Smart Fortwo CDI CAR review

Hybrids might be promoted as the environment’s friends, but if you’re really serious about reducing CO2 emissions, and can’t manage without a car, then what you need is the smallest and most economical car you can find. And this could be it. The Smart CDI diesel is claimed to emit just 88g/km of CO2, the lowest emissions of any current production car. It also returns 86.5mpg on the combined cycle, which makes a Prius (104g/km and 65.7mpg) look profligate.

A diesel Smart? Hasn’t that been around for ages?

In Europe, yes. It was launched alongside the other new-generation Smarts last year, but so far only petrol models have made it to the UK. No other right-hand drive market has shown interest in the diesel, and it’s taken this long to persuade the suits at Daimler to build a right-hooker.

Why are the emissions so low?

Not because of any fancy hybrid drive system: the CDI has just the one motor. It’s the world’s smallest common-rail diesel, with a tiny turbo to boost the 799cc engine’s output to 45bhp at 3800rpm. Tiny capacity, high part-throttle efficiency and light weight (just 20kg more than a petrol Fortwo) keep economy high and emissions low.

Click 'Next' below to read more of our Smart Fortwo CDI first drive