The Smart Roadster’s Softouch gearbox is unlike anything else on the road — and that’s not always a compliment. If you’ve climbed in expecting a conventional automatic, you’ll have been greeted by lurching shifts, mysterious hesitations and a gearchange that seems to happen entirely on its own schedule. The good news is that once you understand how to drive the Smart Roadster Softouch, most of these frustrations dissolve. This guide covers everything: how the system actually works, the techniques that produce smooth progress, common mistakes to avoid and tips for sequential manual control. Whether you’re a new owner or a seasoned enthusiast, there’s something here that will improve your driving experience.
What Is the Softouch Gearbox and Why Does It Feel Odd?
The Softouch is not a conventional automatic gearbox. It’s an automated manual transmission — essentially a six-speed manual gearbox with a computer-controlled clutch actuator and a servo-operated gear selector replacing the clutch pedal and gear lever you’d normally operate yourself. This architecture matters enormously for how you should drive the car.
Because the clutch opens and closes mechanically rather than being managed by a torque converter, every gearchange involves a genuine interruption of drive — just like a manual car. The ECU decides when to change, commands the actuator to disengage the clutch, selects the new ratio, then re-engages. This takes 400–700 milliseconds in normal use, which feels like an eternity compared to a modern dual-clutch transmission. Slow, jerky shifts are therefore not a fault: they are simply characteristic of this type of system.
Understanding this removes a huge amount of anxiety. You are not driving a broken car. You are driving a car that demands a different technique.
Pulling Away Smoothly: The Most Critical Skill
More Softouch frustration happens at low speed than anywhere else. Here’s how to master the pull-away:
Avoid Hunting the Biting Point
Many drivers instinctively try to “feel” the biting point as they would on a manual. Resist this. The clutch actuator does not respond to throttle modulation the way a human foot on a clutch pedal does. Instead, apply a steady, moderate throttle input and let the system engage the clutch in its own time. Fussing with the accelerator tells the ECU you want to go, then you don’t, then you do — and the result is a lurch.
Use the Creep Function Correctly
At rest with the selector in D or R, the car creeps forward gently — exactly like a conventional automatic. For slow manoeuvring, use only the brake to control speed and lift it progressively to move forward. Applying throttle in a car park is unnecessary and counterproductive.
Hill Starts
Hill starts require a slightly different approach. Apply moderate throttle — more than you think you need — before releasing the brake. The clutch actuator interprets a confident throttle signal as intent to move and engages more decisively. A timid throttle produces a prolonged, shuddering engagement. You’ll feel slightly silly the first time you commit to it, but the results are immediately better.
How to Drive the Smart Roadster Softouch at Speed
Once moving, the Softouch becomes considerably more liveable — provided you adapt your style.
Let It Change Up Early in Relaxed Driving
In fully automatic mode, the gearbox changes up at relatively low revs to save fuel and reduce turbo stress. This is actually sensible behaviour for everyday driving. Fighting the gearbox by applying heavy throttle to delay upshifts wears the clutch actuator and rarely produces meaningful gains in pace.
Lifting Off Before a Change
This is the single most effective technique for smoother automatic shifts. Momentarily lifting the throttle a fraction of a second before the ECU is about to change reduces the torque going through the drivetrain and allows the clutch to disengage and re-engage more cleanly. With practice, you’ll learn to sense when a change is coming — the engine note reaches a certain pitch — and the pre-lift becomes instinctive.
Sequential Manual Mode
Push the gear selector to the left to enter sequential (M) mode. You can then use the paddle shifters or the selector itself to request upshifts and downshifts. A few rules make this work well:
- Don’t request a downshift that would push the engine above its redline — the system will simply ignore the command.
- Allow a brief pause between shift requests. Hammering the paddle repeatedly does not speed things up.
- When approaching junctions, request downshifts early rather than waiting until you’ve almost stopped. The gearbox responds to sequential commands more happily when there’s still engine speed to work with.
- At standstill, return to D or use the sport mode rather than leaving it in first in M mode — the clutch actuator can struggle with very slow restarts in manual mode.
