Following the market launch of the third generation ForTwo with a fixed roof, Smart is planning to unveil its drop-top brother, the new ForTwo Cabrio, later this year.
Compared with its predecessor, the new Smart ForTwo Cabrio will not retain the ubiquitous fixed rear roof pillar, the tridion safety cell being strong enough for it to simply become unnecessary. As a result, the electrically-operated canvas top will now roll all the way down and tuck away seamlessly into the baggage compartment.
Technical specifications are scarce at this moment, but one thing is clear: the engine line-up is set to feature the now familiar array of three cylinder petrol engine, in naturally aspirated (1.0-liter, 71 HP) or turbocharged form (0.9-liter, 90 HP).
The premiere of the all-new Smart ForTwo Cabrio is expected to take place this autumn, most likely at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The commercial debut of the upcoming drop-top has already been confirmed for December 2015.
Smart is hiding a few other aces down its sleeve, so the third generation ForTwo Cabrio is not the only surprise planned for 2015. January will host the introduction of a new 60 HP entry-level version of the now familiar 1.0-liter three cylinder engine, available for the entire rejuvenated line-up, while in May, both the ForTwo and the ForFour are set to receive the already announced 6-speed Twinamic double-clutch automatic transmission.
Going forward to 2016, the Smart line-up will also see the introduction of the new electric drive versions of the ForTwo and ForFour, which will share their battery technology with the upcoming hybrid Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class and S-Class.
