2008 Smart Fortwo

microcar / 2-door hatchback

2008 Smart Fortwo 2-door hatchback

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2008-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Smart Fortwo Pure 2-door

The Smart Fortwo was introduced in the 2008 model year. As its name implies, the Smart accommodates only two people; there is no rear seat.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

Forces on the dummy's head were high when it hit the steering wheel through the airbag.

Forces on the right lower leg were high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0807
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 2
Left (cm) 4
Center (cm) 9
Right (cm) 7
Brake pedal (cm) 3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 0
Right (cm) 0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1
Rearward (cm) -6
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0807
Head
HIC-15 621
Peak gs at hard contact 96
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.5
Extension bending moment (Nm) 35
Maximum Nij 0.48
Chest maximum compression (mm) 25
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 2.1
Femur force - right (kN) 2.9
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 11
Maximum tibia index - left 0.35
Maximum tibia index - right 0.91
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.0
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.7
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 55
Right 83

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2008-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2008 Smart Fortwo Pure 2-door with standard front seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags

The Smart Fortwo was introduced in the 2008 model year. As its name implies, the Smart accommodates only two people; there is no rear seat.

During the crash, the driver door unlatched. This opening didn't significantly affect dummy movement during the test but shouldn't happen because, in some crashes, it could allow partial or complete occupant ejection, especially if the occupant is unbelted. This door opening resulted in a structure rating downgrade from good to acceptable.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash showing the unlatched driver door after the barrier was moved away.

View of the vehicle after the crash with door removed, showing the side airbag and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0815
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -16.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0815
Head HIC-15 520
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.0
Compression (kN) 0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 57
Lateral force (kN) 2.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 47
Average deflection (mm) 33
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.40
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.91
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.7
Acetabulum force (kN) 4.0
Combined force (kN) 4.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.7
L-M moment (Nm) 162
A-P moment (Nm) 34

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0815
Head HIC-15
Neck
Tension (kN)
Compression (kN)
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)
Lateral force (kN)
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)
Average deflection (mm)
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)
Acetabulum force (kN)
Combined force (kN)
Left femur
L-M force (kN)
L-M moment (Nm)
A-P moment (Nm)

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2008-15 models

Tested vehicle: 2009 Smart Fortwo Pure 2-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 1,828 lbs
Peak force 9,896 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 5.41

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 64
Distance below top of head (mm) 23
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 14.4
Head contact time (ms) 79
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 13
Max neck tension (N) 580

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.