Smart to Stoke Interest with Tour

SmartUSA, the U.S. distributor for DaimlerChrysler’s city car division, has announced that it will soon launch a national tour to introduce the tiny fortwo — which will officially go on sale here next year — to the American public. The tour will visit 50 cities, including some events, universities, and retail outlets, stopping at each city for about four days.

The show will first hit the road to Los Angeles on May 19 and finish in Miami in November. Three road teams, with smart-branded semi trucks, will simultaneously cover three regions of the country — Eastern, Central, and Western — visiting major cities along the way. The trucks will double as mobile exhibits, with interactive displays and demonstrations focusing on the fortwo’s standard safety features. Short, accompanied test drives will be allowed on a closed course or neighborhood loop.

 

Smart USA has previously announced that the fortwo will be available in the U.S. in three different trim levels and will start at under $12,000, with a standard five-speed automated manual transmission and central locking. At the top of the range, the cabriolet model will start at under $17,000.

 

The fortwo is expected to go on sale in the first quarter of 2008, through a new dealership network appointed by Smart USA, which is a subsidiary of Roger Penske’s United Auto Group (UAG). The network will be announced later this summer; the company expects to appoint 50 to 70 dealerships nationally, most already tied to UAG.

 

Smart has a program in which potential buyers can place a $99 refundable reservation to have priority for first deliveries. For more information, visit www.smartusa.com

 

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