Cars performed smartly in gruelling conditions

It’s smaller than a moose, has just 70 horsepower and wheels slightly larger than a moose-meat pie,

It’s smaller than a moose, has just 70 horsepower and wheels slightly larger than a moose-meat pie, but makers of the SmartCar, Mercedes-Benz, believe the tiny, economical two-seater is as tough as its larger rivals.

And last Friday, a team of automotive journalists and PR folks set out from Kelowna, B.C., in a convoy of seven SmartCars to test the claim by conquering the Dempster Highway.

“There’s still a misconception out there that the cars are not reliable and solid in harsh winter conditions,” said JoAnne Kaza, a Mercedes-Benz representative who rolled through Whitehorse yesterday, part of the convoy which is returning unscathed to B.C.

“We think (the car) is up to the challenge and that’s why we came,” Kaza continued. “The Yukon and the N.W.T. have probably the harshest conditions in the world.”

While the Dempster Highway’s loose gravel surface is tougher on tires in the summer season, a winter journey on the 778-km road can tax the engine and steering capabilities of most any vehicle.

“We didn’t have any flat tires but it was very, very, very icy, visibility was reduced and there were high winds,” recalled Kaza of navigating the “road to resources”, which crosses the Arctic Circle at the 66th parallel on its way to Inuvik.

In addition to dark, slippery and blizzard driving conditions, the convoy of tiny two-seaters and their drivers were treated to much local fauna, one of which appeared to pace the vehicles.

“We saw caribou, lynx … then a wolf running by the highway ahead of the convoy. It was running at 60km/h next to us ... amazing,” recalled Kaza.

“And we saw some elk ... but they were not on the side of the road so we didn’t have an immediate size comparison (against the cars).”

The SmartCar concept was created in 1972 but was not available to European consumers until 1998.

It would be six years before the SmartCar entered the Canadian marketplace, and since then, 16,000 vehicles have been sold.

With a maximum speed of 145km/h, and the ability to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 13.3 seconds, the SmartCar is peppy enough to drive with the big boys without the big CO2 emissions.

However, its diminutive size is not suitable for many automotive consumers, particularly those looking to transport more than one additional family member, sports gear or other supplies.

Nevertheless, SmartCar’s Arctic publicity stunt proved one thing: the vehicle can handle subzero, off-the-grid driving conditions.