Tiny droptop power: the 2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet
Since Smart burst onto the motoring scene over a decade ago, the Smart Car became instantly iconic. If you want a car lease deal on something that’s going to get you around town with the minimum of hassle; something that you can get in and out of the tightest of spaces with absolute ease and something that’s very cheap to run, think 2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet.
If you’re looking for a guaranteed head-turner when shopping around for car leasing deals, the obvious choice is the 2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet. It might be the smallest open top you can buy in the UK, but what it lacks in square inches, it more than makes up for in three key areas: attractive design; the type of driving experience that’s perfect for urban motoring and incredibly cheap running costs.
Attractive design
2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet is in its 2nd generation and dates back to 2007. It’s recently undergone something of a facelift to help make it even more of an attractive prospect. On the outside, the most obvious changes are to the front – including a larger radiator grille and a larger Smart logo. There’s also the option of LED daytime driving lights. There’s also a greater selection of colours available along with a choice of three types of alloy wheels.
On the inside, the trim has undergone something of an overhaul. The seats come with a smart combination of crystal grey leather and fabric along with a combination of imitation leather/fabric finish for the door trims. The smart grey and black styling also extends to the instrument panel.
The 2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet should pleasantly surprise anyone who thought car lease deals on cabriolets simply weren’t worth the effort. Operating the soft top is a hassle-free process. With the touch of a button, the fabric roof retracts all the way back. If you want to remove the roof altogether, you simply unclip the sidebars to take it off and then store it in a designated tailgate compartment.
What’s more, for such a small vehicle, the 2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet has still get a pretty useful 220 litres of storage space in the back: enough for a reasonable amount of shopping. This is strictly a two-seater car though.
Ideal for urban driving
There are three variants of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine from Mitsubishi on offer: an entry-level 71 bhp model, a slightly more lively 84 bhp turbocharged version or a top of the range 102 bhp BRABUS option. There’s also a 54 bhp 800cc diesel to consider. This latter option might be regarded as not quite up to the job (given that it takes just short of 18 seconds to get from rest to 60). In fact, most drivers should find exactly what they need with the lower end petrol model if they’re sticking to the city: it’s only if you’re likely to spend relatively long periods on the open road that it would be a requirement to consider the more powerful versions.
The obvious plus point so far as driving is concerned is this car’s size: in some ways, it’s almost as easy to handle as a bike. Measuring in at just 2.69 metres in length, getting in and out of a tight spot is a doddle. In theory, you could even park it at right angles to the kerb!
What puts some people off getting behind the wheel of a car as diminutive as the 2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet is the feeling of vulnerability. Fortunately, a handful of useful little touches are designed to set these fears at rest. The ESP stability control is tailored to keep all wheels firmly on the ground whereas the ABS with brake assist and twin airbags with the option of side bags should further help to set motorists’ minds at rest.
Cheap to run
Stop/Start technology together with micro hybrid drive have both played their part in making the Smart ForTwo Cabriolet an enticing prospect so far as efficiency is concerned. The 71 bhp model for instance will return an incredible 65.7mpg whereas the diesel gives you 85.6 mpg. Cheap insurance groupings are another big plus point for Smart cars – along with the fact that all models are exempt from the cost of the annual road fund licence for at least the first year after registration.
The final word…
If you’re mainly town based, don’t have to worry about a carful of passengers and really want a cheap-to-run soft top, what’s not to like about the 2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet? Is it as smart as it’s name suggests? Let us know in the comments.
If you want to get hold of the 2014 Smart ForTwo Cabriolet then don’t hesitate to leave us a message on our contact us page or give us a call on 01903 538835 to find out about our Smart lease deals.
