Smart ForTwo

Starting MSRP:$11,590
Vehicle type: hatchback and convertible
EPA fuel economy: city: 40 / hwy: 60
Available engines:
71-hp, 1.0-liter I-3
Available transmissions:
five-speed automatic

Automotive mighty mouse set for action in America
from Smart

The new Smart ForTwo is scheduled to be available in the United States beginning in the first quarter of 2008.

Smart, like Mercedes-Benz and Maybach, is part of the Mercedes Car Group. The new version of its diminutive ForTwo - designed to meet U.S. customer needs and registration standards - is more comfortable, more agile, safer and more environmentally friendly than its European predecessor.

With fuel prices rising again and city traffic increasing by the day, the Smart ForTwo seems to be the right car at the right time for the North American market.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the two-seater quickly became popular after its launch in October 1998. More than 770,000 customers have chosen the first-generation ForTwo, often to replace a larger car.

The Smart ForTwo is fun to drive and highly practical, especially for people who live in urban areas. Because of its size - just 106 inches long, more than 3 feet shorter than a Mini Cooper - people can make faster progress through the city in a Smart ForTwo. They don't even need to search for a parking place because the ForTwo can fit in a very limited space.

UnitedAuto Group is Smart's distribution partner to bring the ForTwo to the U.S. market. Dealers will include a selection of UnitedAuto Group, DaimlerChrysler and nonaffiliated dealers.

UnitedAuto Group, headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., operates 319 dealerships with 41 brands.

The United States will be the 37th country to sell the Smart ForTwo.

In 2002, the ForTwo was included in the permanent collection in New York's Museum of Modern Art. It is the only vehicle there that is still produced.