Quote:
Originally posted by tcar
They (both models) have been available in Canada and Mexico for awhile. Supposed to be coming to US later this year.
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Nope - Mercedes-Benz USA Corporate Axed the Smart coming to the US over a year ago.
Something about a cost-cutting measure. I've personally driven both a Smart fortwo (car in the pictures above) as well as the Smart forfour. The forfour was a bit more conventional - front engined Mitsu powerplant. But in today's fuel-conscious world, a Smart fortwo would have been ideal. Could have sold a lot of them. (BTW: IIRC, they are NOT turbocharged cars - in Europe, they may have had a turbodiesel.)
Yet another example of MB-USA being a day late, and a dollar short. Remember the A-class based fuel cell car they were displaying YEARS before the Insight/Prius? Remember the SLA concept roadster - a mini version of the SLK that would have competed against the likes of the Miata and Z4 and S2000?
Yep: All good ideas - all met thrown out the door. So, what did they do instead? Remember the fugly C-class coupe? The hatchback CRX looking thing? Didn't last more than 3 years... And ya can't forget that wonderful new minivan, er, I mean Grand Sport Tourer, the R-class.
Bitter? No, I'm not bitter. Really.
-Z-man.