Smart Offers Its First Lease Incentive Program

Jill Lajdziak has only been on the job a couple of weeks, but already Smart's new CEO is shaking things up with the company's first-ever lease-incentive program. Shoppers can now lease a Smart fortwo for 36 months at a cost of $169 per month, plus a downpayment of $999 and a $595 acquisition fee. (The program runs through February at 77 Smart dealers in 36 states.) Even with the first month's payment due at signing, this might be enough to cause heads to turn -- and given Smart's 41% sales drop in 2009 and the terrible reviews that experts like our own Bengt Halvorson have been giving the fortwo, the company needs all the help it can get.   [AutoNews]