Smart EQ fortwo cabrio

Overview

The 2019 Smart EQ fortwo cabrio is the ultimate electric city slicker with a cheeky drop-top! Perfect for zipping through tight urban jungles and soaking up the sun, this two-seater EV offers a unique, zero-emission open-air experience. Its compact size makes parking a doddle. As a discontinued model, it’s now an intriguing used buy, with European prices around €9,900. It’s all about fun, frugal motoring with a dose of wind-in-your-hair freedom, standing out as one of the smallest, most agile electric convertibles ever made.

What's New for 2019?

For 2019, the Smart EQ fortwo cabrio largely carried over the electric powertrain and design introduced under the "EQ" banner. This model year represents one of the final iterations before a styling refresh came for 2020. Key for 2019 was the established EQ branding, signifying its all-electric nature. The optional 22 kW on-board AC charger remained a significant feature, drastically cutting down home charging times for those who ticked that box. It solidified its place as a characterful, if niche, city EV before its production concluded this year.

Design & Exterior

The 2019 Smart EQ fortwo cabrio is instantly recognizable, mate! Its party piece is the retractable fabric roof, offering proper convertible fun. The iconic tridion safety cell is often a contrasting colour, adding a splash of personality. It’s seriously tiny: just 2695 mm long, 1663 mm wide, and 1555 mm tall, making it a parking champion. Standard wheels are typically basic, but higher lines offered funkier designs. Its cheeky, friendly face and super-short overhangs scream "city car chic" with an electric twist.

Interior, Tech & Cargo

Inside the EQ fortwo cabrio, it's snug but surprisingly airy for two, especially with the roof down! Materials are durable, fitting its city car brief, with some colourful fabric options livening things up. Tech-wise, it often featured a basic infotainment system, sometimes with smartphone integration. Don't expect a frunk, but you get a decent 260 litres of boot space, expanding slightly to 340 litres when considering the roof mechanism's space. It's all about essential comforts and a quirky, fun environment rather than outright luxury.

Performance & Driving Experience

This little cabrio packs a 60 kW Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) delivering a zesty 160 Nm of torque instantly to its rear wheels – proper RWD fun! Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 11.8 seconds, but it feels much quicker off the line, perfect for city sprints. Its tiny turning circle is legendary, making U-turns a joy. The ride can be a bit bouncy on rough roads due to the short wheelbase, but it’s agile and nippy. Regenerative braking helps claw back some range.

Range, Battery & Charging

The EQ fortwo cabrio sports a 16.7 kWh usable battery, giving a Green Cars Compare estimated real-world range of around 102 km – strictly for city hops. Efficiency is a decent 6.11 km/kWh. Standard AC charging via its Type 2 (Mennekes) port is at 4.6 kW, taking around 3.5-4 hours from its 400V architecture. A brilliant option was the 22 kW AC charger, slashing that to under an hour! Crucially, there's no DC fast charging capability. It’s designed for convenient top-ups at home or urban AC points.

Safety & Driver-Assistance Features

Despite its tiny size, the 2019 Smart EQ fortwo cabrio scored a respectable 4 stars in Euro NCAP tests, largely thanks to its tridion safety cell. Standard safety kit typically included multiple airbags, ABS, and ESP. A nifty feature often found was Crosswind Assist, which is super helpful for such a light car. Advanced driver-assistance systems like active brake assist or lane keeping assist were usually optional extras or part of higher trim packages, rather than standard fitment on this cabrio.

Warranty & Maintenance Coverage

For the 2019 Smart EQ fortwo cabrio, owners in Europe typically received a 2-year/unlimited km vehicle warranty from Smart. The crucial high-voltage battery was usually covered for 8 years or 100,000 km, whichever came first, guaranteeing a certain level of capacity. The powertrain warranty often mirrored the vehicle's. Maintenance is minimal thanks to its electric nature – no oil changes here! Reliability is generally good for the electric powertrain, but always check a used example's battery health and service history.

In 2018, Smart renamed the ForTwo Cabrio Electric Drive to the EQ ForTwo Cabrio. The car with the old name was produced from 2017 to 2018.