smart USA Newsletter, vol. 9

[smartcar]

Here is the entire newsletter from smart USA. What is everyone's feedback on this?

[SmartCard]

ahhh, you beat me to the draw!!


To me the most important section is "The next step":
The USA models of the smart fortwo will begin production within the next few months. As such, smart USA will begin contacting reservation holders about taking reservation preferences to the next step. Over the next few months, batches of reservation holders will be contacted to confirm their vehicle preferences, choose any factory options, and send their smart fortwo configuration to the factory.

the key word I think is "batches" which presumably will be done chronologically as I suggested before. We will see!
Its progress....and I like progress!

[shack01]

I'm glad #9 is out. I was going to post an inquiry as to its whereabouts this week. That said, its really nothing new as everything remains "a few months" out. I was hoping for some meat in this newsletter and some actual dates. A production start is the best news, however. Two thumbs up for that!

tm

P.S. and the "enthusiast" web site? ouch! aren't we good enough here? My feelings are hurt.

[delyan]

there is nothing new. it's always in the next few months. think about it! the first dealership will supposedly open at the beginning of 2008 in Fairfield, CT. how can they start selling cars before they even open a dealership or there is something that I don't know?
I haven't heard anything about the crash tests.
at least if they are close to start selling the Smarts, they should say what options the cars come with.

[SmartCard]

well I do think that despite the lack of info so far from SmartUSA, that they are indeed actively working on this and not sitting on their hands. It does take time to build, check quality control and ship orders (by boat!) across the Atlantic. So even if a dealer were to contact you in October for your order (and you were the first in line), you would probably not see your car until no earlier then January, just in time to arrive for "the dealership opening in early 2008". And at this point, all the dealership needs is a desk and a few chairs! :P

[smart1]

Did anyone get the comment below (at the beginning of the newsletter)?:

Many of you have been asking, “what’s next?” Over the next few months, smart USA will begin sharing very important updates with our reservation holders and insiders, including full technical specifications, introductory pricing, the dealership network, and the next steps in the ordering process.

What introductory pricing? Didn't they already announce that?

[rgaus]

They've always indicated that the currently quoted pricing was not firm. When it is firm, they can begin writing up the contracts. "Starting at $12,000" for the Pulse can mean many different things depending upon options costs being reasonable or enormous. Pricing is already set in Europe on the new smart models, however, so this is a bit confusing on why they haven't firmed up pricing yet. My guess is that it has much more to do with the value of the dollar to the Euro and the actual dates of shipping than it does to anything else.

Ron Gaus, aSmartCar.com