DaimlerChrysler to make SMART move in U.S.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that DaimlerChrysler will announce next week that the SMART fortwo will be launched in the U.S. as early as next year. CEO Dieter Zetsche is reportedly hoping that U.S. sales could help SMART turn a profit, which it has failed to do for DaimlerChrysler since its inception in 1998. WSJ says that an agreement has been reached with a U.S. distributor to sell the SMART car in major metropolitan markets on the East and West coasts where small car sales are strongest. Though the exchange rate is not in DCX's favor, the company is hoping that high gas prices will make its tiny car attractive to consumers.
[Source: Wall Street Journal via Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
starlightmica 2:13PM (6/25/2006)
At current exchange rates, the Canadian ForTwo turbodiesel goes for about $14k-$16k depending on options. At those prices I'd personally rather have a Fit or Corolla
It would be interesting to have a lot more garage space, and to have a rolling ad for the company.
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Scott Eaton 2:33PM (6/25/2006)
Sold! DC, sell me one now. I'll even take the one in the picture :D
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Tim UF 2:36PM (6/25/2006)
Would the canadian pricing translate directly into a USD price? I know the Europe pricing doesn't (if it did, a 3series would be a 50k or more car).
That said, I'm all for smaller cars coming over. I wish Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura US would release a version of the yaris, Versa, and Fit, respectively. Acura made an EL1.8 (civic) in canada. why not here?
I think with gas prices going up, theres got to be a market niche for lux-compacts, and also for the micro cars.
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Jeff Banks 2:36PM (6/25/2006)
Are they going to make them in U.S. factories? If so that would help with the exchange rate problem.
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Craig 2:38PM (6/25/2006)
I was in Toronto recently and they were all over the place.
Re-introduce the roadster and I'm sold.
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epp_b 2:38PM (6/25/2006)
["1. At current exchange rates, the Canadian ForTwo turbodiesel goes for about $14k-$16k depending on options. At those prices I'd personally rather have a Fit or Corolla"]
That's it? The cheapest I've seen one is $25 grand! You can actually buy a real car for that kind of money!
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JayP 3:12PM (6/25/2006)
Craig- last I heard, SMART sold the tooling/rights for the roadster to the Kimber group... who bought it to revive MG in some manner after the Rover/MG/China fiasco.
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BuffaloPundit 3:14PM (6/25/2006)
I'd like DCX to explain to me how it expects to sell a turbodiesel car in any of the 5 CARB states, including California, Massachusetts, New York, etc.
If I'm not mistaken, sales of new diesel passenger vehicles in those states is banned unless they meet California emissions standards. Which, so far, none do.
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Slate 3:29PM (6/25/2006)
I would hate to be in that smart car when the bloated soccer mom rear ends you in her Tahoe while beating her children. I don't care how much you save on gas, because the only thing smart about the car is it will double as your coffin. Don't get me wrong, if everyone was driving one, I wouldn't mind owning one but until then, I will stick with my full size sedan.
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Tom Design 3:39PM (6/25/2006)
I can't see myself, or anyone I love driving one on the highways around the U.S. It just can't compete, especially waiting for the 2009 bumper height laws to come into effect for the pickup trucks and SUVs. I'm with Slate, this is one step up from being on a motorcycle in a collision. Not for me. Now, I'd love to have one on the farm. Or at an amusement racetrack to cruise around. I'm sure they'll be popular in gated communities and as golf carts, so there's a good market and a safe place for this vulnerable auto.
My minimum protection level would be a Cobalt, Matrix, A4, Jetta, that's about as small as I can go without gasping at the size of the Mercedes GClass next to me.
Went touring around in my friend's Miata and it is so fun, and a very tinny feeling with convertible rattles and plasticky doors, down so low in traffic wasn't pleasant.
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Mark 3:41PM (6/25/2006)
BuffaloPundit, I do not know if the smart's diesel meets this regulations, however, Mercedes-Benz new BluTec diesels, which will be found this fall on the E-, M-, and R-Class, as well as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, do meet California's diesel restrictions. Mercedes-Benz will definitiley make sure they can be sold in California and New York, because along with Florida, these three states will probably represent more than half of smart sales in the US.
