric concept has no pedals or steering wheel and considers a future with autonomous car sharing.