Fortwo/Forfour New Smart ForFour - Latest Spy Pics
The Smart Fortwo (stylized as "smart fortwo") is a two-seater city car manufactured and marketed by the Smart division of the Mercedes-Benz Group for model years 1998–2024, across three generations - each using a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and a one-box design. The Smart Forfour (stylized as "smart forfour") is a city car (A-segment) marketed by Smart over two generations. The first generation was marketed in Europe from 2004 to 2006 with a front-engine configuration, sharing its platform with the Mitsubishi Colt.
Mr. Mercedes
Premium
Mercedes board please listen to us!
Turn Smart into 'Smart by Mercedes Benz' and take the fight straight to BMWi.
Turn Smart into 'Smart by Mercedes Benz' and take the fight straight to BMWi.
Mr. Mercedes
Premium
I really like this Smart. It looks great!
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
Suspect it may be introduced tomorrow morning starting at 10:45AM Frankfurt time in the Mercedes press conference together with the GLA.
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
Confirming recent rumors.
High costs likely to keep Smart's 4-seater from U.S.
DETROIT -- U.S. dealers aren't likely to get the new Smart ForFour four-seat car that goes on sale in Europe this year. Although executives said a decision hasn't been made, the car has not been homologated for the United States, Smart boss Annette Winkler said here at the auto show. Smart isn't sure there is a big enough market in the United States for the ForFour to warrant the cost of homologation, she said. Winkler said the redesigned ForTwo, which is wider and roomier than the current model, may be enough to increase U.S. sales. "There are other regulations to comply with, and to achieve what is needed here costs extra money," she said. Smart sales fell 7 percent in the U.S. market to 9,264 last year.Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, says Smart is more of a 10,000 unit niche player than a volume brand. Its fuel economy will help Mercedes-Benz meet tougher future corporate average fuel economy regulations, he said.
The microcar segment in the United States shrunk while the entire market grew last year, he said. Even if the company decided to sell the ForFour in the United States, the bump in annual volume wouldn't be that significant, perhaps increasing from 10,000 units to 20,000 units a year. So why even keep Smart? Cannon says first of all, he'd have to pay the 92 Mercedes-Benz dealers who sell Smart if the network was shut down. "We have allowed it to find its own level, and it has marketing and a $99 lease," Cannon said referring to the lease rate for the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive car.
Smart lowered the monthly lease rate, which included a monthly fee of $80 to rent the battery, from $199 to $99 for the 2014 model year. The battery-electric car went on sale last May only in the so-called CARB states with tighter emissions standards. Smart sold 921 of the electric cars in the United States in 2013. Sales in all 50 states begin in February. "Customers are not gravitating to those segments," Cannon said.
The United States, unlike Europe, is predominantly a country of suburbs rather than cities, and people have to travel longer distances to work, he said. "We are spread out, and that is never going to change."
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140118/OEM04/301209944/high-costs-likely-to-keep-smarts-4-seater-from-u.s.
High costs likely to keep Smart's 4-seater from U.S.
DETROIT -- U.S. dealers aren't likely to get the new Smart ForFour four-seat car that goes on sale in Europe this year. Although executives said a decision hasn't been made, the car has not been homologated for the United States, Smart boss Annette Winkler said here at the auto show. Smart isn't sure there is a big enough market in the United States for the ForFour to warrant the cost of homologation, she said. Winkler said the redesigned ForTwo, which is wider and roomier than the current model, may be enough to increase U.S. sales. "There are other regulations to comply with, and to achieve what is needed here costs extra money," she said. Smart sales fell 7 percent in the U.S. market to 9,264 last year.Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, says Smart is more of a 10,000 unit niche player than a volume brand. Its fuel economy will help Mercedes-Benz meet tougher future corporate average fuel economy regulations, he said.
The microcar segment in the United States shrunk while the entire market grew last year, he said. Even if the company decided to sell the ForFour in the United States, the bump in annual volume wouldn't be that significant, perhaps increasing from 10,000 units to 20,000 units a year. So why even keep Smart? Cannon says first of all, he'd have to pay the 92 Mercedes-Benz dealers who sell Smart if the network was shut down. "We have allowed it to find its own level, and it has marketing and a $99 lease," Cannon said referring to the lease rate for the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive car.
Smart lowered the monthly lease rate, which included a monthly fee of $80 to rent the battery, from $199 to $99 for the 2014 model year. The battery-electric car went on sale last May only in the so-called CARB states with tighter emissions standards. Smart sold 921 of the electric cars in the United States in 2013. Sales in all 50 states begin in February. "Customers are not gravitating to those segments," Cannon said.
The United States, unlike Europe, is predominantly a country of suburbs rather than cities, and people have to travel longer distances to work, he said. "We are spread out, and that is never going to change."
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140118/OEM04/301209944/high-costs-likely-to-keep-smarts-4-seater-from-u.s.
Gianclaudio
Aerodynamic Artisan
Gianclaudio
Aerodynamic Artisan
Thanks Wolf! The size is perfect, then. Will look forward to this as for replacing my Fiat. 
Mr. Mercedes
Premium
If they finally get the mechanicals right, this could be quite a success.
Gianclaudio
Aerodynamic Artisan
BTW, is this rear wheel drive powered like the ForTwo?
Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
Rear wheel drive and rear engine like the 42, and comes with manual only initially and a DCT follows about a year later. Seems to be mainly intended for incurable smart fans in Europe, and may not be offered in the Americas. In Bolivia the new Twingo, also with rear wheel drive from the smart 42, may be the better option.
Spyshots: All-New Renault Twingo Spotted for First Time, Looks Like Twin'Run Concept
Spyshots: All-New Renault Twingo Spotted for First Time, Looks Like Twin'Run Concept
Gianclaudio
Aerodynamic Artisan
Rear wheel drive and rear engine like the 42, and comes with manual only initially and a DCT follows about a year later. Seems to be mainly intended for incurable smart fans in Europe, and may not be offered in the Americas. In Bolivia the new Twingo, also with rear wheel drive from the smart 42, may be the better option.
Spyshots: All-New Renault Twingo Spotted for First Time, Looks Like Twin'Run Concept
Thanks Wolf, you're a legend. Twingo is not offered here, so a private import Smart is not a bad idea at all. Will look forward to the finished product
Thanks again mate.
Giannis
Staff member
Rear wheel drive and rear engine like the 42, and comes with manual only initially and a DCT follows about a year later. Seems to be mainly intended for incurable smart fans in Europe, and may not be offered in the Americas. In Bolivia the new Twingo, also with rear wheel drive from the smart 42, may be the better option.
Spyshots: All-New Renault Twingo Spotted for First Time, Looks Like Twin'Run Concept
You mean the upcoming, third generation Twingo. Right Wolf?
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smart
Smart (stylized in lowercase) is a German automotive marque. Smart Automobile Co., Ltd. is a joint
venture established by Mercedes-Benz AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 2019 and aimed at producing
Smart-badged cars in China to be marketed globally. The venture is headquartered in Ningbo, China.
It produces small battery electric vehicles in its manufacturing plant in China.
Official website: smart
Official website: smart
