Smart EQ Fortwo (2018 – 2023) Review

Smart made the decision to go all-electric with this EQ Fortwo model, which seemed bold at the time but makes sense now for used buyers. It’s an ideal town car thanks to its compact size, but the 70-mile maximum driving range, and real-world 50-mile range, is a limiting factor if it’s your only car. Even the Honda e betters this, as do the Renault Zoe and stylish Fiat 500 Electric. Read on for our full Smart EQ Fortwo review.

The Smart EQ Fortwo is an electric two-seater capable of covering just 70 miles between charges.

Almost a polar opposite to the Mercedes EQC, the electric Smart is ideal for those who want to travel around town with minimal running costs without the requirement for any great practicality.

A rival to the Renault Zoe and the Skoda Citigo-e iV, the Smart EQ Fortwo cost from £20,295 at launch, making it considerably more expensive than the petrol-engined Smart Fortwo it effectively replaced.

It was one of the cheapest electric cars around and it’s exempt from the London congestion charge, while road tax is also free.

Unlike the Renault Zoe, you buy the battery with the car - which means no monthly battery rental fees. Charging takes two-and-a-half hours using a standard 7kW home charger, while a 22kW fast charger will take it to 80 per cent in around 40 minutes.

You get the same funky looks as the standard Smart Fortwo, while buyers can choose from coupe or cabriolet versions.

Inside, you’ll find just two seats, and a tiny boot. It’s a fairly basic yet quirky cabin, with everything logically laid out. The seats are comfortable enough and access is easy thanks to wide opening doors.

The Smart EQ Fortwo is powered by an 82PS electric motor positioned in the rear of the car, driving the rear wheels. Instant torque (all 160Nm of it) means it will surge forward around town, taking 11.5 seconds to reach 62mph.

It’s really good fun in an urban environment, with decent visibility and a tiny turning circle allowing you to dart in and out of town traffic easily.

Top speed is limited to 80mph, although it soon starts to feel out of its depth at higher speeds.

As one of the cheaper routes into a used electric car, the Smart EQ Fortwo is a likeable choice. Its limited range will put off many buyers, as will its restricted practicality. But for its niche audience – urbanites who live and work in the city – it’s a strong choice.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Smart Fortwo review.

There’s plenty of room in the cabin for two people, with two comfortable seats providing a fairly high and upright seating position.

The wide-opening doors make access easy, although the steering wheel can only be adjusted for height – not reach. It’s worth trying for size before parting with your money.

The Smart EQ Fortwo is a strict two-seater. Buyers with even the occasional need to carry more than two people should look at alternatives like the Smart EQ Forfour or Renault Zoe.

There’s a reasonable amount of storage, though, including two useful cup holders, a tiny glovebox and some small door pockets.

An official 350 litres of boot space (340 litres for the convertible) sounds pretty good compared to conventional city cars like the Volkswagen Up, but it’s an awkward shape, leaving little room for shopping bags.

It’s all pretty basic inside, feeling more like the Renault Twingo on which it’s based rather than a Mercedes city car.

There’s little in the way of premium finishes, although there’s a reasonable amount of kit as standard – including a seven-inch navigation system.

The seven-inch screen’s navigation is a bit frustrating to use, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard – meaning you can use navigation apps on your phone instead.

A large speedometer positioned behind the steering wheel gives you no excuse for speeding, while a small pod positioned on the dash tells you how much charge you have left.

Buttons on the steering wheel allow you to control the audio and cruise control.

The Smart EQ Fortwo might have been relatively cheap when new for an electric car, but it was pricier than the petrol model it replaced.

Depreciation has seen it drop to around £11,500 for a four-year-old example with less than 30,000 miles. That feels like more of a good deal.

Even better still is a one-year-old example with 7500 miles to its name for £14,000.

Charging a Smart EQ Fortwo is not expensive, partly because it has a fairly small battery that also means it can only cover up to 70 miles according to the official figures.

At home, you can charge the Smart EQ Fortwo to full in around six hours from a 7kW wall charger, while a 22kW public charger can take the battery from 10% to 80% in 40 minutes. How much that costs depends on the charger you use.

