Mine is the 84bhp turbo & does have PAS. I test drove a car without PAS and for a little car, it was far heavier than you'd think hence me looking specifically for a car with.
If you do go for a Smart, avoid the mhd like the plague (mini hybrid ..... nothing hybrid about it but has stop/start) .The stop/start is done via a large poly V belt that is like a bow string and the engine is started via a combined starter/alternator. As the belt us that tight, it put huge strain on one of its mounts ...... Mercedes are on their 3rd modification.
We've driven a few - one with PAS, two without - and for me, I thought the PAS car felt like it was incredibly nervous at motorway speeds, with tiny wheel movements pitching us all over the place; while the non-PAS cars felt much more planted. But it's not for me...
You had to say that about the mhd, though.. she'd just found a car she really liked - 40k on the clock, service history, nice colour, well cared for .. but it's an mhd (as are about 99.9% of the cars I can find for sale - 14 pages of mhd and about two turbo cars).
Of course, honestjohn says not to get the turbo cars as aftermarket exhausts wear through the turbo coolant pipe and kill the engine..
..and don't get the diesel because the DPF dies.
I hate buying cars! There are no "good" choices, it seems.