SMART FORTWO test drive since 2012 coupe

All photos Smart Fortwo since 2012

On the playground of young man

All that is shorter than 3.6 m and is already 1.6 m, has four wheels and a motor, in Europe refer to the first or a class.

Necessary preface
The idea of \u200b\u200ba small car is old as the car itself. The weak motor, a nomudinal mechanic, a simple body got used to manufacturers and buyers very cheaply. In addition, the owner of Baby could save on taxes and fuel. Another advantage appeared when parking problems began in big cities. However, the flaws have enough flaws: as soon as possible, their owners have transplanted anything more powerful, more referred, inhabitable.

Modern first-graders in the absolute majority of them are far away from primitive ancestors. They are adult comfortable and equipped with a fairly powerful 1.1-1.3-liter motors. True, in the European first class there is also a daisher - less than 3 meters long with 4.5-5.5 l motors. with. In France, they can be controlled without a driver's license, but the release is small, and the price is not quite a car quite automotive - about 10 thousand (!) Dollars.

On the Russian horizon from domestic kids in the proud loneliness of an eye. The remaining or in private production, or in projects. Nevertheless, the conversations about the folk microlo do not subside. Collecting several completely different machines, we tried to estimate the viability of concepts reflected in them in relation to the specifics of the Russian market. The point of reference served our eye.

Soldier's bread
The angular body, above the head - awning, under the ... body a flat chair, upholstered by Dermatin, behind a 13-horseship shooting. Like the Germans in the twenties were called the Commiss Barrot in the twenties, that is, the lads whose less is already hunger. On gasket motocoles, Europe went out of crises and post-war ruin. As an example of post-transfection Russia, we took the Kineshma of the Factory of the Auto unit.

The creators managed to make it a quadruple, but to load the car with passengers and their swinging fearlessly - it is hard to have a weak, for nothing that from American garden technology, Motor Briggs End Stratton. For the same reason, off-road crew capabilities are reduced. Meanwhile, the long-time suspension, good geometric permeability, wheels with primers and a large ground clearance provoke from the asphalt.
If the Kineshma Motor becomes noticeably more powerful, other problems will appear. Now the car is still harmonious. Motorcycle box with fuzzy shifting and neutral fishing, non-informative gas pedal, dependent suspension, brakes and steering correspond to such an engine.

Kineshma will read disabled. But people with limited physical abilities, the more needed a machine with a slight understandable control, easy to maintain. Here, in order to execute one of the items of instructions during a daily inspection - check the oil level in the engine, you will need to remove the spark and remove the rear seat. Wow! However, even completely healthy in Kineshma is uncomfortable. On modern streets and highways, the low-cost is a foreign element, a dangerous interference with a dynamic flow of transport.

MOTOKOLSKA (namely, it is necessary to magnify the kineshma) - the vehicle of local significance. It can be traveled to the store or fishing, bring the cargo, without fearing to stain the salon, as a last resort, get from one village to the other or prodce through the small provincial town. By the way, French and Italian micro use just like such purposes.

The car that retained the concept of post-war times, today becoming really mass is not destined, even taking into account the low, about 1000 dollars, prices.

KINDER SURPRISE
On the opposite of ascetic motorcycles, the pole - super-modern technologies, rammed, on the envy of Faberge, in the egg long (or radius?) Total 2.5 meters. An example of how perfect and ... expensive can be made urban micro-vehicle - Schogol Smart from rich in Europe. Convenient landing of two rides, surprisingly spacious luggage compartment, powerful engine, chain brakes with ABS, high active and passive safety. Electronics, saving clutch and gears, goes through the transfer that in manual, which is automatic with imperturbable thoughtfulness.

In addition - appearance and salon, created, it seems to be called a good-natured smile. That's just the fun of curious quickly disappears when they learn about price in Russia - about 11 thousand dollars. The maintenance and repair of the Golden Egg will also cost a penny. But the money is not the only fee for a gifted first grader. Stability and controllability are paid overly tough, even for Moscow asphalt, suspension, small road lumen, different in the width of the front and rear wheels. Smart - for wealthy Europeans who left at home one (or two) full-fledged cars to go on smooth, sometimes the narrow streets for purchases or by affairs. We can exercise the Wunderkind except that at the sympathy of very rich - they buy a piece of Mercedes as a toy - charming, also clown.

Bear and all the rest
The project of a new folk car, conceived by AFM-Holding, was embodied in NTC and showed on last year's auto show in Moscow. Golden bear represents - so that you think? - Tuning OKU, no more and no less. From the concept of a supermarket car with some kind of motorcycle shredding, under the hood, they refused at the stage of development of the first prototype. And the right thing made - the soldier's bread today will not be satisfied.
Bear is just a sample, but he illustrates the fancy of domestic research in the field of a folk car. Cute design, thirteenty-chimney wheels, better than full-time window duodenal, fitted to the Efu Efu of our roads, high roof over the rear seats, smooth trunk floor, separately opening the glass of the rear luggage door - all this is a baby for good. It is unlikely that only the rich instrument panel and the upholstery of the doors are unlikely.

Of course, we, as anywhere, appreciate the versatility: the car at the overwhelming majority of Russian families alone, and therefore on it and to work, and at the cottage with weighty swing, and shopping, and on vacation with the whole family. The minimum Russian car for this life is Zhiguli. But if it is not enough for a new five, and the old one is afraid, if the costs of gasoline are invalid for the family budget, and the ride accounted for mainly in the city - a bear (sorry, an eye) is a completely acceptable option. Let the engine are not too strong, the devices look unlikely, seats and upholstery from a cheap material, in the cabin uncomplicated iron. The main thing is that all this should not flow, loud, fall off. For a half or two thousand dollars, the consumer has the right to demand even a simple, but a good car.

Maybe this will disappoint someone, but the Oka-first and, alas, the only real contenders for the title of Russian People's Minister.

It is unlikely that first-graders in Russia will ever become massive in the full sense of the word. In the West, they refuse them, because the richrs, we are skeptical to babies, as they do not satisfy our versatility requirements. The place of Tavria is still empty. But this car did not suit us with the quality of manufacture, not a design. Vazovskaya Kalina, and a new teddy bear gone to almost the limits for first grades. Would not be thrilled only with a rich rattling finish Yes, how to work out technology.

The editors thanks ASM Holding, Aviation Autoaggate, CJSC Daimler-Chrysler Rus, NTCs for help in the preparation of material.

Sergey Kanunnikov, Anatoly Karpenkov