The Smart EQ Fortwo qualifies for free road tax thanks to its zero tailpipe emissions.

And servicing should be affordable at a Smart dealer, while insurance is easy as the Smart EQ Fortwo sits in group 11, meaning affordable premiums for most drivers.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how easy and fun the Smart EQ Fortwo is to drive around town.

It has a single-speed gearbox with maximum torque available as soon as you press the accelerator. That means it surges forward with no hesitation and no seeking the right gear or waiting for the revs to build.

There’s little in the way of noise and the Smart EQ Fortwo’s compact dimensions mean it slots into gaps easily, while parking is a breeze.

A tiny 6.95-metre turning circle helps – although you might be surprised at how poor rear visibility is, especially on the convertible model when the roof is left up.

Fortunately, a rear-view camera was an option as part of the Premium Plus pack.

The Smart EQ Fortwo’s compact dimensions result in a rather harsh, jiggly ride, picking up lumps and bumps in the road and passing them into the cabin.

Once above 30 or 40mph, the Smart EQ Fortwo soon starts to run out of oomph and on the motorway it feels well out of its comfort zone.

Smart’s tridion safety cell means it will be more safe than you’d expect in a high-speed collision, but it still feels unnerving when you’re in front of a lorry for example.

Driving at high speeds will see the remaining range drop at an alarming rate. It’s safe to say that this isn’t a car intended for the motorway commute.

Charging the Smart EQ Fortwo is simple, using a charging port positioned where you’d find a fuel filler cap on a normal car.

A four-metre-long charging cable can be plugged into a conventional three-pin socket and will charge the car to 80% in around six hours.

For faster charging, a five-metre cable enables faster 7kW charging, topping it up in around two-and-a-half hours.

A public rapid charger – such as those used at motorway services – can charge it to 80% in less than 40 minutes.

The 82PS motor offers 0-62mph in 11.6 seconds, but it runs out of puff above 40mph, so that last 20mph feels sluggish compared to the swift initial acceleration.

There’s a mobile phone app which lets you monitor the Smart EQ Fortwo’s charging status remotely, as well as adjust climate control settings.

The last time a Smart Fortwo was crash tested by Euro NCAP was in 2014, when it scored a four-star rating. Testing methods have moved on since then, though. 

The Smart EQ Fortwo does have the tridion safety cell to protect its two occupants in a collision, and comes with automatic emergency braking as standard.

There are also four airbags, ESP, ABD and an Isofix child seat mount in the passenger chair.

You won’t be surprised to learn the Smart EQ Fortwo is not rated for any towing capacity, so forget any ideas on this front.

The Smart EQ Fortwo Prime Premium features heated seats, leather upholstery, cruise control, 15-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and a smart media system with navigation.

Opting for the Smart EQ Fortwo Prime Premium Plus pack adds ambient lighting, a centre armrest, LED head and tail-lights, front foglights, automatic lights and wipers and a rear view camera.

The Smart EQ Fortwo Passion Advanced has a multifunction leather steering wheel, rear parking sensors, smart media system (navigation, seven-inch touchscreen, charging station finder, Bluetooth, automatic climate control, DAB, Android Auto and Mirrorlink), acoustic presence indicator and comfort package.

This trim also has 15-inch alloy wheels in a four-spoke design painted black with a high-sheen finish, and upholstery in black fabric with double-stitching in white.

With the Smart EQ Fortwo Pulse Premium, you get six-inch five-twin-spoke alloy wheels painted black with a high-sheen finish, brushed stainless steel sports pedals with rubber studs, a storage net on the centre console and a rear view camera. Coupé models come with a panoramic roof and sunblind, while the cabriolet has a draft stop.

Choose the Smart EQ Fortwo Prime Exclusive and it adds 16-inch eight-spoke alloy wheels painted black, full-LED headlights, ambient lighting, an automatically dimming interior mirror, heated seats for driver and passenger, and dashboard and door centre panels in black fabric and accent trim in black and leather upholstery.

The limited edition Smart EQ Fortwo edition 1 came with a specially selected colour package in asphalt grey, radiator trim in black, black high-gloss decals, BRABUS spoiler and side sills, and 16-inch BRABUS alloy wheels in high-gloss black with a red accent.