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Higher gasoline prices have an impact on the choices people make. It’s easy to notice how much smaller cars are, on average. There are legions of scooters and motorcycles, which are not only more economical for fuel use, but much easier to park. There is a far more comprehensive mass transit system.
In 2008, people in the U.S. will begin to see more of a small car designed by Mercedes that has been popular in Europe for years. It’s the Smart car and the only reason it hasn’t shown up sooner is because it didn’t seem like the market here was ready for it. At just under 9 feet long, the Smart Car is about 3 feet shorter than the Mini Cooper and 7 feet shorter than the Ford Explorer. At 1,800 pounds, it’s about 4,500 pounds lighter than a Hummer. The biggest concern for some people seems to be safety, but for those who buy for their next crash, that concern has been dealt with, too.
“It’s basically built to be like a race car, with the steel cage technology that protects the occupants,” says Jessica Gamarra, marketing specialist for Smart USA. In addition, the Smart comes equipped with safety features including anti-lock brakes and front and side airbags. The car is designed to achieve a four-star rating out of a possible five stars in government crash tests, according to Smart USA. It also gets better than 40 mpg, which makes it close to some of the smaller current hybrid models in the fuel economy department. With a sticker price under $12,000, it will be interesting to see what kind of reception the Smart car receives on this side of the pond.
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