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The Smart ForFour has been a small revolution for the car manufacturer. It is a car with more than two seats. Nevertheless, the first generation would fail: already after two years the production was stopped. Yet more than 120,000 of this type were sold in Europe. Do you drive a Smart ForFour and do you have car window damage in the windscreen? Then it is possible that the windscreen needs to be replaced.
Before we look at the requirements for the windscreen and the automotive glass with the best value for money, we first look at this striking model that, after an unsuccessful first generation, still had a successor, even if it took a while.
It sounds like an exclusive French pastry, but 'ForFour' stands for nothing but 'for 4'. It's the Smart model in which four people can sit in the car. It has to be said that people on the back seat shouldn't have long legs, because the compact hatchback city car from Smart doesn't offer that much space.
The first generation of the Smart ForFour was launched in 2004. The assembly was carried out in Borne, by NedCar (in cooperation with Mitsubishi). This generation of the ForFour shares the platform with the Mitsubishi Colt, which was also produced in Borne. But although this was a big step for Smart, the idea didn't work. The sales figures were disappointing and it was soon decided to discontinue the entire line in 2006. At that time the ForFour was available with two three-cylinder engines (1000 or 1100 cc) and two four-cylinder engines (1300 or 1500 cc), which were all placed in the front of the car. In Europe, more than 123,000 copies of the first generation were sold.
In 2014, Smart surprised friend and foe by launching the second generation of the Smart ForFour. This is a special model, because it was developed in collaboration with Renault. More than 80% of the parts of the Renault Twingo and the Smart ForFour are identical, but only 30% of these are visible, making it look like a completely different car. The ForFour is also 40 kilos heavier, due to the use of better materials and more sound insulation than the Twingo version. The second generation is not made in the Netherlands, but in Slovenia.
However, the question is how much time has been spent on developing this model. After all, there are eight years between the first and second generation, but the ForFour models made after 2014 do not meet the requirements of a standard city car in any way. The engine in the back of the car causes more disadvantages than advantages.
The engine is located above the rear axle, so the space in the back of the car is very limited. And if you want to check the oil level in these models, you can forget about it beforehand. The entire trunk needs to be emptied, a protective plate needs to be removed and then you can check the oil level. The space under the bonnet (which shouldn't technically be called the bonnet) is filled by the battery, the windscreen washer fluid reservoir and some peripherals. It is not recommended to open the 'bonnet', because closing this part again often causes problems for the Smart-riders.
Is it just a torment and sorrow? Not at all, because there are also great advantages to this type. For example, the shorter wheelbase is the basis for better road holding and DirectSteer (optional) gives you a turning radius of just over 8.5 metres. This is another great advantage for a city car. And the fact that all doors can be opened 85 degrees makes it very easy to get in and out of the car.
With an average of almost 2,500 sales per month in Europe between 2014 and 2019, we can easily depreciate this model as a failure of Smart. This is partly due to the disadvantages, but it was mainly the high entry price that killed the second generation. Competitors launched the Volkswagen UP!, the Hyundai i10, the Citroën C1, the Toyota Aygo and the Fiat 500, with more possibilities for the same price - or for a price that was lower than the Smart, which continued to suffer from the image of the two-seater.
Less than 275,000 cars from both generations were sold in Europe, but given the age of the models, it is logical that many of these cars are still on the road. As soon as the Smart windscreen is damaged, the question is whether it can be used. To determine this, we look at the location and extent of the window damage.
In the case of an asterisk with a diameter of more than 20 millimetres or a branched crack in the driver's field of vision, the windscreen must be replaced. Continuing to drive with this window damage is dangerous and not permitted by law. If there is a crack in the windscreen outside the driver's field of vision, it is allowed to continue driving, but bear in mind that the windscreen can tear further if there are large temperature differences or vibrations.
Cheap car windows for the Smart ForFour are not available at your brand dealer. The automotive glass sold by the Smart ForFour dealer is glass with a brand logo. This logo does not add anything to your windscreen, but it does mean that these car windows can only be sold by brand dealers. After market car windows do not have a brand logo and meet exactly the same requirements as the Smart brand windows.
A brand logo provides so much exclusivity that an average second-hand car window is often more expensive than a car window on the after market. A standard windscreen for the Smart ForFour costs less than € 300 here.
Suitable for: | Year of construction: | Price: |
from 2014 | € 299.00 | |
from 2014 | € 299.00 | |
from 2004 to 2006 | € 299.00 | |
Green tinted windscreen for the Smart ForFour with rain sensor | from 2004 to 2006 | € 299.00 |
from 2004 to 2006 | € 299.00 | |
Blue tinted windscreen for the Smart ForFour with rain sensor | from 2004 to 2006 | € 299.00 |
from 2004 to 2006 | € 40.00 |
Do you have window damage and do you need to replace the windscreen of your Smart ForFour? If you opt for after market automotive glass, our certified fitting partners can replace the windscreen within three working days on location. You will then have a new Smart ForFour windscreen with the best value for money and nothing to worry about, as our fitting partners will take care of the entire installation process. So you can get back on the road safely in no time with your Smart ForFour.
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