Micro-hybrid Smart should arrive Stateside in the next two years

When the Smart ForTwo goes on sale in the U.S. in January, it will come in three trim levels, but all of them will use the same 800cc gasoline-fueled engine with a semi-automatic transmission. According to SmartUSA President David Schembri, it likely won't stay that way for long. The micro-hybrid system that recently went on sale in Europe will be added to the US lineup within two years. The battery-powered version that is currently being tested in the UK is still a few years away though.

So far Smart has received 30,000 of the refundable $90 reservations for the ForTwo and 8,000 of those have been contacted by Smart to reconfirm their interest. Of those, ninety percent have made their reservations firm orders and only seven percent have opted for refunds.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]