America desperate for more Smart cars

Posted Tue Mar 25 2008 6:12 PM by Kenneth Hall

Despite America’s reluctance to embrace compact econo-cars, Mercedes’ diminutive Smart Fortwo is selling far beyond expectations in the few months that it’s been on sale in the world’s biggest car market. Sales of the car were expected to be strong in urban areas like Los Angeles and New York but the car is also proving popular in Middle America.

Customers are also choosing to equip the cars with many of the optional extras. Speaking with Automotive News, the CEO of Smart’s official U.S. importer, Roger Penske, revealed that customers are spending on average $1,600 on extras – about 15% of the car’s base price.

"This is not a customer who is buying a car because it is cheap," Penske said. "People are interested in its urban friendliness and its fuel economy," he said. "It is the total of what we offer."

Coinciding with the car’s launch in the U.S., officials took the car on a 50-city road trip to promote it at sporting events and retail outlets. The tactic proved so successful that the cars are now sold out for the next two years.

Reader Comments

Wed Mar 26 2008 2:25 AM
Gus says

I saw on on I-5 heading south from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

I followed him for a while. Whenever he went to pass a big tractor trailer, the air blast from the front of the truck nearly pushed him off the road.

He did not look happy when I passed him.

Definitely not a car for big interstates...
Wed Mar 26 2008 2:43 PM
SuperSkyline89 says

I'd never drive one
Wed Mar 26 2008 7:04 PM
Gus says

I would.

As long as everyone else was...
Thu Mar 27 2008 6:37 PM
John says

I drove next to one over Easter on the QEW outside Toronto, the dude was going 70mph and rockin it like he was driving a Bentley.

Myself and all the people in my car were laughing hysterical, they're just so tiny, I could never take one on a highway.

For a city-dweller in the 5 burroughs of NYC would make sense though.
Sat Mar 29 2008 12:46 AM
Quan says

I recently raced one.

And the guy driving the Smart Car blew past me.

That's the last time, I race with a golf cart. It was close for the first 10 seconds though.

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