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KL 3:53PM (6/25/2006)
These new cars are just ugly (Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, ect..)...I hate to admit it but as horrible and unsafe looking as this car appears to b it probably will sell like hotcakes in the U.S. simply because of the small car niche genre thing (ie. gas, parking, gas, gas)...
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jorgeEspa?/> 4:52PM (6/25/2006)
in spain the price is 8.000euros and the cabriolet 12.000euros more or less witout options
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Jans Riemersma 4:52PM (6/25/2006)
anyone know if it's the cdi version or the gas version which is being sold? In Canada (Vancouver) even out in the suburbs there are significant numbers, but the only one you can get here is the cdi fortwo with that crazy transmission. Also, the car is extremely safe by any standards, with a unibody construction. The only reason I don't have one myself is because I regularly have to haul more than two people around in off-road situations....
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quandmeme 5:15PM (6/25/2006)
PR and the Da Vinci code?
I have been following smart since 2003 and hoping that my next car can be one (the roadster actually, too bad, though.) I think the exposed tridim frame will help it advertize safety, I think its ad campaign should be two pronged one on the tridim cell and the rest their classic image advertizing. But those of you who have seen the Da Vinci Code movie, is there a good tie-in for them?
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Jonathan Fingas 6:54PM (6/25/2006)
Why are so many people contributing to the myth that Smarts are unsafe in an SUV-heavy American market?
First, these cars actually have better safety ratings than some of the larger compact cars. The fortwo has side-impact airbags; they're not standard on most cars in the class.
Plus, it's a circular argument to claim that you need a big car because others are driving big cars. Isn't that in effect saying that no one in the US should drive a small car, ever? You can't just wait for someone else to blink first. Get what you need, not a multi-ton sheetmetal placebo.
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Anthony Albertus 7:31PM (6/25/2006)
HOT. There's a Smart in San Francisco right now, down from Canada.. so freekin sexy. Want. Want. Want. Good move DCX.
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AAM 8:35PM (6/25/2006)
whatta waste. 1st they kill the "entry-level" DCX - PLYMOUTH, now they have put what a couple billion into this car? All the while complaining that they had to "bail" Chrysler out, after they raided the corporate treasury during the "merger". This could have been the "neon" replacement, if they weren't so arrogant. LMAO
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Smart Car of America 9:01PM (6/25/2006)
The Smart ForTwo Pure coupe can be purchased in Canada for about 15,000 US Dollars and a top of the line Smart Passion Cabriolet is roughly 22,000 US Dollars.
The Smart diesel powered models are approximately 800.00 US Dollars more than the turbo gas engine models. This makes the price for a Pure coupe $14,200 and a Passion Cabriolet 21,200 US Dollar.
We foresee no reason that once the smart cars are available through DaimlerChrysler or their third dealer network that prices would not be in line with our friends to the North.
Cost for the Smart cars at the gray market dealers are $25,500 to $35,500 depending on options and of course the greed factor.
These are ballpark figures and will vary from location and dealer.
A few weeks ago there were several Smart cars for sale on EBay.
A seller from Gilbert, Arizona has a 2003 Pulse Coupe with 570 miles, no mention about any warranties or service availability for the outrageous “Buy it Now” price of $46,500.00.
And a 2005 Passion coupe was also being sold on Ebay. The bid was $25,100. However the reserve has not been met.
We foresee no reason that once the smart cars are available through DaimlerChrysler or their third dealer network that prices would not be in line with our friends to the North.
The Pure coupe can be purchased in Canada for about 15,000 US Dollars and a top of the line Smart Passion Cabriolet is roughly 21,000 US Dollars.
The Smart diesel powered models are approximately 800.00 US Dollars more than the turbo gas engine models. This makes the price for a Pure coupe $14,200 and a Passion Cabriolet 20,200 US Dollars.
So mathematically a person who waits could purchase virtually two Smart Pure coupes for the price some individuals are asking for one.
When Beetle hit the showrooms in March of 1998, its sticker price was $16,000, yet some dealers were getting as much as $30,000 for the '60s throwback.
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David Thompson 9:59PM (6/25/2006)
"I would hate to be in that smart car when the bloated soccer mom rear ends you in her Tahoe while beating her children."
Bah. Given the size and weight differential between the two, plus the shape of the safety cage, the fortwo would just bounce off the Tahoe. It would be like this on wheels:
http://spankgranny.com/files/img/atlasphere.jpg
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