Photo: smart
Daimler hoped it could be the company to convince Americans there was a place for (really) small cars on their roads as well, and planned to do so with its two-seater model, called fortwo.
To be fairly honest, its ambitions were a little too high to begin with, as not even Europe has bought into the whole smart idea with all its teeth. And people on the Old Continent have all the reasons to want small, fuel efficient cars.
There are two things worth taking into account: urban traffic and city layout, on the one hand, and the price of fuel on the other. Europe has its intricately laid-out towns with narrow streets and very heavy traffic during rush hours. Also, people tend to cover shorter distances on a daily basis than Americans do. As for the price of gas, let’s just pray it never reaches those levels over in the U.S., or there will be chaos.
The Americans have every reason not to care that much about being cramped inside a tiny car: their roads are wider, most cities have a grid-style layout and, therefore, can fight-off congestion with more ease, while the price of gas keeps on going down after the scare from a few years ago.
All these factors, combined with a high asking price, have made the smart a fluke on the American market, with just 5,432 units sold during the first nine months of 2015. Compared to the same period of 2014, that’s a hefty 32.8 percent decrease. To put the number even further into perspective, Maserati, a luxury brand selling $90,000 cars and beyond, has better records for the first three-quarters of 2015 than smart. And the Italian marque isn’t at its finest hour either.
Unless something dramatic happens, Daimler should realize the smart brand has no future here and quietly pack its bags and send it back home. No shame in that. Especially since the main name in its passenger cars portfolio, Mercedes-Benz, is on such a spectacular rise.
There are two things worth taking into account: urban traffic and city layout, on the one hand, and the price of fuel on the other. Europe has its intricately laid-out towns with narrow streets and very heavy traffic during rush hours. Also, people tend to cover shorter distances on a daily basis than Americans do. As for the price of gas, let’s just pray it never reaches those levels over in the U.S., or there will be chaos.
The Americans have every reason not to care that much about being cramped inside a tiny car: their roads are wider, most cities have a grid-style layout and, therefore, can fight-off congestion with more ease, while the price of gas keeps on going down after the scare from a few years ago.
All these factors, combined with a high asking price, have made the smart a fluke on the American market, with just 5,432 units sold during the first nine months of 2015. Compared to the same period of 2014, that’s a hefty 32.8 percent decrease. To put the number even further into perspective, Maserati, a luxury brand selling $90,000 cars and beyond, has better records for the first three-quarters of 2015 than smart. And the Italian marque isn’t at its finest hour either.
Unless something dramatic happens, Daimler should realize the smart brand has no future here and quietly pack its bags and send it back home. No shame in that. Especially since the main name in its passenger cars portfolio, Mercedes-Benz, is on such a spectacular rise.
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