2015 Smart Fortwo 0.9 90 Twinamic first drive

What is it?

A long overdue solution to the Smart ForTwo’s tendency to abruptly bob its nose between gear changes in the form of a new slick shifting six-speed, twin-clutch gearbox.

Called the Twinamic, the Getrag-engineered unit replaces the old automated five-speed gearbox in the recently introduced third-generation ForTwo, providing the choice between manual and full automatic operation.

It will be offered as an option alongside the standard five-speed manual gearbox we sampled at the impressive new two-seat city car’s launch last year at a £995 premium.

The Twinamic will initially be available with the ForTwo’s base 70bhp naturally aspirated 1.0-litre three-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine. However, there are plans to offer it in combination with the more convincing 89bhp turbocharged 898cc three-cylinder, direct-injection petrol engine driven here from mid-year.

Additionally, Smart says it will also make the new gearbox available on the larger ForFour in the not-too-distant future, bringing it into line with the mechanically identical Renault Twingo, which is also billed to get a twin-clutch gearbox option later this year.

Although it is based around the six-speed dual clutch gearbox used by Renault in the front-engine/front-wheel-drive Renault Clio, the Twinamic has been heavily re-engineered for the ForTwo and ForFour’s space-saving rear-engine/rear-wheel-drive layout.

At 67kg, the new gearbox adds 34kg to the kerb weight of the pint-sized city car fitted with the standard five-speed manual unit – in the process negating any real gain in efficiency.  

What's it like?

The addition of a twin-clutch gearbox provides the new Smart ForTwo with a welcome touch of maturity, making it an imminently more pleasing car to thread through city traffic than its predecessor fitted with the unloved automated manual gearbox.

In automatic mode, the Twinamic shifts with pleasing speed and efficiency, both on up-shifts and downshifts – the latter of which are performed with a light throttle blip for added smoothness. Manual shifting is also possible using the stubby gear lever in a separate gate, or via steering wheel mounted shift paddles included as part of a so-called Sports package.

The nose still lifts as you accelerate away from the lights, but it is nothing compared to the unpleasant nodding effect you got from the old gearbox as you waited for cogs to disengage and re-engage.

There is a new found calmness to the driveline, which in combination with the significant gains made in overall ride comfort make the new ForTwo more composed in all driving conditions.  The addition of a standard hill-hold function on the Twinamic also allows you to power away on steep inclines without any of the complications associated with the old gearbox. There's also an electronic controller which allows the new gearbox to skip individual gears, instead of changing down through each individual gear when you come to a halt.

Should I buy one?