Smart Offers ForTwo With Lots of Classy Touches - and 'Micro Hybrid Drive'

Smart Offers ForTwo With Lots of Classy Touches - and 'Micro Hybrid Drive'

Perhaps building upon the popularity of the top-end BRABUS versions of the ForTwo, Smart announced today that is welcoming autumn with a decidedly upscale ForTwo characterised by high quality equipment, fine materials and a rich appearance.

The new Smart ForTwo Edition Highstyle features exclusive paintwork in trendy chocolate brown metallic and elegant 12-spoke, 15-inch alloy wheels. The exclusive interior of the special model boasts an especially tasteful mix of fabric and leather.

Or perhaps Smart just wants to communicate that the smallest and shortest car available for the mass market in North America doesn't have to look like a toy - or at least like a cheap toy. We can see it appealing to older people whose tastes are more refined than those of the teens and twentysomethings buying ForTwos.

The Edition Highstyle is available with 71- or 84-horsepower gasoline engines. The former is fitted with an automatic start/stop system as standard equipment - what Smart calls "micro hybrid drive" - which we all know shuts down the engine when the driver applies the brakes and the vehicle is moving slowly.

Smart reports that exclusive, gleaming metallic leather on the seats and in the doors contrasts with the light and dark fabric ensemble reserved for this special edition.

Decorative brown seams are a subtle reference to the exterior. The kneepad and instrument panel have a leather look. The 3-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift is covered with leather, as is the gear knob. Trim parts that shimmer in matt silver round off the high quality yet dynamic impression of the interior.

This ForTwo starts at $23,000 for the 71-hp version and $800 more for the peppier version.

Scott Doggett:  is an AutoObserver.com Associate Editor.