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Smart Fortwo News

Small cars are failing to drive big sales
By Richard Blackburn · 25 Mar 2016
Micro cars may be on the nose in Australia but no one seems to have told the makers.
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Smart car brand axed in Australia
By Joshua Dowling · 05 Mar 2015
The world's smallest car, the Smart ForTwo, will soon be withdrawn from sale locally because Australians aren't prepared to pay a premium for a city runabout.Priced from $18,990 drive-away the Smart car costs almost as much as a Toyota Corolla but is half the size and only has two seats.In Europe, where parking space is a premium, the Smart car has been a sales success because it is viewed as a "four-wheeled scooter" for its ability to squeeze into the tightest of spots.Australian sales have been in freefall since a peak in 2005Originally a joint venture between watch maker Swatch and the inventor of the automobile Mercedes-Benz, the Smart is only marginally longer than most cars are wide and can park perpendicular to the footpath.But Australian sales have been in freefall since a peak in 2005; demand became so weak that vehicle orders moved to online only in June 2013.Just 22 Smart cars have been sold so far this year in a market that is showing signs of recovery.Buyers have shunned the pint-sized parking solutionEven though Australia's cities and inner suburbs are becoming more congested, buyers have shunned the pint-sized parking solution."We worked really hard to keep the Smart car but not enough Australians are buying it in the numbers we need to make it viable," said Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy. "It's regrettable, but it's the way it is."More than 4400 Smart cars have been sold in Australia in the 12 years since 2003, including 296 Smart Roadsters from 2003 to 2006 and 585 ForFour four-door hatchbacks from 2004 to 2007.To date, 3517 of the more widely recognised Smart ForTwo cars have been sold in Australia over two model generations.Mercedes-Benz says it will continue to offer service and parts for the Smart cars that have been sold in Australia and that it has a couple of months worth of unsold stock remaining.Mr McCarthy said: “Mercedes-Benz dealers … will continue to provide service and support to the Smart range.” Leaving the door open for its possible return at a later date he added: “Mercedes-Benz Australia will continue to monitor potential Smart brand opportunities in the market.”Ironically, the news of Smart's demise in Australia comes after the company released an all-new model in Europe that addresses the criticisms of the current car, and would likely find broader appeal thanks to its roomier cabin and more car-like driving dynamics. Now it won't make the boat to Australia.Mercedes-Benz says a high proportion of Smart ForTwo buyers in Australia also own one of its $200,000 S-Class limousine flagshipsThe original Smart model was known for its use as a novelty car towing advertising billboards, featured in the DaVinci Code movie as a getaway vehicle, and Mercedes-Benz even commissioned US fashion designer Jeremy Scott to create his dream Smart car, on which he fitted giant wings.The Smart car also attracted wealthy buyers. Mercedes-Benz says a high proportion of Smart ForTwo buyers in Australia also own one of its $200,000 S-Class limousine flagships and use the Smart as a second car.The shutdown of the Smart brand locally is another sign of how cut-throat the Australian new-car market has become.Last year the Opel brand from Germany was axed after just 11 months, while in 2009 the iconic Cadillac brand from the US aborted its launch in Australia at the 11th hour, after dealers had been appointed and cars had been imported.There are more than 60 automotive brands competing for 1.1 million annual sales in Australia – compared to 38 marques in the USA and 46 in western Europe, both of which sell more than 15 times as many cars as Australia.2014: 1082013: 1262012: 1422011: 2362010: 2872009: 3822008: 3302007: 4592006: 7732005: 7992004: 4792003: 255
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2015 Smart ForTwo revealed
By Joshua Dowling · 17 Jul 2014
The inventor of the motor car has re-invented it, with the new Smart ForTwo.
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Smart ForTwo drag car | video
By Malcolm Flynn · 24 Apr 2014
We always knew that Smart’s foray into the US market was an ambitious one, with the tiny ForTwo contrasting sharply with the American taste for pickup trucks and big SUVs.And now one US ForTwo owner has bridged the gap between the three cylinder, two-seat micro and more common US fare by sitting it atop a big block Chevy V8 and drag car chassis.With classic bigs ‘n littles placed well outside the ForTwo’s compact body, the result looks like the offspring of a Smart and a 60s F1 car, with the exhaust note of a monster truck. Plenty of people have fitted powerful motorcycle engines to their Smarts before, but this big block example takes the cake. Watch the desktop version of the Smart ForTwo drag car video here.
