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| Seen at the Mercedes-Benz of Ann Arbor store. Smart is not long for the U.S. market... |
Grad school and work keep me plenty busy. But I'm coming back with more new content! However, one brand won't be making a return in the near future...
Another one bites the dust –
Smart will stop selling cars in the U.S. and Canada after the 2019 model year.
Currently, the only model that’s offered is the battery-electric Smart EQ
Fortwo. The gasoline model has already been dropped. Its quite uncommon to see
these cars on the road, especially in the hands of the average driver, so I
can’t say I’m surprised… Fiats are also pretty uncommon. I believe this is
partially due to the fact that Americans are just more into SUVs and larger
cars in general than compact or pint-sized cars. Also, the EQ Fortwo has a puny
EV range to match its puny size (58 miles).
Daimler, who owns both
Mercedes-Benz and Smart, issued a statement citing “a number of factors,
including a declining micro-car market in the U.S. and Canada” among other
reasons. Originally, Smart cars were designed to be “urban runabouts” for tight
city settings. Most Mercedes-Benz dealers have stopped selling Smarts already,
but the one near me still has its Smart sign up.
Will you miss Smart cars? I for
one likely won’t – you can’t miss what you can’t see. And generally, you don’t
see one unless its taking up a parking space you happen to want. I’m looking
forward to other electric cars from Mercedes-Benz.
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