Smart crossblade sounds like a vehicle that you will see zippers on the sidewalk or sailing along the path on Venice Beach, not what you expect will put on the road. And you will not see it on the road, at least not in the United States.
Crossblade is a microcar of Smart Automobile Co., Ltd., a joint company made by Mercedes-Benz AG and Zhejiang Geely Group Holding. This is based on the Fortwo Smart model. And meanwhile it is small, it actually has all the necessary parts that you might expect from the car, such as the roof, several doors, and windshield. However, it also without a roof, has a little “safety bar” for the door, and the windshield that is almost nothing that looks more precisely on a motorcycle than a car.
If it looks like a concept car, it is basically one. According to Jalopnik, Smart brought a crossblade to the 2001 Geneva Auto Show to show off how far the philosophy “minimized to the maximum” they could be taken. The public becomes wild. So great responses that car makers made 2,000 units limited a year later.
Some Crossblades safety features are not so smart
Crossblade weighs only 1631 pounds and is equipped with a cylinder engine of 599cc brabus which is set in inline-three (located behind) which kicks 70 horsepower (through road & track). Left to the six-speed semi-automatic transmission, it takes more than 10 seconds to reach 60 mph. With the highest speed of 83 mph, Sammy Hagar might not add this car to his collection.
The small windshield that can be adjusted is made of plexiglass rather than safety glass. It seems to divert the air that will come to the top of the driver area. Unfortunately, it is not high enough to fend off insects or debris that enters, so that things that hit residents on the face, head, or neck are sincere attention. It might be an “smart” idea to wear a helmet when fighting around in this matter. Other final touches include closed dashboard instruments to protect it from weather, waterproof chairs, and waterways on the floor that allow water to come out.
If Crossblade sounds like a much cooler Volkswagen version – and smaller – you’re not wrong. Both are prohibited in the United States because safety features that clearly fail to be included in their design. This microcar without a roof looks like a fun runabout type vehicle that is more suitable for tourism in big cities than “screaming” on the highway.
