Smart cars finally coming to the U.S.
Well, the Smart series of cars finally coming to the United States. DaimlerChrysler announced last week that the iconic and fuel-efficient little vehicles would be available for sale here as imports in 2008. While the various smart cars have been selling well in Europe since their debut in 1998, the three model versions that will be available in America will be updated from the current smart fortwo. The smart vehicles will be available in the U.S. through the UnitedAuto Group, which currently have 172 dealer franchises around the country. A four-person smart is nowhere on the American horizon, since DaimlerChrysler signed a deal with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation to stop producing the smart forfour.
DaimlerChrysler AG Chairman of the Board of Management and head of Mercedes Car Group Dieter Zetsche said he was, "convinced that the smart fortwo as an innovative, ecological and agile city car will soon become just as familiar a sight on the streets of New York, Miami or Seattle, as it is today in Rome, Berlin or Paris."
[Source: DaimlerChrysler]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nichole 1:20PM (3/04/2008)
this is ferotiously [ abusive comment deleted ]
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Jarrod Williams 8:35AM (7/07/2006)
I drive an SUV because I tow a boat on weekends. I get 10mpg during the week when I am not towing the boat, I would love to buy a Smart. I only need to drive 30-50 miles a day for work. Put this out for the public at sub 10k and I am sure to buy one. E85 is not the answer.
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ian 1:10PM (7/07/2006)
I've heard these will cost about 20K. Why wait? Buy a honda fit right now.
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Robert 4:21PM (7/07/2006)
To say that Smarts sell well in Europe is a bit *err* euphemistic. Rumors say that DaimlerChrysler still looses money on every sold car.
See that german news entry published by one of the most renowned TV stations in Germany: http://www.heute.de/ZDFheute/inhalt/6/0,3672,2282822,00.html
Their teaser paragraph says:
"The realigment of their deficit brand [Smart] will cost them [DC] up to 1.2 billion euros based on the company estimates (Der Umbau der defizitären Marke wird in diesem Jahr nach Schätzungen des Konzerns bis zu 1,2 Milliarden Euro kosten.)"
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