The 2012 Geneva Motor Show will play host to a refreshed Smart ForTwo, but we won’t have to wait until the show to see what Smart is planning on doing to their micro compact car.

The facelifted Smart ForTwo has some minor exterior changes with a new front bumper that comes equipped with a new mesh grille and air intakes and a redesigned front-upper grille while the rear bumper also gets some tweaks. Engine choices, at least out in Europe, will still be the 1.0L three-cylinder powerplant either naturally aspirated, turbocharged or diesel. The naturally aspirated engine has 61-hp while the turbocharged powerplant pushes out 102-hp. The diesel is equipped with 54-hp.

After its scheduled debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show, the refreshed Smart ForTwo will be available at dealerships all across Europe.

GALLERY: Refreshed Smart ForTwo

[Source: Autoevolution]

In 1989, Rick Moranis played a nerdy dad who accidentally downsized his children to an insect scale in Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. He probably wouldn’t have believed it if someone told him that 23 years later automakers would be doing the same thing to their cars.

For those of us living in the North American 2012, there are increasingly large swarms of little cars buzzing around the streets. The din their tiny engines makes isn’t overwhelming yet, but just wait.

General Motors’ German subsidiary, Opel, is planning to release a micro car they’re calling the Allegra (or, tentatively, Junior). No, not the allergy medication, though the thing is small enough to be mistaken for a bee in ragweed season, at least compared to the standard American palate. When the Allegra hits Europe in 2013 it will probably stand to compete against cars like the Volkswagen Up, MINI Cooper and Fiat 500.

In fact, it’s a solid 3.3 feet longer than the Mercedes-Benz spawned Smart ForTwo, which looks like a cross between a golf cart and an alien space pod. Our spies caught the Opel Allegra on camera during winter testing, but what’s the big deal? Opel cars aren’t sold in North America, right?

Well, not necessarily. Rumors are floating around that the not-so-smallish micro car might make it overseas rebadged as a Buick. (Why not? It’s not the first Buick to come from Opel). And with the recent launch of the Fiat 500 and the Scion iQ on our shores, the market for mini-cars is growing.

Of course, the name will likely change to keep big pharma happy.

GALLERY: Opel Allegra/Junion Spy Photos

Hollywood comedian John Lovitz was on hand in Detroit to help launch the Smart For-Us pick-up concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show today.

Smart might have struggled with sales here in the USA with their fortwo model, but globally this eco-minded brand sold over 100,000 units in 2011.

To capture the American market, Smart is hoping that their new For-Us concept, which is billed as an urban-truck will resonate better in our market. This pick-up however is not designed to carry construction workers and their gear to work. No, the For-Us is aimed towards young couples with an active life-style. So if you are looking for a vehicle to carry your mountain-bikes up to your favorite trail, this would do, just as long as that trail is not too far away.

The For-Us is an electric vehicle and uses the same 55kW motor and 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack first seen on the all-electric Smart fortwo. Range is thus pegged at 86-miles on a full-charge. Performance numbers are a similar story, its brisk, but not fast. acceleration from 0-37 mph takes about 5-seconds.

Will this vehicle just be a concept? Very likely, but it shows that Smart is trying to expand its customer base and market share.

GALLERY: Smart forus Concept

If you were one of the unfortunate kids who never got a Power Wheels for your birthday, you might be in luck thanks to Smart.

No it’s not a joke, though it is just a concept car. Smart sent out a press release today detailing its new For-Us pickup truck. With the most serious face you can muster, picture this: Smart’s latest attempt to grab U.S. attention is small enough to fit inside an average pickup truck bed. The little thing measures a miniature 11.6 feet and features a bed just big enough to squeeze a couple of bikes with their front wheels removed.

Smart said in their release that the ultra-compact pickup could be useful for accessing areas traditional trucks cant fit into, like small trails. Despite the obvious limitations around owning a pickup smaller than some golf carts, the Smart For-Us might have a sliver of merit: it’s an EV. Perhaps if the company sees its way to marketing this little utility buggy, the world might have it’s first zero-emissions pickup truck. Just try not to go too far out into the bush. You wouldn’t want to run out of battery power on the “isolated trails” Smart suggests taking the For-Us on.

