2006 smart forfour Preview

Trunk space is 268 liters (9.5 cubic feet) with the seats up and 984 (34.7) cubes with them folded over, on par with the monospace Renault Twingo and Honda Jazz - neither available in North America. For a more

The forfour offers 268 liters (9.5 cubic feet) of cargo space with the seats up and 984 (34.7) cubes with them folded over. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

relative comparison, it's quite a bit larger than the available cargo space in a MINI Cooper, but then again quite a bit less than that offered by a Hyundai Accent 3-door hatchback.

Having seen just how creative the forfour can be, with its multi-purpose interior, colorful fabrics, and reported above-average build quality, the mainstream competition suddenly looks very narrow minded. And this outside-of-the-box theme continues when it comes to equipment and technology. While power windows and central locking can be had on most of Europe's compact city cars, the smart breaks new ground by linking consumers to the 'net. While it's true that the City Coupe was available with the Starblue package, which links to the net via a handheld device, the

The smart breaks new ground by linking consumers to the 'net through a 12.4 cm (4.9 inch) screen on the center stack. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada)

forfour takes this concept one step further by integrating a 12.4 cm (4.9 inch) screen into the center stack. Similar to Mercedes-Benz's COMMAND system, it controls DVD navigation, a hands-free telephone, plus the wireless browser for in-car internet access. "Follow me home" lighting as well as rain-sensing wipers can be had as well. These features, however, come at a price. Fully loaded, the forfour can be compared only to BMW Group's MINI - a premium compact that can be had as basic or luxurious as needs, or wants be.

As much of an element of style as a safety feature, the car's Tridion frame protects occupants by distributing crash forces throughout the car. Decent crash ratings should be in store. The stylish shell is available in one of three colors, surrounding the lower sills, A, B and C Pillars as well as the roof frames.