New Smart EQ ForTwo 2020 review | Auto Express

It’s hard not to be taken in by the Smart ForTwo’s charm. The unique looks and driving experience, plus the silent, darty performance of the electric powertrain mean that it has bags of character, while its manoeuvrability and tiny dimensions make it perfect for urban driving. However, its personality can only take it so far – and that’s about half the distance of a similarly-priced Skoda Citigo-e iV on a single charge. It would be a great choice as a second car specifically for urban driving, though.

The Smart EQ ForTwo is not only is it the smallest fully electric car on sale today (technically, the Renault Twizy is a quadricycle, not a car) but, given that it’s available in Cabriolet form, it’s the only open top zero-emission vehicle, too.

Here, we’re trying the fixed-roof two-door ‘Coupe’ version, which in its basic trim, and once the Government’s grant for plug-in vehicles is subtracted from the retail price, starts from £16,850. That’s within a few quid of the all-electric city cars from the VW Group: the SEAT Mii electric, the Skoda Citigo-e iV and the Volkswagen e-up!.

• Best electric cars on sale

An electric Smart isn’t a novelty – indeed every generation of Smart has been offered in battery-powered form – but now the brand has ditched the combustion engined options all together. It’s just one step in what should be an intriguing couple of years for the brand which, now part owned by Geely, is set to release an all-new model by 2022, and expand its line-up with a supermini-sized model.

To tide the brand over until then, the range has been given a quick nip and tuck. Approach from the front, and the obvious change is the bonnet, which loses the grille design and gains a smoother, more aerodynamically efficient form. Along the sides there’s a few new wheel designs, while the back gets some new tail light graphics and a tweaked rear spoiler.