If you’re still curious, more details are set to emerge on this curious creation at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.

10. Toyota Yaris 3-Door: $14,115

You can sound polite and say “inexpensive” but if you’re strapped for cash, the most important question when shopping for a new car is: what’s the cheapest car on the market? AutoGuide has got the answer, along with the nine runners up.

Toyota‘s warmed-over Yaris makes the 10th spot on our list with a base price of $14,115 for the 3-door model. The pricier 5-door will run you $15,150.

Using a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder like many of its counterparts the Yaris makes 106-hp and is rated at 38-mpg on the highway making it one of the most efficient models in its class, but not the most efficient. Growing three inches overall, Toyota claims the new car has 68 percent more cargo room than the outgoing model, which it shares a near-identical resemblance with. Standard on all models is air conditioning, nine airbags and power windows.

Mercedes-Benz is rethinking their line of Smart cars and will bring the ForFour, a four door, four passenger vehicle, to American consumers by 2015.

That choice, among others, came after Mercedes-Benz took over distribution of the brand in the U.S. last July. They also plan to scrap the current FourTwo (above) in favor of a new model developed in partnership with Renault, which will share the platform with their Twingo, though the new version won’t be available until 2014.

The 2012 FourTwo Electric will also get an improved interior and new lithium ion batteries from Deutsche Accumotive GmbH, a joint venture between Daimler and Evonik Industries.

[Source: Automotive News]

The Smart fortwo might be the butt of jokes Stateside, but the city car has managed to move 500,000 copies worldwide after launching in its second generation four years ago.

Sales this year are up 6.6 percent, and an electric version is due to launch in the spring of 2012. While other version of the Smart, such as the ill-fated forfour fourseater, haven’t fared well, Smart is looking to expand their horizons by launching products like an electric bicycle in the coming years.

Daimler and German chemical company BASF have teamed up to produce the electric Smart Forvision concept vehicle which premiered at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.  The result is a futuristic-looking Smart car with several innovations designed to maximize energy efficiency from the electric drivetrain.

The Smart Forvision concept uses five new technologies designed to conserve as well as generate energy: transparent organic solar cells, transparent organic light-emitting diodes, new lightweight components, plastic wheels and infrared-reflective materials.

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The Smart car has sold reasonably well around the world, but it has hardly been the sales success its maker wishes it was. To keep the interest of car buyers, every now and then, it comes up with a special edition model.

At this years Frankfurt Auto Show, Smart will show a model that it has developed with the street fashion brand WeSC. This special “Tailor Made” model is being prepared by Mercedes-tuner Brabus and will feature a special gold paint that is gloss in some areas and matte in others. Special jet black wheels and custom leather interior also sets this fortwo cabrio model apart from the regular smart.

The people at Smart also designed a new set of headphones, which will be sold through WeSC shops and Concept Stores around the world.

This special Smart with a 100-hp turbocharged motor will be on display starting September 13 at the Frankfurt Motor Show alongside the new Forvision concept. Look for live photos from AutoGuide’s coverage here.

GALLERY: Smart WeSC

Watch the video after the jump:

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With little in the way of new product, Smart is set to debut yet another concept, this time at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Taking design inspiration from the Smart Forspeed concept that was first shown at the Geneva Auto Show, the Forvision concept is a look at just how efficient the rest of the car can be made in order to get the most out of an electric drivetrain. As a result, the Daimler sub-brand has created a concept that focuses on reducing vehicle weight, while also better managing the effects environmental temperatures have on the cabin.

In terms of reducing weight, the car uses light weight carbon fiber body components as well as the first use of an all-plastic wheel that is, “suitable for high-volume production.” Developed by BASF, Smart claims it weights almost 7 lbs less than a conventional aluminum wheel, while initial durability tests have proven it is up to the task for production use.

In terms of temperature management, the Forvision uses a solar panel roof that can power the car’s HVAC and multimedia controls. Keeping heat outside the car is heat-reflective paint, while inside custom light weight seats use a fleece fabric instead of a venting and heating functions as a natural solution to temperature management. In addition, a heat-reflecting film has been used on the windows, while special heat-reflecting paint has been used on the interior materials to ensure they don’t absorb the sun’s rays.

GALLERY: Smart Forvision