Gas-Saving Smart Car Debuts in the United States : New coupe hybrid new car 2008

Gas-Saving Smart Car Debuts in the United States
by Shad Connelly
In a time when gas prices have eclipsed the $3 mark and continue to climb, fuel-efficient vehicles have seen their stocks rise. With U.S. consumers finally moving away from gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs, smart, a division of Mercedes Benz, has decided to debut the smart fortwo - a two-person car that measures only 8.8 feet long - in the United States.The smart fortwo is the shortest car on the market and the company claims you could fit two of them in a single parking space. The vehicle's innovative design even earned it exhibit space in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City - one of only six cars ever to bear that distinction. With over 770,000 fortwos already on the road worldwide, smart is now ready to introduce this much-buzzed-about car to the U.S. market. The company has opened up an online smart fortwo Reservation Program, allowing interested buyers to reserve their choice of model and color for a $99 fee (applied to the eventual purchase of a fortwo or refundable at any time). Once smart finalizes its dealership locations in the U.S. (expected to be announced at the end of January), dealers will begin calling reservation holders to formalize their purchase agreements.Three different models of the smart fortwo will be available in the U.S.: the entry-level pure (starting at $11,590), the well-equipped passion coupe (starting at $13,590) and the convertible passion cabriolet (starting at $16,590). All of the models come with a 3-cylinder, 1-liter gasoline powered engine and have an electronically limited top speed of 90 mph. The gas tank holds 8.7 gallons, and the smart fortwo is designed to achieve 40 city/45 highway according to 2007 EPA standards (or 33 city/41 highway miles according to the EPA's revised 2008 standards). Along with standard safety features like electronic stability program and ABS brakes, smart also touts the vehicle's tridion safety cell - designed to keep occupants protected in the event of a crash through displacement of impact and redistribution of energy.Perhaps what surprises people the most considering the compact size of the smart fortwo is the amount of space inside of the vehicle. The back of the car features 8 cubic feet of storage space (12 feet if you load to the roof line), and smart also notes that the fortwo has the same amount of headroom as most luxury vehicles. Other innovations incorporated into the production of the fortwo include the use of energy efficient and recyclable materials, removable door panels (you can actually change or mix and match colors for the car) and a high driving position for visibility. With its fuel-efficiency, compact size and unique design, the smart fortwo could very well become this year's Mini Cooper - a car that's both practical to drive and hip to own.For more information about smart or the smart fortwo, you can visit www.smartusa.com.

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