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SMART
July 4, 2008
The South Korean-designed Chevy Beat may be coming Stateside. Originally intended for Asia and Latin America, the soaring fuel prices that have sparked the rapidly changing Americans' vehicle tastes have GM rethinking their plans.
"Everything is under review," said GM spokesman Dee Allen. While the automaker's executives continually review their lineup, this examination might lead to bigger changes, he said. "Obviously, the market has been changing rather rapidly."
The Beat is smaller than the current Chevy Aveo, and is roughly the size of a Smart.
Full story here.
May 14, 2008
As might have been expected, the tiny Smart car did quite well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's crash testing.
"The big question from consumers is, 'How safe is it?' " said Adrian Lund, the institute's president. "Among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Smart did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very small package."
Full story here.
Here's Inside Line's take: Smart ForTwo Scores High Marks in New Safety Testing
On the flip side, those huge 15-passenger vans fared quite a bit worse in safety studies, as the fatality rating is pretty bad when these behemoths flip in accidents when fully loaded...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland May 14, 2008, 6:20 AM
- Categories: SMART, Trends, Trucks
April 4, 2008
For those wondering how the tiny Smart would do in government crash testing, the results are in, and they are, well... so-so.
It earned four stars in the front crash test for both the driver and passenger and five stars in the side crash test, the highest number the federal agency gives. However, during the side test the driver door opened, which raised the eyebrows of NHTSA testers, as that can be a safety issue...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland April 4, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: SMART
December 5, 2007
The micro Smart will go on sale here in January, and as reported earlier (Most 2008 Smarts pre-sold before US launch), 30,000 Americans have already put down deposits for the car.
"We were totally amazed by the kind of reaction we got," Zetsche said at a breakfast with reporters. "We will not be able to meet the demands here next year."
The Smart fortwo starts at $11,590 for the base model (without a radio, power steering or air conditioning), and the full-boogie convertible model stickers (with options) at $17,440.
Full story here...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland December 5, 2007, 7:53 AM
- Categories: SMART
November 26, 2007
Early adopters have zeroed in on the new Smart car, as it is reported that most of the 2008 allocations have all been pre-sold—even before the car has officially hit the streets. So, if you want one, don't expect delivery much before the end of next year.
The question everyone is asking is will this be just another automotive one-night-stand, like the Thunderbird and PT Cruiser, and will disappear in 5 or so years? Or do you think the Smart (and similar cars) will have true staying power?..
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- Posted by: Bob Holland November 26, 2007, 5:00 AM
- Categories: SMART
September 12, 2007
Walking around the modern, sterile halls of the Frankfurt auto show, with all their escalators and moving walkways, you might get the impression the whole city is stuffy and all-business. But within a couple miles of the Messe, you see things that just wouldn't be possible in the United States. For instance, a Mercedes-Benz dealership where human-size stuffed rabbits are allowed to ride in SLK350s.
![Rabbit in Mercedes SLK350 - E...]()
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- Posted by: Erin Riches September 12, 2007, 6:29 AM
- Categories: Frankfurt Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz, SMART
September 6, 2007
Innovative and Unique Vehicle to Go on Sale January 2008
Smart USA Distributor LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc., (NYSE: PAG), today announced the pricing of the all-new smart fortwo models that will be sold in the United States beginning in the first quarter of 2008.
The smart fortwo will be available in three trim levels. The entry-level pure coupe will start at $11,590*, manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), with standard convenience features such as a 5-speed transmission that allows drivers to switch between automatic and manual driving modes with the push of a button, central remote locking system, 2-spoke leather steering wheel, and a radio-ready console. The well-equipped passion coupe, starting at $13,590* MSRP, includes a panorama roof, alloy wheels, air conditioning with climate control, 3-spoke leather sports steering wheel with gear shift paddles, power windows, electric and heated side mirrors, and an AM/FM radio with CD player, all standard. Those seeking top-down excitement can choose the passion cabrio, starting at $16,590* MSRP, featuring a fully automatic soft top that can be easily adjusted, with a push of a button and in addition to the standard equipment of the passion couple, a premium sound system with an in-dash mp3 compatible 6-CD changer. The value-priced cabriolet model is believed to debut as the lowest priced convertible offered in the United States. All models are equipped with a 1 liter, 3-cylinder, 71 horse power engine.
“The smart fortwo offers a fantastic combination of fun to drive aspects, innovation, functionality – and all for a great value,” said Dave Schembri, president of smart USA. “In addition all smart fortwo models will come standard with four air bags and many other safety features found in many luxury vehicles.”
An optional “comfort package” for the passion coupe and passion cabrio, at $850* MSRP, includes leather heated seats, electric power steering, rain/light sensors, and auto-off headlamps with exit delay.
Information about many other vehicle accessories and option pricing can be found on the smart USA website here...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland September 6, 2007, 7:31 AM
- Categories: SMART
June 20, 2007
The Smart has embarked on a nationwide tour of the U.S.
You can take the Smart Fortwo for a spin a year before it is set to go on sale. We caught the kick-off in California.
Read the full story on the Smart Road Show on Inside Line...
