The biggest attraction for Smart, it claims, is the large single population here, particularly in Dublin, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor.
How smart a move was it for Mercedes to get involved in building a car with a Swiss watchmaker? Quite smart, if one is to take in the funky nature of city cars these days. When the Smart initially hit European boulevards and piazzas, it caused quite a stir.
Nowadays, every European 'youff' radio station and soft drink firm has at least one in their fleet, painted in garish colours and bedecked in the logo. Some poor unfortunate student paying her way through college is then stuffed into the car and forced to drive around in rush hour, hoping to be ridiculed and stared at.
However, we missed out on all this high-jinks. Until now. After years of people privately importing a few dozen, Smart has finally taken the chance to enter the Irish market. After initial talks last January, it was agreed that while importation and general handling will be carried out by Mercedes importers Motor Distributors Ltd (MDL), the operation is being organised by Smart's British division and initially the cars will only be offered through five Dublin dealerships, with plans to expand down to Cork and over to Limerick.
There are no plans to copy the British model and offer the Smart franchises to all current Mercedes dealers. Apart from the three cities mentioned, other Irish locations, such as Galway, are too small for Smart, according to a spokesman for the marque.
The biggest attraction for Smart, it claims, is the large single population here, particularly in Dublin. A quick look at the 2002 Census figures spells out what they mean. Nearly 88 per cent of 20-30-year-olds are single, with that figure rising to 91 per cent in Co Dublin. That's the sort of demographic to feature in the dreams of marketing folk at Smart.
The cars are aimed at young single "dynamic" youths, who will benefit from the attention grabbing nature of the car, but also from its mighty small engine in terms of insurance and road tax. Plans are to sell between 500 to 700 a year, an optimistic target for 2004.
We got the chance to drive both versions of the car during the recent press launch. First out was the original city coupé, starting out at €12,995 and rising to €25,395 for the "performance" Brabus version, it's quirky in the extreme, both in terms of looks and driving demeanour.
Ours was the 54 bhp Passion, with the other models featuring similar alcopop titles; there's the Pure, the Pulse and the Passion. Raw figures do little to convey the impact of the Smart's diminutive size: at 2,500 mm long, it is 550 mm shorter than the original Mini, but it is also wider and taller than the original city car.
The car doesn't fall in terms of safety either, despite its diminutive size. It's 100 per cent recyclable body panels clothe crumple zones front and rear, and surround the Tridion safety cell that makes up the core of the city coupe's structure. It also employs a sandwich platform that locates all the mechanical units under the passenger compartment, leaving a roomy capsule for two people.
The little three-cylinder engine has a capacity of just 599 cc, but employs a turbocharger to help generate 54 bhp at 5,250rpm and 80 Newton Metres of torque at 3,000rpm. It's located in the rear of the car, below the boot, and drives the rear wheels. The engine shares its cubby-hole with the six-speed semi-automatic gearbox. It's sequential, too, and employs an automatic clutch. The driver rocks the gear lever forward to go up a gear and back to go down and can also use the steering wheel-mounted paddles, if fitted.
For all its quirkiness and tendency to lean into corners, perhaps the most annoying feature is the lurching of the gear change. When you change up the micro car seems to stop for a second, find the gear and then throw you forward. With time and experience, you can get the changes to go more smoothly, but the paddle gearchanges are a must for any Smart purchaser. Overall, however, a smoother gearbox is required.
Of course, it doesn't offer anything like the sort of performance of its claimed main competitor, the MINI. It takes 18 seconds to reach 62 mph from a standstill, and the top speed is electronically limited to 84 mph. Understeer has been deliberately engineered into the chassis and body roll is negligible. It also features a traction and stability control system. The suspension, though, doesn't take kindly to speed bumps, sending a jolt through the car to test your vertebrae.
Unfortunately, it's the same transmission that appears in the Roadster, by far the more fun and yet also more practical of the two. While the City coupe is an eyecatcher it's perhaps only an alternative to a scooter. The roadster on the other hand, offers a little more practicality, together with a great deal of fun.
However, while the two-seater roadster offers real go-kart feel in terms of handling, it will face stiff competition from the likes of the Ford Streetka and Citroën Pluriel, both costing less than the Roadster. There's also future competition in the "offbeat" segment on the way from Daihatsu with its new two-seater Copen.
Starting at €26,995, the Roadster features a really lively 80 bhp from its 698 cc engine that echoes around the cabin like a supercar, even when you're only doing 50 mph. But that's what impresses. It's one of the few cars that feel fun at 50. Probably worth going the extra €2,000 and getting the roadster-coupé though, if only for the extra boot space.
And attention-seeking singles need not worry; you still attract a lot of attention in this diminutive model as well. It's cheeky, quirky and fun to drive; exactly what you want in a little sports car, right?