Category: Superminis 
Price Range: No data available
Design, sense of fun, bright colourful cabin options, sliding rear seat
Hard, bouncy ride, not quite as much fun to drive as it could have been, expensive for what it is.
The Forfour has a few shortcomings, and is more conventional than it looks, but we suspect that smitten buyers will forgive it a lot: it's that sort of car.
Ever fancied one of those cute little Smart two-seaters but thought that you just couldn't live with something so restrictive in its all-round versatility? Or run one for a while but now need a rear seat and some more space? If so, you're not alone: DaimlerChrysler's Smart division has long been aware that the Fortwo (as the two-seaters are now called) has relatively limited appeal, and the Forfour is the first new model to address this. As its name suggests, it is a four-seater (taking five at a push) with four side doors, a proper hatchback and the dimensions of a 'real' car.
For your money you get a choice of 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines (75bhp, 95bhp and 109bhp), the latter two offered with the option of clutchless transmission, or two versions of a three-cylinder, 1.5-litre diesel engine (68bhp and 95bhp). A tuned Brabus model offers some excitement.
Sister model to Mitsubishi's new Colt (the two share some 40 percent of components and are built in the same factory in Holland), the Forfour is less conservative in its styling; the two cars have very different cabin treatments and although they're not dissimilar to actually drive, the Smart has the more visual appeal of the two overall and comes with Smart-only touches such as the interchangeable door panels. It is neither the most comfortable little runaround, nor the most accomplished driver's car in its class, but it's an engaging, appealing all-round package that has much of the character of the Fortwo, with a lot more practicality.
