•2 April 2007 •
9 Comments

The SUV-driving, kid-hauling, petroleum-consuming, red-blooded Americans seem to be letting their guard down against small, efficient vehicles. This year’s new subcompact imports like Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit are finding decent acceptance so far, thanks to perpetually high gas prices and environmental awareness. But the greatest blow to America’s vehicular manhood so far will be arriving in early 2008… the new smart fortwo. With a length barely exceeding the width of some larger trucks, fuel economy pushing 60 mpg, and supposedly eco-friendly production, the smart car (originally called the City Coupe) has been around since 1998, but only now is it daring to break into the burly American market. To add insult to injury, DaimlerChrysler (smart’s daddy) has announced an all-electric version in the works.
My only concern is the safety of such a small car sharing the road with such large cars. Drivers in other countries of the world are already acclimatized to the smaller-vehicle environment, whereas we in America are not.
Posted in cars, fortwo, green, transportation