2012 Smart Cars

The Smart Fortwo has been a smash hit in Europe, but failed to gain a foothold in America outside of major urban centers.  The tiny two-seat vehicles and their underpowered engines may not be the right fit for the United States, but the city cars continue to be sold here, and have found an audience looking for an ultra-compact car that’s easy to park and easy on gasoline. Smart will be bringing a four seater vehicle, dubbed the ForFour, in the near future, as well as alternative transportation methods, like electric-powered cars and bicycles.

Conceived as a partnership between Swiss watchmaker Swatch and Mercedes-Benz, the original Smart Fortwo debuted in 1999 with both gasoline and diesel power, but the first exports didn’t arrive Stateside until 2007. Grey imports trickled in from 2004, but Penske Automotive did not get an approved distributorship until 3 years later. The U.S. models lacked a diesel engine and were sold outside of Mercedes-Benz dealers. Sales have been underwhelming, leading to questions about Smart’s strategy in the U.S. marketplace.