Tiny Smart Cars Poised for the Future

2.5 meter long, 2-passenger Smart cars, retailing at $11,600 and getting from 40 to 45 miles per gallon, are poised to make a major move in the U.S. auto market according to Smart USA spokesman Ken Kettenbeil as reported by Rebecca Sato in The Daily Galaxy, with the company having already received 30,000 reservations for the car as of November 2007. In addition to their fuel efficiency and resulting lesser impact on the environment, these cars have the advantage of being easy to maneuver and don't sacrifice the amenities found in much larger automobiles. Kettenbeil believes the Smart car's reduced size, maneuverability, low price, and fuel efficiency will make it especially appealing to drivers in major urban centers.

Leslie Kendall, curator of the Peterson auto museum in Los Angeles, believes the Smart "micro" car is the answer to Americans' desire for a quality small car that offers performance and handling and that also comes with comforts like air conditioning, stereo, and a sunroof.

43 miles per gallon will be the norm.

Neil Winton, European columnist for Autos Insider from Sussex, England, in an article published in the Detroit News, points out that the European Union's insistence on more demanding fuel efficiency targets to fight climate change (an average of 43 miles per gallon) is leading to more downsizing. Some automakers are gearing up to take advantage of this trend and the small, inexpensive Tata Nano from India may be the shape of things to come. The Toyota iQ and the Ford Fiesta are other examples of the trend toward tiny.

What Toyota is doing

Michael Graham Richard, writing for Treehugger, describes the Toyota iQ, which will go into production in late 2008, as a tiny city car, about 3 meters in length, with a 3+1 seating layout, for 3 adult passengers plus a child seat or luggage in the back, and a 1.0 liter gasoline engine. At the Geneva Motor Show in 2008 Toyota also unveiled the Urban Cruiser, its new small SUV, an environmentally responsible vehicle with low fuel consumption and low emissions, aimed at the urban all-roader market.