Smart (automobile) Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Smart (short for Swatch Mercedes Art, sometimes called the MCC Smart ) is a brand of compact automobiles. The original Smart was a very small 2-seater automobile, but a coupe convertible and small SUV have been added, extending the brand into a true marque, part of DaimlerChrysler as Micro Compact Car GmbH. The company name was changed to Smart GmbH in September 2002.
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2 Fortwo 3 Forfour 4 Smart roadster 5 Formore 6 See also 7 External link |
The cars are manufactured at a purpose-built factory complex (called Smartville) in Hambach, France, established in 1994 as a joint-venture of Daimler-Benz and the Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch.
The project was originally supported by Swatch, and was nicknamed the "Swatchmobile". It had a lot of media coverage in Europe. The car was supposed to be full of very innovative features (such as hybrid engine) and to be an affordable car for young people.
Being inexperienced in automobiles, Swatch teamed in a joint venture with Daimler-Benz to finalize and produce the product. When the car issued it was far from expectations: technology was conventional and it was more expensive than most small 4-seater cars sold in Europe. The joint venture experienced heavy losses and Swatch pulled out.
The Fortwo is the original Smart model that was launched in 1998. The name Fortwo was introduced when Smart began to produce new models. The car is intended primarily for urban use, is powered by small petrol or diesel engines. It is light (740 kg), its construction based on a reinforced steel shell with plastic body panels. Its short length (2.5 m) means that two Smarts can share a normal-size parking bay.
The car is popular in Europe and Japan. It is the only non-Japanese car that fulfills the regulations for Keicars. Although one of the cars is an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, the car is not available in the USA. It is scheduled for US release in 2006, but it was introduced in Canada as a 2005 model in September 2004.
The Forfour is a new model introduced in 2004. Unlike his little "brother", it is a more conventional car, a real compact segment hatchback with a roomy interior, and four- or five-seater configuration.
To save production costs, and allow the brand to price it as a classy "personality" car for in the European market, the Smart Forfour shares most of its components with the 2003 Mitsubishi Colt, including chassis, suspensions and a new generation of MIVEC engines, 3 or 4 cylinder, ranging from 1.1 to 1.5 L. A Brabus prepared sports version will be available from 2005.
The larger Formore will be released worldwide (including the United States) in 2005. It is a small all wheel drive SUV and rides on the same platform as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The architecture will be shared with the Mercedes-Benz X-Class. Power will come from a 1.8 L straight-4 or a 3.0 L V6. It will be built at a DaimlerChrysler factory in Brazil rather than the French Smartville factory.
This is an Article on Smart (automobile). Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Smart (automobile) History
Fortwo
Forfour
Smart roadster
Formore
See also
External link