Smart is best known for its two-seat city cars, but between 2014 and 2021 it built the Forfour - a stretched version of its Fortwo, offering, as the name suggests, an extra pair of seats. Along with the third generation Renault Twingo that was co-developed with the Smart, this gave the German city car maker a rival for models like the Volkswagen Up.
For most people it’s a much more usable car than the Fortwo, and even if you rarely use the extra pair of seats, it’s nice to know they’re there. The Forfour was expensive when new but arguably makes more sense as a used car, and while it isn’t perfect, the upscale interior of most models, and the incredibly tight turning circle, make it a useful city runaround.
For less money than the Smart you can get the largely identical Twingo, while other key alternatives include the Volkswagen Up and its SEAT and Skoda equivalents, Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10, and the Citroen C1, Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo trio.
The Smart Fortwo has always been an acquired taste, and it’s fair to say that even though the larger Forfour offered an extra pair of seats, it’s still not a small car that’ll suit everyone. It majors on quirky styling inside and out, but also departs from the usual small car formula in having its engine in the back.
Developed alongside the third-generation Renault Twingo, which shared this layout, the idea was to devote less of the car’s length to the engine (since you could have a much shorter bonnet), and more to passenger space. It kind of worked, too, because while rear seat space in particular isn’t exactly limousine-like, it’s also not bad for a car this short.
The same can’t be said about the 185-litre boot (a Volkswagen Up squeezes in 251 litres), but one benefit of the unusual packaging is a hilariously tight turning circle. If you drive exclusively in town, this alone may make the Forfour worth buying - other than the even tinier Smart Fortwo, no car is easier to park.
Despite this, it doesn’t feel twitchy at higher speeds, though this tall, narrow car can be pushed about by crosswinds, while you’ll want to avoid the less powerful petrol engine if you spend much time on motorways. It’s nimble on tighter roads too, and Smart has engineered out any potentially scary handling traits from the engine being mounted where it is.
Ultimately many of the Smart’s rivals do the same job better, with more space, more grown-up driving characteristics, or a more comfortable cabin, but it’s no surprise the Smart has its fans, and on the used market, the model’s initial high prices are less of an issue.
That said, the similar Renault Twingo can be found even cheaper, while we’d still suggest a long look at rivals such as the Volkswagen Up (and the related SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo), and the Korean duo of the Kia Picanto and Hyundai i10.
A Smart Forfour not for you? We've got 1000s of used cars for sale to suit all budgets and needs.
This is a fairly easy choice, we think. If you drive solely around town then the non-turbocharged, 71PS petrol engine will do the job, but the turbocharged engine offers much better performance for only a tiny fuel economy penalty, so makes much more sense to us, and doesn’t feel out of its depth at higher speeds and on longer trips.
Likewise, you can ignore the basic Pure specification, which feels a little too austere compared to the higher-grade models with their extra equipment, fabric dashboard trim, and alloy wheels. The heated leather seats and panoramic roof of the Prime are a welcome improvement. The Brabus models are rare, so they’re surprisingly expensive on the used market, but they definitely feel more lively to drive. And if the tiny range doesn’t bother you, the electric EQ Forfour makes a snappy urban runaround.
Smart Forfour 71hp: The least powerful Forfour engine is actually the largest - a 1-litre, non-turbo three-cylinder. It was offered with two gearboxes, one a five-speed manual, the other a six-speed dual-clutch auto. It made 71PS, getting from 0-62mph in 15.9 seconds (16.9 for the auto), with combined economy of 67.3mpg.
Smart Forfour 90hp: The turbocharged Forfour got a smaller 0.9-litre engine and, in its later years, a manual gearbox only. With 90PS it was much quicker than the non-turbo, with 0-62mph in 11.2 seconds. Combined economy was similar though, at 65.7mpg.
Smart Forfour Brabus 109hp: Tuned for more performance, the 0.9-litre engine in the Brabus made 109PS. A six-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox was standard, and it promised a 10.5-second 0-62mph time. Economy was still 61.4mpg.
Smart EQ Forfour 82hp: Don’t expect Tesla-style performance from the electric Smart EQ Forfour. Its motor made 82PS, for a 12.7-second 0-62mph time, while the tiny 17.2kWh battery pack means a usable range in good weather of only 77-78 miles.
As the Smart Forfour was on sale for several years it’s no surprise to find an expansive range of trim levels, though two of these are exclusive to the all-electric Smart EQ Forfour, while the Brabus models also stand alone in the range. Smart did offer a reasonable list of options on the Forfour so it’s not unusual to find used examples with more equipment than the models you’ll see below - a lot of cars feature a touchscreen infotainment system rather than the basic audio system, for instance.
The Smart Forfour Pure kept things simple, with steel wheels, monotone interior trim, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, and electric heated mirrors - though all Forfours thankfully got climate control as standard. Audio is via a standard AM/FM radio with Bluetooth, Aux, and USB inputs.
The Smart Forfour Passion upgraded to 15-inch alloy wheels, fabric rather than plastic dashboard trim, and the option of a striking orange fabric interior theme.
The Smart Forfour Prime got heated front seats and leather trim front and rear, a rev counter sprouting from the dashboard, and a panoramic sunroof.
The Smart Forfour Prime Sport Premium stepped up to 16-inch alloys, and also got 10mm lower sports suspension. There was also a chrome-finished tail pipe, metal pedals inside, gearshift paddles for models with the dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and rear parking sensors.
The Smart Forfour Brabus got several Brabus-specific features both inside and out, including sports suspension, and 17-inch alloy wheels. A 7-inch touchscreen media system was standard, the electronic stability control was tuned for sportier driving, and a Brabus Xclusive upgrade added even more kit, including sports seats and a leather-trimmed dashboard.
The Smart EQ Forfour Premium was the starting point for the electric EQ Forfour, and included 16-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, metal finish pedals, and an app for your smartphone that let you pre-heat the interior on cold days. An 8-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was standard.
The Smart EQ Forfour Exclusive received a different 16-inch wheel design, full LED headlights, interior ambient lighting, and leather seats.
The Smart Forfour’s dimensions are:
Length: 3495mm
Width: 1665mm (without mirrors)
Height: 1555mm
The Smart Forfour’s boot size is:
185 litres
975 litres with the rear seats folded
Opt for the Smart EQ Forfour, and its electric powertrain means you won’t send the government a penny in VED or ‘road tax’, at least for the time being. For any petrol-powered Smart registered after April 2017, your bill will come in at £180 per year, while prior to this, CO2-based VED bands make all models very cheap to tax - most will be free, and even the Brabus should only cost you £20 per year.
The non-turbo petrol models are the cheapest to insure, with some starting in the very lowest group 1, in the 1-50 scale. The 90PS versions go up to groups 8 and 9, the Brabus group 10, and the EQ Forfour is still only group 11 for the best-equipped variants.