2016 Smart Fortwo Cabrio arrives – in the UK ready for next spring

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The 2016 Smart Fortwo Cabrio has been revealed ahead of a debut at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, bringing open air motoring to the new ForTwo.

It’s hard to believe that Mercedes has managed to shift more than 200,000 Smart ForTwo Cabrios to date, but it has, and it looks like those sales will burgeon further with the arrival if this, the 2016 Smart Fortwo Cabrio.

The new Smart ForTwo (and the ForFour) arrived last year, and in the process addressed most of the complaints Mercedes has about their shopping car (well, perhaps apart from cost), with the new ForTwo Cabrio making the most of the improvements and getting a folding fabric roof for a driving experience that’s a lot like driving a luxury go-kart.

Just a touch of a button opens the roof section of the canvas – just like a big sunroof – or takes it all the way back for the full cabrio experience. This can all be done in just 12 seconds – and on the move – and even from outside with the remote.

Mercedes also say the new Cabrio is the stiffest yet, thanks to a large steel cross under the car, two torsional bulkheads at the front and back and an inner tube in the A-Pillars of high strength steel.

Under the skin you can opt for the 70bhp 1.0 litre or the 89bhp 0.9 litre turbo, and you will also get the option of a five-speed manual gearbox as well as the dual-clutch ‘box. Trim levels are the same as the hard top ForTwo – passion, prime and proxy – although there are plenty of options if you want to spend more.

Prices for the new Smart ForTwo Cabrio look set to start at around £12.5k when the Cabrio goes on sale in November after its public debut at Frankfurt.