I never thought I'd say this, but the Smart Car from Daimler Chrysler actually looks appealing.  Heck, with gas prices at $3.29 a gallon, I'm considering buying a donkey for my morning commute.  Soon, if everything goes as planned, the Smart Car will be available in the U.S., but not from who you'd expect.  Although Daimler Chrysler will sell the Smart Car in Canada this September, they believe the U.S. market won't take kindly to the mini-vehicle.  Instead, they're developing a Smart SUV for Americans that is scheduled to be released in 2006.

You're probably thinking, how are Smart Cars coming to the U.S. if Daimler Chrysler's not selling them?  Simple.  Thomas Heidemann, a German entrepreneur, felt Daimler Chrysler made a mistake, so he invested $5 million to import the Smart Car to America.  It's taken two years, but with the help of G&K Automotive Conversion, a company based out of California, Heidemann finally has received approval from the National Highway Transportation System.  All that's necessary now is approval from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Heidemann, along with ZAP, another California company, is currently lining up dealers to sell the new vehicles, pending the EPA's approval.  Dealers will be fully equipped with service centers, and each vehicle will come warrantied from Heidemann's company, smart-automobile.  If you're interested in owning your own Smart Car, pricing will be between $12,000 for the base model and $20,000 for the fully-loaded convertible.

Judging by the sales of other hybrids, I think it's a safe bet the Smart Car will sell well in the U.S.  I also like the fact that we, the American consumers, will be able to choose for ourselves whether or not to buy a Smart Car, as opposed to Daimler Chrysler not giving us the option by only selling the vehicles in Europe.  Would I personally buy one?  I'm still looking into a donkey.







Photos Copyright © 2005, smart gmbh

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