How long will smart last in america??

[andy'smart]

how long will smart last in the usa? will it be like the real mini, the yugo, the geo metro? will it need to adapt to the american market in upcoming models? ...get bigger?

[JD10367]

The "real mini" is a small sports car. Different animal.

The Yugo was a POS.

It doesn't need to "adapt to the American market" if you mean "get bigger". That's the whole point of this car.

[yuckmoon]

Personally I've never cared for big vehicles. As long as there is a safe small car out there that's what you'll find me in

[RLove]

Whomever has the answer to this question needs to contact me with info on the next big thing, winning lottery numbers, sports scores for the upcoming seasons, etc.

Who knows. Accurately predict what we'll all be driving in ten years and you can write your own ticket. All the auto manufacturers would've like to have known you ten years back too.

PS: All Mini's are real Mini's, the real ones as you call them were just the original's. They were cool, but so are the new generation. Nobody would buy a car built like the original nowadays. Crank windows? No GPS? No A/C? No power seats? No airbags? I don't think so. Everything adapts over time - it doesn't necessarily get larger...and in many cases - gets better.

[forestacademy]

Considering it is one of the few cars selling in this country right now I get the feeling it will outlast at least 1 of the "Big 3" US aoutomakers

GM flat broke?

And they wanted to by Chrysler with governments help

[andy'smart]

Originally Posted by RLove

Whomever has the answer to this question needs to contact me with info on the next big thing, winning lottery numbers, sports scores for the upcoming seasons, etc.

Who knows. Accurately predict what we'll all be driving in ten years and you can write your own ticket. All the auto manufacturers would've like to have known you ten years back too.

PS: All Mini's are real Mini's, the real ones as you call them were just the original's. They were cool, but so are the new generation. Nobody would buy a car built like the original nowadays. Crank windows? No GPS? No A/C? No power seats? No airbags? I don't think so. Everything adapts over time - it doesn't necessarily get larger...and in many cases - gets better.

lol. when i say real mini, i meant original. the new ones are cool too. if they didnt make them the size of a corolla, they's be cooler tho. P.S. my smart has crank windows, no A.C. nor gps, and i couldnt love it more. simplicity in a car is cool. i know how it all works. lol.

my thought is that in large part americans like BIG cars. i think with our gas scare, smart has a better chance, but our "type" of car more less has not been a huge market in the US in the past. I love spending the $20 to fill my tank. i want my next car to be a smart. with that said, smart stopping its export to the US still in the back of my mind.

[2micro4u]

I predict at a minimal it will last 3-5 years. But I feel it will last especially if SMART devolops another model like SMART that can hold 4 or a sports car verson SMART.

[Woody14619]

Reality is they already changed the smart for the American market. It's longer and has a larger engine than the "original" smarts from Europe and Canada.

As for will it continue to sell in the US? Sure it will. It fills a niche that has until now not been filled. It's a high-up 2-seater with good mileage and a cool look. Will it sell like it's been selling the past year, with long waits to get one? No. Nobody expects it to once the backlog has been filled. But considering they're seeing record sales when most other manufacturers are seeing record slumps, I'm betting they're going to be around a lot longer than some of the competition.

[rfernatt]

Originally Posted by 2micro4u

I predict at a minimal it will last 3-5 years. But I feel it will last especially if SMART devolops another model like SMART that can hold 4 or a sports car verson SMART.

I agree that smart could do well with a well packaged four door companion model ala Yaris or Fit 5-door hatch. Something that seats four with cargo room that's smaller than the Yaris/Fit, but slightly larger than the iQ. However, even without the addition of other smart models, they could multiply the powertrain and trim level options to attract a larger audience.

If they really wanted to experiment with customization, how about a Dell type ordering process where you can completely customize the car's options and accessories? Since you have to order and wait anyway, it wouldn't seem to far fetched...

More and better color options wouldn't hurt...

[forestacademy]

Perhaps they need to go after the good old boy crowd with the dog in the Pickup bed.
Smart Pickup Truck - Smart Car of America Gallery



Slap a confederate flag on the side and you have a whole new market segment.