Monday, May 20, 2013
2013 Smart ForFour Review and Prices
Consumer Guides Impressions of the 2013 Smart ForFour
Rumor has it that Mercedes minicar division will add a four-passenger model--again. The new ForFour hatchback seems a smart idea (sorry) and a sure thing for the U.S.
What We Know About the 2013 Smart ForFour
It looks like the minicar subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG is going back to the future. European sources say Smart is planning a 4-door, four-passenger hatchback to supplement its teeny 2-door, two-passenger ForTwo coupe and convertible. Smart once offered such a car, the Dutch-built ForFour, but it was sold only in Europe and didnt sell well enough to stem persistent financial losses; it was yanked after just two years (2004-06). The new 2013 Smart ForFour, which is also being rumored for the "ForTwo+2" name, is not expected until calendar 2013 at the earliest, which could mean a 2014-model U.S. debut. Theres also talk of a new three-passenger Smart Roadster as a spiritual successor to the two-passenger Euro-market sports car of 2003-05. More on that in the "Notable Feature" section.
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The Smart brand launched in 1998 with the iconic City Coupe, later named ForTwo. That car was never officially sold in America, but developed a cult following that led to a good many being brought in privately. The ForFour and Roadster were intended to broaden Smarts Euro-market appeal and turn the companys ledger from red ink to black. Instead, they only made matters worse. Thats why Daimler decided to reset Smart by focusing solely on a redesigned ForTwo and to sanction official U.S. sales for the first time--albeit through an independent franchise, Smart USA, owned and operated by Penske Automotive Group. (Daimler execs evidently blanched at the idea of American Benz dealers selling teensy two-passenger minicars alongside grand S-Class sedans.) Helped by initially solid U.S. ForTwo sales (starting with model-year 08), Smart finally made a small profit, prompting new ideas for additional models to extend the brands market reach.
