2004 SMART ForTwo Cabrio 0.8L CDi 6AT FWD (41 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The smallest convertible ever produced by Mercedes-Benz was the SMART ForTwo Cabrio. It was introduced in 1998 and refreshed in 2004. It had cookies!

Mercedes-Benz and the Swiss watchmaker Swatch joined their forces to produce a vehicle suitable for crowded cities. The result was the 1998 SMART. After the launch, SMART bailed out, and the German carmaker had to buy the shares. Now, it had a new brand, and it had to manage it. Despite its losses, SMART had to change, and in 2004 it received a vital facelift, along with new Euro 4 engines.

The designers couldn’t do too much for a shorter car on the exterior than most people’s bathrooms. There was a new pair of headlights with a shape like a tilted and skewed 8 number at the front. In the rear, the B-shaped taillights were different than those used for the hard-top version. Its powered, folding roof was retractable behind the seats, killing what was left of the tiny trunk.

Inside, SMART used a wide speedometer in front of the driver, mounted on the steering column. The carmaker offered an additional pair of dials mounted on top of the dashboard for a tachometer and a clock as an option. It was an actual analog clock.

There was a choice of two engines, installed under the trunk. Both of them were upgraded from their non-facelifted version. Unfortunately, the robotized (automated) gearbox was the same slow 6-speed transmission.