As Cute as a Puppy and Fully Domesticated
Want to get noticed? There's no better way than driving around town in a smart fortwo cabrio. Everyone stops, stares, and most
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| Want to get noticed? Bigger isn't always better, especially when it comes to the new traffic stopping smart fortwo. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
either break into a broad smile or an amused chuckle while shaking their heads back and forth. The car is particularly tiny, and therefore particularly cute. It seems to appeal to young women most, which makes sense I guess. Most men, here in the land where bigger is better and biggest is best, put the diminutive tot into the category of a dinghy with wheels, something to stick on the back of a full-size pickup truck in case you run out of fuel or break down. But guys take note, especially single guys, this thing is better for stirring up conversations with pretty woman than a cuddly sheep dog on a long leash.
It's one of the smallest 4-wheel cars ever to be offered in Canada, yes even smaller than the first generation MINI. It's
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| Now the smallest car in Canada, the fortwo is smaller than the MINI, both the new version and the even tinier original. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
definitely more diminutive than the current BMW-built
MINI , which up to this point held title to the smallest car in Canada. Basically, it's configured into two sizable front seats and a small cargo area, capable of hauling any 260 kilo (573 pound) combination of driver, passenger and/or luggage. The cargo area itself can accommodate up to 150-liters (5.3 cu ft) to the waistline, and 260 (9.2 cu ft) up to roof. In the convertible the trunk is accessible via a drop-down tailgate, or by folding forward the front seats. Seat accessibility is fabulous, as the fortwo's doors are giant-sized in comparison to the car. They pretty well comprise both sides of vehicle entirely, except for the windshield surround and a thin B-pillar - there is no C-pillar.