Fruity little number has a sweet centre

MELON-GREEN paintwork and a chocolate brown interior; it's not a colour combination that springs to many car buyers' minds. On some vehicles, it would look ridiculous, dealing a fatal blow to the resale value, but others are seemingly built to carry off this kind of gaudy pallet, the smart fortwo being a prime example. The fortwo limited three is a special edition that's offered exclusively in melon green so at the very least, it'll stand out from the crowd.

The original smart wasn't the finest driver's car. Its jolting ride and what was arguably the most obstreperous gearbox on the market ensured that it was a chore as soon as you ventured beyond its native inner-city environment.

Today's model is significantly better. It's 19.5cm longer but crucially, it's 5cm longer in the wheelbase with a wider track and wider tyres. It's comfortable on the open road, cornering with some composure and with less of the worrying body roll that can afflict narrow, high-sided vehicles. There are better handling city cars but the fortwo has definite benefits in terms of manoeuvrability, and ease of use around town.

The optional power steering lacks feel and I'd settle for the unassisted helm if you can put up with the extra effort needed.

With the roof up, the cabrio model is barely any noisier at cruising speeds than the hard-topped coupe with just an extra rustle of wind noise. The 1.0-litre petrol engine is refined but can be found wanting at higher speeds. It's fine for pottering about town and has the benefit of the clever mhd (micro hybrid drive) system that cuts the engine at traffic lights to save fuel.

Smart have done away with the sequential gearbox in the old car, swapping its jerky six-gear set-up for a faster shifting, five-speed unit. The standard manual shift option gives decent control, letting you prod the lever to select gears yourself or flip the optional steering wheel paddles. Lift off the gas as you do this and it manages quite nicely but the softouch fully-automatic mode on the up-spec models is preferable.

The smart fortwo is famous for its extrovert colour schemes and by those standards the limited three isn't too over the top. The exterior is a mixture of Melon Green metallic paint on the body panels and silver on the safety cell. With six-spoke alloy wheels and "limited three" logos, it should draw plenty of attention to itself.

Inside, the instruments and door trims are in a dark-brown leather-effect finish while the three-spoke steering wheel and gearshift are also in brown leather. The instruments are picked out in silver and the brown seat upholstery has a fetching tripped design.

It's hard to argue with the suitability of the fortwo concept for its urban transport role. With two seats, tiny dimensions, that self-shifting gearbox and fuel-sipping engines, it makes all kinds of sense for all kinds of reasons.

The fortwo cabrio seems less sensible, exposing its occupants to the noise and smog of the city but it's more extrovert, more stylish and more fun.

The fact that there is a boot to speak of hints at the way this fortwo cabrio has grown-up. Owners get a respectable 220-litre luggage capacity in the back, there's a glass rear window to improve visibility and on the inside, the fortwo now feels like part of the Mercedes-Benz family.

Both coupe and cabriolet come well-equipped with specifications based on the regular Passion model. There's an MP3 compatible CD stereo, air-conditioning and a rev-counter all included as standard. Only a limited number of limited three models will be made available to UK buyers so there's an element of exclusivity too – though there will need to be with a price premium of nearly 1,500.

The smart remains a small car icon despite the best efforts of rivals to replicate and improve upon its innovative formula. Despite its flaws, the little car remains one of the best ways to stand out in the urban traffic and the limited three special edition model plays up to this with its lurid Melon Green and chocolate brown colour scheme. It's a good way to get into a smart with a little extra individuality.

With just two seats, a small boot and a gearbox that still takes some getting used to, the fortwo will be an acquired taste for many but its funky design, strong build quality and dinky looks should be sufficient to keep sales ticking over. The option of an open-topped cabriolet model is another point in the smart's favour, as is the outstanding fuel economy the car achieves.

FACT BOX

CAR: smart fortwo limited three

PRICE: 9,950-11,900 – OTR

INSURANCE GROUP: 3-6

EMISSIONS: 103-105g/km

PERFORMANCE: Max speed 90mph; 0-60mph 13.3 seconds

FUEL CONSUMPTION: (cabrio] (combined) 64.2mpg