All-electric Smart ForTwo costs less than £17,000

Smart has launched its updated range of EQ electric city cars, with the entry-level ForTwo costing £16,850 once the government’s Plug-In Car Grant has been included.

Sitting above the EQ ForTwo is the larger EQ ForFour model, which costs just a few hundred pounds more. With the £3,500 Plug-In Car Grant (PICG), the starting price for that model is £17,285.

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Because the ForFour is essentially a stretched, five-door ForTwo, the two cars share many attributes. Both arrive on the market with identical powertrains — an 81 bhp electric motor takes power from a lithium-ion battery pack and drives the rear wheels through a single-speed gearbox.

With that on board, both vehicles have a maximum range of around 70 miles, with an electronically limited top speed of 81 mph. And both cars come with a 22 kW on-board charging system as standard, which means a rapid charging station can fill the battery from 10 percent to 80 percent in less than 40 minutes. Charging from a home wall box takes six hours.

The updated range is marked out not just by its charging capability, though. External upgrades include a new front bumper and grille painted in body panel colour, as well as new headlights and taillights.

Four trim levels are available, ranging from the basic Passion Advanced to the range-topping, limited-edition Edition 1. The Passion Advanced gets rear parking sensors, satellite navigation and automatic climate control as standard. A set of 15-inch alloy wheels and black fabric upholstery are also included, while there’s a seven-inch touchscreen and a multifunction leather steering wheel to play with, too.

Moving up to the Pulse Premium buys larger 16-inch alloy wheels, stainless steel sports pedals and a rear-view camera. For hard-top versions, there’s a panoramic glass roof thrown in, while the convertible ForTwo Cabrio gets a draft stop.

Take another step up to the £19,105 Prime Exclusive and you’ll find black alloy wheels, LED headlights and heated seats for the driver and passenger. Part-leather upholstery is included, too, along with ambient lighting and an automatically dimming rear-view mirror.

The range-topping Edition 1 is only available on two-seat Coupe and Cabriolet models, and comes with a £23,790 asking price. However, that money does buy you a special “colour package” with grey bodywork and black accents. There’s a Brabus spoiler, too, plus Brabus sills and gloss black alloy wheels with red touches.

Prospective customers can order the new Smart EQ models now, but will have to wait until March before the cars arrive on their driveways.