Smart ForTwo and Smart ForFour Pure are new entry-level Smarts – priced from £9,995

The Smart ForTwo and Smart ForFour get a new entry-level Pure model in the UK without alloy wheels and with basic specifications. Costs from £9,995.

It’s getting on for a year since the Smart car was updated, with Mercedes’ plaything still offering an interesting package, but one which is way too expensive for what it delivers.

That means a Smart ForTwo Passion at a starting price of over £11k, and up to over £16k for the range-topping Brabus Sport Smart. Which is a lot.

Clearly, Mercedes now think there will be a bigger market for the Smart car if they can make it cheaper, but instead of cutting the hefty prices they’ve decided to strip the Smart down to deliver two new models – the Smart ForTwo and Smart ForFour Pure.

Not everything has been sacrificed on the Pure models to lower the price, so you do still get electric windows, height-adjustable driver’s seat, electric heated door mirrors and LED running lights, but you will have to put up with steel wheels, cloth seats, no Climate and halogen headlights.

The Pure models are the same under the skin as the more highly-specced models, but only the 69bhp 1.0 litre petrol engine with five-speed manual transmission is available.

Both the Smart ForTwo Pure (£9,995) and Smart ForFour Pure (£10,490) are now available to order at Smart’s UK outlets, with first UK customer cars due in July.