New Smart CDi

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Not for US.
It gets over 70mpg out of its 45hp diesel engine.
But we won’t get it.
I guess Smart has decided Americans will have to buy Smarts for their looks instead of real fuel economy.
Not that I would get one anyway….

Conversation 16 comments

  1. Parking enforcement here in Toronto zip around in Smart cars now, i’m looking forward to one day seeing a meter maid climb out of one of these to tag another Smart.

  2. 70mpg,…….give me 50mpg in something that won’t make me throw-up everytime I look at it, and it would be nice if it was big enough so the neighbors dog won’t bury it.

    Sometimes small is too small and ugly is not cute, it is just ugly.

  3. Smart cars are proud of their safety cell which transmits impact energy throughout the entire frame instead of the passenger compartment. I wonder how the cabriolet changes crash worthiness. Has anyone seen information about this?

  4. With exception of the comments from the Toronto guy, you can see why Smart won’t sell their cars in the US. Why would they ? There is no market for such a vehicle for people who still are hooked on big petrolsaurus gas guzzlers which are used for driving down a block to pick up a snack consisting of a 2 gallon pepsi and an xxxl deep dish pizza at 7-11. Most Americans probably wouldn’t fit in one !!!

  5. you can see why Smart won’t sell their cars in the US. Why would they ? There is no market for such a vehicle

    =====================
    Its time to crawl out from under that rock !

  6. I drove one for a couple of weeks in Europe, it was great. The difference is, there were alot of other small cars on the road. Here it would kinda worry me having expeditions, yukons, land cruisers etc etc pull up next to me, with the drivers eating their big macs, while talking on their cell phones and picking their noses.

  7. I’m all for fuel economy, but a 45hp Diesel? One of my first cars was a 60hp Diesel Mercedes (1972 220D), and it was dangerously slow. Merging onto the interstate was scary to say the least.

    I could see something like this after a few years of $5-6/gal gas, and they knock the speed limit back down to 55, but I wouldn’t trust those other yahoos on the road in their three ton tanks.

    70mpg is great, but anyone remember the Honda Insight? It got about the same fuel economy, and looks like a small SUV compared to the Smart.

  8. I’d rather ride my Harley than drive this thing. It probably gets better mileage and is a lot more fun. My other rides — a Jeep Wrangler and an Audi A4 convertible — are hardly “big petrolsaurus gas guzzlers”. Please forgive us Americans for wanting some car for our money.

  9. Notice how it leans forward, I’ll bet that girl slides under the dash before she get to where she is going. She probably has both feet on the floorboard pushing, just to stay in the seat.

  10. gorgeous, looks very safe and modern, i think if you are a strong person, your crash ratings get better because your legs hold out the front bumper.

  11. I find it amusing that most car websites have a crowd of people that always portray SUV drivers as fat axx, knuckle dragging, idiots that don’t care about anyone but themselves. They buy these vehicles saying that they feel safer, but “we” (the car enthusiasts) know they mean that they are out to kill us small economical car drivers. Please give that mantra a rest.

  12. the normal smart doesn’t offer “real fuel economy”?

    correct me if im wrong but 2000 lb cars don’t use very much gas…
    but then there is the state of our nation and put an american on anything and it feels like ur driving an elephant.

    is it just me or does it seem like the cockpit of the smart seems to be designed for us americans and the doors seem humongus.

    honestly i’d prefer driving this over some daewoo aveo, its better looking, and its probably safer as well

    if anyone owns one of those daewoo aveos/waves/swifts, have u tried going over bumps in those things, my friend has one and i swear my back couldn’t even get me out of the car.

  13. I find it amusing that most car websites have a crowd of people that always portray SUV drivers as fat axx, knuckle dragging, idiots that don’t care about anyone but themselves. They buy these vehicles saying that they feel safer, but “we” (the car enthusiasts) know they mean that they are out to kill us small economical car drivers. Please give that mantra a rest.

    You missed my point. I think there are way too many people who eat, talk on the phone, put on make-up etc etc and try to drive. This difference is, the large SUV are more lethal to other vs smart getting hit by a yaris. Although EVERYONE should pay more attention to driving, people with bigger weapons need to take even more care.

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