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2015 Smart ForTwo | spy shots
By Paul Gover · 17 Mar 2014
ForTwo is coming up soon and Daimler is testing the two-seater city tiddler while it also develops a stretched four-seat model for the first time.The second-generation ForTwo is more cute and curvy than the first, with engine choices that will include a fully-electric model. The new Smart is also being cloned into the new Renault Twingo, which means a switch to rear-wheel drive for the French bebe. 
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Smart ForTwo and ForFour concepts set for Frankfurt
By Viknesh Vijayenthiran · 07 Aug 2013
Smart’s third-generation Fortwo is a year behind schedule, which means it might be some time still until we see the car finally unveiled. To keep interest alive, Smart will reportedly unveil a pair of concepts previewing the design at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show next month.One will be for the new Fortwo while the second will preview a new Forfour. The Forfour, as you may have guessed by its name, is a four-seat version of the Fortwo. It was launched alongside the first-generation Fortwo but never spawned a successor. The latest concepts will more closely resemble the new Smarts than the previous Forstars concept shown in 2012.Underpinning them and the eventual production models they will spawn will be the new platform jointly developed by Smart and alliance partner Renault (the French automaker will use it for its next-generation Twingo). The new platform will be flexible enough to spawn a variety of models including a high-riding crossover, reports Autocar.This larger Smart will target the MINI Countryman, though it is expected to come exclusively with a rear-engine, rear-drive layout. This configuration is said to be a signature of the Smart brand and won’t be changing, at least with the coming generation. Spy shots of both the new Fortwo and new Forfour have surfaced, though they only show test mules in an early stage of development. A debut is likely to take place next year.www.motorauthority.com  
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Smart Fortwo off-road fail
By CarsGuide team · 26 Jun 2013
This German ad for the Smart Fortwo shows how useless the tiny runabout is on off-road terrain. It’s okay though, because it beats any 4x4 wagon over city terrain.
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New car sales price Smart Fortwo
By Paul Pottinger · 18 Jun 2013
A niche purchasing method for that most niche of cars, Smart, has been launched online. The Mercedes-Benz two seat micro car can be bought entirely through a website. There have been online gambits previously, most notably Subaru's 2012 sell out of its entire annual allocation of the BRZ sports car. But Benz managing director Horst Von Sanden says the smart initiative goes further. “While there have been opportunities for customers with other brands to secure a vehicle online with a deposit, the difference with this platform is that every single detail including; calculation of on road and delivery costs, the amount of the payment in full, service packages and dealer delivery point, can be completed via the platform, and won't be restricted to a specific time period”, Von Sanden says. “While we will be adding insurance and finance options shortly, our current customers can either make payment in full with a credit card, or pay a $2000 deposit and complete the balance via Bpay. “We are extremely satisfied with the online platform, and since its introduction last week, four smart cars have already been sold.” Both current models the Smart Fortwo and Smart Fortwo cabrio can be configured in the site. They're priced to driveaway at $18,990 and $20,990 for the open top. The first online Smart Fortwo was bought by James White from Sydney and delivered through Morrison Motors of Chatswood.  
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Smart ForTwo spy shot
By Paul Gover · 14 Sep 2012
... and this test mule points to a potential +2 model with a bigger cabin. The new ForTwo stays as a tiny two-seater but the +2 is expected to add back seats for two more.
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New 2012 Smart Fortwo range arriving
By CarsGuide team · 23 Apr 2012
The substantially revamped smart fortwo sports a markedly more dynamic appearance, featuring a larger radiator grille with integrated logo, striking front aprons in a new design, horizontally arranged LED daytime driving lights, muscular side skirts and modified rear aprons. The five lines: pure, pulse, passion, BRABUS and BRABUS Xclusive are to be retained. Similarly, the smart fortwo will continue to be available as a coupe and cabrio version and with five engine and motor variants. They range from a 40kW diesel through to the 75kW Brabus, but not all models are available in Australia. The chrome-coloured logo is now positioned directly in the black radiator grille. The air inlets under the number plate have been combined into a single unit, lending the smart fortwo a bolder appearance. The new, optionally available LED daytime driving lights are now arranged horizontally. There is also a choice of three new alloy wheels. The choice of colours comprises seven options, including matt anthracite for the first time. The smart fortwo BRABUS Xclusive is now also optionally available in white. In addition to the three soft top colours for the smart cabrio which were previously available from the smart programme (black, red, blue), the smart BRABUS tailor made program offers six other soft top colours. While the main focus of this facelift is on the exterior, there are changes inside the car, too.  These include a new, high-quality interior package in crystal grey, comprising a fresh leather/fabric combination for the seats, an imitation leather/fabric mix for the door trims and black imitation leather for the instrument panel in combination with a grey knee pad.  
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