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- Posted by: dderosa June 20, 2007, 12:37 PM
- Categories: SMART
April 30, 2007
According to Automotive News (via Autoblog) Toyota will debut a SMART-like car at the Frankfurt auto show this fall. Called the Endo (not a great name if you're a biker), this will be Toyota's first effort in this class size for the European market. The car has an unusual 3+1 seating set up.
Will we see it here?..
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- Posted by: Bob Holland April 30, 2007, 6:03 AM
- Categories: SMART, Toyota
January 7, 2007
Smart Unveils The Virtual Press Conference
Smart is sort of the pilot fish to Mercedes-Benz' shark, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the minicar division didn't have its own press conference to unveil the Fortwo model that it's bringing to the U.S. Instead, it just rode along with Mercedes and used a few of the main company's press-conference minutes.
In fact, there wasn't even an actual Smart anywhere near the conference. Instead, Roger Penske, who will head the U.S...
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- Posted by: Daniel Pund January 7, 2007, 2:47 PM
- Categories: Auto Industry, Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz, SMART
September 15, 2006
Orville: "Hey Homer, whaddya get when you cross a Smart Fortwo with a Unimog 406?"
Homer: "Huh???"
Oh, this is good. I can't wait till the good ole boys catch this down at the county fair... Instead of crushing a row of '60s-era rusted out Buicks, Mercurys, DeSotos and Pontiacs like Bigfoot and his buddies, this Smart Funfor2 (aka Bigfoot's Mini-Me, aka Smartmog) will crush a row of rusted out '60s-era Isettas, Minis, Messerschmitts, and Heinkels.
Snippet: Created by Greek rally champion Stefan Attart, the head-turning Smart combines the body shell of the existing Fortwo with the industrial-grade four-wheel-drive underpinnings of parent company Mercedes-Benz's Unimog 406...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland September 15, 2006, 12:00 AM
- Categories: Motorsports, SMART, Trends, Trucks
September 6, 2006
File this under "where there's a will, there's a way."
You just know that someone, somewhere, would try and pull this off. Not sure of the original source of this image, other than it's most likely from Europe. My guess is probably the UK, as the Brits are known for doing outageous things with vehicles. It's a core part of their national DNA...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland September 6, 2006, 12:00 AM
- Categories: SMART, Trends
July 4, 2006
Penske is hoping to sign 30 – 50 smart dealers, mostly in urban areas of the country. Expect some unusual marketing—which I would assume, is to be expected.
Snippet: On a per-store basis, Smart dealers might expect to match the unit sales volume of Mini dealers -- about 40 cars per month. If so, Penske could expect to sell 15,000 to 20,000 per year...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 4, 2006, 12:00 AM
- Categories: SMART, Trends
June 30, 2006
I'm a big fan of the smart fortwo, which we will be getting in 2008, but less so of the four-door forfour model. So I'm not terribly upset that this model is getting the ax. The tiny fortwo is the essence of cool and hip. It's also very timely...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 30, 2006, 6:02 AM
- Categories: Hatchbacks, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, SMART, Sedans, Trends
June 29, 2006
As you might expect, Inside Line has the inside scoop here on the smart US import announcement, as well as a few other tidbits—as in the smart USA web site link, which also has a couple of neat videos.
I think this is pretty exciting news, and have been thinking about it much of the day. Since Roger Penske will be running the show, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a smart-only race series as part of the marketing. Can you imagine seeing a herd of these critters up on the Daytona banking?!?!?!..
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 29, 2006, 12:00 AM
- Categories: Motorsports, SMART, Trends
June 28, 2006
This just in: Automotive News is reporting that Roger Penske will sell and service SMART cars in U.S. for DaimlerChrysler.
DaimlerChrysler expects to sell 20,000 SMART fortwo models annually in the United States, with an emphasis on urban markets on the West and East coasts. SMART's U.S...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 28, 2006, 7:19 AM
- Categories: SMART, Trends
June 26, 2006
Back in March I reported that DaimlerChrysler would be bringing the SMART car Stateside. Well, here's some "new" news on that deal. Reportedly the automaker will make an announcement tomorrow (Tuesday) regarding importation plans. As they say, stay tuned...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 26, 2006, 5:51 AM
- Categories: SMART, Trends
June 13, 2006
University of Maryland professor John Robinson comments on what it's like to live with a SMART car. Actually, he owns three SMARTS, but can only drive one thanks to bureaucratic red tape.
Snippet: ...the Smart car has been problem-free, but he's concerned about routine maintenance because it didn't come with an owner's manual in book form. "It came with a DVD," he says, "but it doesn't work in my player."
He's busy trying to secure a paper manual, and for good reason...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland June 13, 2006, 7:05 AM
- Categories: SMART, Trends
May 23, 2006
Everyone knows that the SMART car makes a great ubanmobile. It's perfect for London, Paris, and hopefully someday even New York and other large US cities. But Boise? Boise, Idaho?
Yep, there's a SMART car residing in Boise...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland May 23, 2006, 12:00 AM
- Categories: SMART, Trends
