She might be only 2,695 mm long, able to park nose-to-pavement in various properly programmed parking areas, and the model tested may take 14.9 seconds to reach the magic ‘ton’ (10.7 seconds for the turbo, top of the range), but without hassle she loses oomph at a generous 151 km/h.

This is a bit above the maximum speed allowed anywhere in Malta and Gozo. Various motorists, who frankly should know better, bad-mouth the Smart for Two assuming, absolutely incorrectly, that the vital safety engineering is missing.

This is an obnoxious lie. Smart for Two has a state-of-the-art safety cell constructed from tridion and as long as the basic ‘laws of physics’ are understood and obeyed, this grand, nippy little town car is well able to hold her own, even on Europe’s motorways at very reasonable speeds.

With either one or two on board, the levels of comfort are most remarkably high, but then the car is 1,663 mm wide and has a luggage compartment holding from 260 to 350 litres.

Since she was thought up by Swatch many years ago, Daimler have produced the Smart, and Daimler engineering, comfort levels, standards of fit and panel design, along with totally innovative engineering and modern engine design, take this delightful ‘chariot’ into a league of its own.

Marcel Loporto and I submitted Smart to a nicely-balanced selection of our local roads and as she runs on 14-inch wheels, the levels of comfort were truly staggering. The steering is sufficiently quick and the turning circle rather like a London cab, or, for the elderly, a brush shorter than the famous Triumph Herald. At 6.95 metres this makes flicking around potholes, major indentations and the unfortunate ‘not fit for purpose’ calamities that one suddenly finds on nearly all our under-used ‘link’ roads a piece of cake.

We were most pleasantly surprised that although at 1,555 mm the overall height in relation to the length may seem to producea lively chariot, in effect this was nullified by the width, for at this point the overall width has a real steadying effect. Working with the standard safety features like ABS brakes and ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), Smart obviously has an easy time in almost any road conditions.

At this point I digress back in time to 1954, when I ran a 1929 Austin 7, rebodied as a sports, two-seat contraption by myself at the age of 16. This splendid device had a wheelbase about the same as the Smart, but without any electronic or even mechanical help.

It was only practice and experience that gave warning when the back end was about to overtake the front. At that moment it was often too late to even try and correct the ‘spin’, because of the speed that the short wheelbase ‘let go’, creating interesting problems that we entirely failed to replicate with the modern and beautifully-engineered Smart.

The car has been so thoroughly sorted that if the potential owner likes the idea of an electric Smart, there is an electric engine available. Malta and Gozo enjoy the most glorious spring, summer and even autumn weather and so, the spirit being all powerful get out and buy the Smart Cabrio.

This model has a fully automatic tritop fabric soft top and so the desired amount of sunlight is simply a pushbutton away. In winter, that inclement period when the soft top remains stubbornly closed, the heated rear window guarantees clarity of rearward vision.

The Tridion safety cell works in conjunction with crash boxes and deformation elements to keep the occupants safe in a crash, and while the Forward Collision Warning and Lane Keeping Assist are options, the important Crosswind Assist and Airbags for driver and passenger, along with a knee bag for the driver and head/thorax bags for both occupants, are standard.

We suggest that attention must really be paid to the number of panel options along with various other ‘driver-friendly’ combin-ations on this latest Smart.

In Malta we have a largely vociferous cycling fraternity who should be well pleased that not only is Smart for Two compact and safe inasmuch as it takes up little room on our overcrowded roads, but the Smart e-bike can waft you happily around our urban or country roads, taking a minimum of space and encouraging owners to leave the car at home and e-bike to work.

If time is no element the motor assistance can be reversed, enabling you to charge the battery making good use of your leg and pedal power.

Verdict

Comfort
The latest edition is extraordinarily comfortable. At least worth 4 stars.

Performance
With a top speed of 151 km/h and an elapsed time of only 14.4 seconds to reach 100 km/h this town car is one for huge adventures and worthy of 3 stars plus.

Cool
By the bucket load, 5 stars.

Quality
Quality a clear 4 stars bordering on absolute perfection.

At a glance

Top speed
145km/h

0-100km
10.7 seconds

Economy
Combined cycle, 4.1 litres for every 100 km.

C02
93 g/km. Three- way catalytic converter and a Euro 6 rating.

Engine
999cc rear-mounted three-cylinder and a joy to use.

Power
71 bhp at 6,000 rpm.

Maximum torque
91 Nm at 2,850 rpm.

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