Common Mistakes That Make the Softouch Worse
Several habits amplify the Softouch’s natural weaknesses:
- Constant throttle pumping: Varying throttle rapidly confuses the shift logic. Smooth, progressive inputs are always better.
- Excessive left-foot braking: The Softouch’s clutch actuator reads braking inputs as part of its decision matrix. Applying throttle and brake simultaneously sends contradictory signals and produces rough engagement.
- Ignoring the ‘R’ warning: When selecting reverse, always come to a complete standstill and wait for the selector to confirm engagement before applying throttle. Rushing this is a common cause of clutch actuator wear.
- Ignoring fault codes: A sluggish or excessively jerky gearchange can indicate a failing clutch actuator, low hydraulic fluid or a sensor fault. The MEG 1.1 ECU that governs the Roadster’s drivetrain stores fault codes that can point to the root cause — don’t dismiss unusual behaviour as normal.
Sport Mode, Brabus Mode and the Throttle Map
The Smart Roadster offers a sport mode (activated via the dashboard button on most variants) which sharpens throttle response and holds gears to higher revs before changing. On the 60kW and Brabus models especially, this transforms the character of the car.
In sport mode, the gearbox changes up roughly 1,000–1,500 rpm later than in normal mode, keeping the turbocharged three-cylinder in its power band more consistently. Downshifts also become more aggressive. For spirited driving on a B-road, sport mode is the natural habitat of the Softouch.
However, be aware that sustained use of sport mode in urban traffic — stop-start, low-speed work — increases wear on the clutch actuator. Reserve it for when you’re actually moving freely. The automated manual transmission architecture is discussed in detail by Wikipedia’s reference on automated manual transmissions, which explains why throttle strategy differs so fundamentally from a torque-converter automatic.
Maintenance That Keeps the Softouch Healthy
The Softouch gearbox rewards attentive ownership. A few maintenance priorities make a significant difference to how the car drives:
Clutch Actuator Fluid
The clutch actuator operates hydraulically. The fluid level should be checked periodically — a low level causes sluggish, imprecise engagement and, in advanced cases, complete failure to select a gear. The reservoir is accessible in the engine bay area. Use only the specified fluid type.
Gearbox Oil
The manual gearbox internals require their own oil, separate from the actuator fluid. This is often overlooked on high-mileage cars. Fresh gearbox oil noticeably improves shift quality and reduces the mechanical noise during ratio changes. Enthusiast forums such as Smart Car of America’s community forum contain detailed guidance on fluid specifications from owners who have documented their own service experiences.
Clutch Wear
The friction clutch itself wears exactly as it would on a manual car. Symptoms of a worn clutch include slipping under hard acceleration, a burning smell and increasingly poor pull-away behaviour. Clutch replacement on the Smart Roadster is a significant job given the mid-rear engine location, but it restores the gearbox to its best behaviour when done correctly. The transmission servicing guidance from specialist diagnostic communities provides useful context on actuator calibration after clutch replacement.
Is Remapping the ECU Worth It for Softouch Drivers?
A quality ECU remap does more than simply increase power on the Smart Roadster. A well-engineered map refines the throttle response curve, which directly affects how the Softouch interprets driver input. A sharper, more linear throttle response makes it easier to give the gearbox the consistent signals it prefers — reducing the hesitation and hunting that characterises a standard, softly-mapped car.
Shift timing in the Softouch is also influenced by throttle position thresholds stored in the ECU. A calibrated remap can adjust these thresholds, keeping the gearbox in gear longer under load and changing up more decisively at the appropriate moment. If you want to explore what a remap can do for both performance and gearbox behaviour, our ECU mapping packages are designed specifically for the 698cc turbocharged engine in all power variants.
How to Drive the Smart Roadster Softouch: Final Thoughts
Driving the Smart Roadster Softouch properly is largely a matter of understanding its nature and working with it rather than against it. Smooth, deliberate throttle inputs, appropriate use of sport and sequential modes, and a basic awareness of when gearchanges are coming will transform your experience of this car. Combine good technique with attentive maintenance — particularly of the clutch actuator fluid and gearbox oil — and the Softouch becomes a characterful, entertaining system rather than an irritating obstacle. The Smart Roadster rewards drivers who invest the time to understand how to drive it properly.
