Smart to make a profit this year?

DaimlerChrysler’s troubled smart subsidiary may make a profit this year according to Ulrich Walker, boss of the brand. Speaking to the press at the launch of the recently revealed smart Fortwo, Walker said that the new model would enable the company to enter new and emerging markets such as China and USA, as well as increase market share in countries already well acquainted with smart like Spain and France. Though he didn’t have an official financial forecast, Walker said that reduced development costs and the increased appeal of the new model would put the company back into the black.

A recent story confirmed that DCX had managed to decrease the production costs of the Fortwo by a massive 12% and at the same time build cars five times faster at the smart factory in France.

The chances that we'll see a hybrid smart are very low, claimed Walker, because the conversion and development costs make it unfeasible. Instead, smart will be introducing a new feature where the engine will automatically shut itself down in stop-start traffic to further reduce consumption. The new Fortwo will be available in Europe from the beginning of April, with prices beginning from €9490.