The smart brand appeals equally to the heart and mind. An expressive design language and colouring embody pure joie de vivre (fun). The proportions with their compact dimensions and the clever details testify to unique functionality.

"smart stands for FUN.ctional design, as the brand is defined by two poles – the heart and mind. The design idiom is clear, purist and trendy, and the hallmark smart attributes are being carried into a new era. These attributes include the characteristic silhouette with the ultra-short overhangs, the clear lines and forms, the tridion cell and the updated smart face," notes Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG. “It is never easy to design the successor to a design icon – but here we have succeeded twice in my opinion."

The new smart generation is characterised by extremely short overhangs at the front and rear. And thanks to the 100 mm wider track, the wheels are positioned further outwards. These characteristic proportions offer outstanding visibility and agility and, together with the rear engine, enable a passenger cell accommodating an unrivalled amount of space in such compact dimensions.

The colour contrast between tridion safety cell and bodypanels is another characteristic feature of the smart brand. The tridion safety cell is therefore not only a sculptural volume; it is also a graphic unique selling point that is visible from afar.

The smart designers refer to the evolutionary development of the silhouette as the "one-and-a-half box" design. A change to the previous one-box proportions became necessary for two reasons: The higher bonnet lends the smart a more grown-up and sportier character. At the same time the increased demands on pedestrian protection and passive safety are met without increasing the size.

The smart has a friendly but resolute face, as smart is a self-assured but by no means aggressive brand. A decisive feature of this friendly face is the signature smart grille, which is now slightly larger. The grille's perforated structure results from a honeycomb pattern – a design theme that the smart designers had already implemented in show cars such as the smart fourjoy and that is cited in many places on the exterior and the interior. The honeycomb is paler towards the outside – the designers refer to this as fading. The radiator trim is available in a variety of colours to match or contrast with the bodypanels, including black, cool silver and white. The second, black cooling air opening in the bumper also features the honeycomb pattern.

The smart logo exudes self-confidence in the middle of the grille. It is three-dimensional and almost spherical in shape, harmonising with the smart's distinctly more sensuous lines. The logo features a matt finish rather than a high-gloss look, similarly to all the sparingly applied chrome accents.

The rhombic front lamps are truncated slightly at the top, producing a look that is sporty but not aggressive. The U-shaped daytime driving lights add a characteristic design feature. In combination with the LED & Sensor package, the headlamps incorporate a welcome function: when the car is unlocked, the light in the headlamps pulsates, as if the smart were welcoming its owner.

A loving attention to detail is demonstrated, for example, by the way in which the honeycomb pattern is cited in the headlamp lenses. On the indicators, the honeycomb pattern even performs the function of dispersing the light. The bonnet also highlights the new sculptural lines, describing a powerful and sporty downward sweep between the headlamps.

The smart forfour is clearly recognisable as a member of the new smart family. For example, it features identical headlamps and cooling air grille at the front. The technical parameters necessitate modification of the bumper details, although these modifications and the somewhat longer front overhang do not immediately strike the eye.

Naturally enough, it is in the profile that the greatest difference is to be found between the fortwo and the forfour: the smart fortwo has a large door extending into the B-pillar with a frameless window. The typical smart genes are thus recognisable from afar on the road: the striking door contours and the unique tridion cell. A characteristic swage line, such as is featured in the middle of the doors, underscores the brand image. This is adjoined by the fuel filler cap on the right and the air inlet for the rear engine under the B-pillar on the left. The door is made of plastic as before, allowing the king of the car park to shrug off any knocks and bumps from other road users.

The side view of the smart forfour reveals the same elements as the fortwo, but has a longer tridion cell as well as the additional door. The front and rear overhangs appear just as short as on the fortwo. The forfour's roof line slopes downward towards the rear in coupé style.

A common feature on both models is the pronounced shoulderline. This gives both variants a beefy road stance and establishes a visual separation between vehicle body and greenhouse.

The smart fortwo has a twin-section tailgate, which facilitates loading in even the tightest of parking spaces. Raised lettering on the lower section signals the brand identity. It is crowned by a roof spoiler with an integrated additional brake lamp.

The rhombic tail lights framed by the tridion safety cell are reminiscent of the first smart generation and combine with the large track width to emphasise the width at the rear. A unique LED scenario is optionally available in conjunction with the LED & Sensor package: eleven individually illuminated cubes are allocated to each tail light, providing for a striking night design. The typical honeycomb pattern features once again in the clear glass over the indicators and reversing lights in the middle of the lamps.

On the fortwo the number plate is accommodated between the lamps in the lower section of the tailgate. The bumper is painted in the colour of the body and the lower end piece comes in black. On the left-hand side in the direction of travel the bumper has a cut-out for the visible tailpipe of the exhaust system (optionally available with sports trim) and this is also where the distance sensors are positioned (also available as an option).

The smart forfour essentially has the same elements as the smart fortwo. It is fitted with an upward-opening single-section tailgate, however, to enable convenient loading of the lower luggage compartment. This bears a smart logo where the reversing camera (available as an option) is concealed. The number plate moves to the bumper.

Sporting rich exterior colours, the smart fortwo and smart forfour radiate urban joy from afar. The modification year sees the introduction of new colours which broaden the scope of possible combinations for bodypanels and tridion safety cell.

New colours available for the bodypanels on the smart fortwo are red and black-to-yellow (metallic). The tridion safety cell is now optionally also available in jupiter red, lava orange (metallic) and graphite grey (matt). The new radiator trim in black-to-yellow (metallic) is an ideal match for the bodypanels in black-to-yellow.

New colours for the smart forfour: tridion safety cell in cadmium red, graphite grey (metallic) or lava orange (metallic); radiator trim in black-to-yellow (metallic) and graphite grey (metallic).

The range of wheels includes five exclusive alloy wheels in 15- and 16-inch format and 5-twin-spoke or 8-spoke design and in monochrome and bi-chrome look (painted black with a high-sheen finish).