Smart ForTwo

	. Designers were aiming for a more masculine look, with new headlamps added along with extra air intakes in the sides, and a sharper appearance at the rear

Claiming the new ForTwo "can do everything the current model can do - but even better," the firm says its next city slicker is more comfortable, agile and safer than its predecessor.

Despite these bold aspirations, the two-seater could get mistaken for the outgoing model, as designers have played it safe with the styling. Deliberately building on the pop-ularity of the current car, the ForTwo retains its trademark Tridion safety cell and cute proportions.

It's actually 19.5cm longer and 43mm wider to give chassis engineers room to create a more comfortable and safer city car. Designers were aiming for a more masculine look, with new headlamps added along with extra air intakes in the sides, and a sharper appearance at the rear. Longer overhangs have allowed the Smart to comply with the latest pedestrian safety regulations, and bosses are confident that a four-star Euro NCAP rating will be awarded. The outgoing car only merits three stars out of five.

The extra millimetres pay dividends inside, too, with a bigger cabin. There's also 70 litres of extra boot capacity, taking the total to 220 litres. And quality has been given a major overhaul. Gone are the quirky curves of the original City Coupé, replaced with a more grown-up, Mercedes-influenced dashboard.

Standard equipment will be similar to that fitted to the outgoing model, but one new innovative extra is a hand-held GPS. When it's plugged into the dashboard, the sat-nav system issues directions through the car's speakers, but it can also be used away from the Smart.

While the rear-engined rear-wheel-drive set-up remains, engineers have made plenty of improvements under the skin. The tiny three-cylinder engine has grown from 698cc to 1.0 litre in capacity, but only the 84bhp range-topper now features a turbocharger. The two lower-powered naturally aspirated variants deliver 61bhp or 71bhp. There's also a new five-speed automated manual gearbox. The outgoing six-speeder was widely criticised for its sluggish changes, so Smart is promising a shorter shift time in the fresh transmission.

Improvements have also been made to the convertible version's hood, which is now fully electric, with a heated glass rear screen. Prices are yet to be confirmed, but are unlikely to rise over the existing model. That means buyers will pay around £6,800 for entry-level variants.