New York, 31 March 2015: The new smart fortwo will have its official US premiere at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS, 3. – 12. April 2015). Following the successful market launch in Europe with a sharp rise in registration figures (+ 40.5 as per February), the city coupé will also be available in the USA from the autumn. A key element of smart’s success is car2go, the most successful car sharing programme in the world. In North America car2go is available in 14 cities.
“After getting off to a successful start in Europe, we are now looking forward to the market launch in the USA,” says smart boss Annette Winkler. “With the uniquely agile, compact smart fortwo, the DCT dual clutch transmission which is to feature as standard in the USA and our unique digital services covering all aspects of motoring, we are set to win over totally new categories of customer.”
- Safety: New tridion safety cell with markedly higher proportions of ultra-high-strength hot-formed steels and super-high-strength multiphase steel. The assistance systems include crosswind assist (standard), forward collision warning (option) and Lane Keeping Assist (option).
- Drive: State-of-the-art three-cylinder turbo engine with an output – in the USA – of 88 hp and 135 Nm of torque.
- Transmission: Five-speed manual transmission or optional twinamic six-speed dual clutch transmission.
- Chassis: The new chassis has 100 mm more track width than its predecessor – good for added driving stability without impairing agility.
- Design: The appearance of the third-generation smart fortwo exudes a clear, purist character and has undergone further development along very progressive lines. With its typical attributes such as the profile with the ultra-short overhangs, its clear lines and surfaces and the likeable smart face it remains unmistakably smart: fresh, modern and self-confident.
- Infotainment: Bluetooth features as standard on board every smart. A smartphone or tablet computer can simply be connected to the vehicle for access to music or apps (including the smart cross connect app).
…the new smart fortwo has the smallest turning circle of any car? Short overhangs, a high steering angle and a short vehicle length mean that the smart only needs a distance of 6.95 metres from kerb to kerb in order to perform a U-turn.
…China is now the second-largest market for smart after Germany? The first smart fortwos made their way to China in 2009. The smart brand now has 143 showrooms in 77 cities. Over 70,000 units have been sold to date. And the smart fortwo has been voted Chinese “Car of the Year” in its segment every year since its market launch.
…car2go is the largest car-sharing enterprise in the world? In December 2014, smart’s affiliated company welcomed its one millionth user in Florence, Italy. This makes the mobility service the largest car-sharing service worldwide. Since the company’s launch, the white and blue fleet now totalling some 13,000 smart fortwos has chalked up over 32 million hire transactions and is on the road in eight countries and 29 cities.
…car2go is available in 14 cities in North America and almost 6000 vehicles are available for car sharing? These are the cities with car2go: Austin (US state of Texas, 375 vehicles), Calgary (Canadian province of Alberta, 550), Columbus (Ohio, 300), Denver (Colorado, 450), South Bay L.A. (California, 115), Miami (Florida, 280), Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota-Wisconsin, 535), Montreal (Quebec, 340), Portland (Oregon, 590), San Diego (California, 400), Seattle (Washington, 500), Toronto (Ontario, 425), Vancouver (British Columbia, 750), Washington (District of Columbia, 500). The most recent launch was in Brooklyn N.Y.C. in October 2014, with 250 vehicles.
…smart is now on the market in 46 countries all over the world? Over 1.6 million fortwos have been delivered worldwide since 1998.
…the smart sales and distribution network underwent substantial expansion in the final months prior to the launch of the new generation? The number of sales outlets has risen by 300 in the last four years, to a total of 1270, for example. China, the second-largest smart market, has witnessed particularly rapid growth: there are now more than 140 sales outlets in the Middle Kingdom, compared to just 16 in 2010.
…the sales figures for the smart fortwo electric drive in the USA have risen from 10 percent (end of 2013) to 25 percent at present.
