IIHS news release • June 11, 2009 Mini and microcar bumpers allow pricey damage; none of the 7 tested rates good under new system ARLINGTON, VA — Urban drivers often pick mini and microcars because they’re affordable, fuel efficient, and easy to park on city streets. Fender-benders are hazards of urban driving, and just one of them can add up to thousands of dollars in repair costs because the bumpers don’t adequately protect vehicles from damage. None of the bumpers on 7 mini and microcars the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently tested earns the top rating of good, and just 1, the Smart Fortwo, is acceptable. Five out of the 7 earn poor ratings and 1 earns a marginal. Full text of news release: www.iihs.org
IIHS news release • April 14, 2009 New crash tests demonstrate the influence of vehicle size and weight on safety in crashes; results are relevant to fuel economy policies ARLINGTON, VA — Three front-to-front crash tests, each involving a microcar or minicar into a midsize model from the same manufacturer, show how extra vehicle size and weight enhance occupant protection in collisions. These Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests are about the physics of car crashes, which dictate that very small cars generally can’t protect people in crashes as well as bigger, heavier models. Full text of release at www.iihs.org
IIHS news release • August 20, 2009 Smart Fortwo rates good for roof strength; test is designed to assess & compare occupant protection in rollover crashes ARLINGTON, VA — The Smart Fortwo has the strongest roof and the Chevrolet Aveo has the weakest among 2009 micro and minicars recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Smart earns the highest rating of good compared with acceptable for the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper, and Toyota Yaris. The Aveo is rated marginal. Full text of release at www.iihs.org
www.edmunds.com New 2009 Fuel Economy Comparison: www.youtube.com These days there are a lot of small cars pounding their chests and claiming they get the best gas mileage around. Well, we got tired of the talk and decided to settle the score. Right here, right now! We picked three cars from our long-term fleet known for squeezing extra miles out of every gallon of gas: the spunky 2008 Smart Fortwo with a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine, the thrifty 2008 Ford Focus SES coupe with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, with its legendary 1.9-liter “TDI” diesel engine. Then we added a heavily favored gasoline-electric hybrid to the mix: a 2008 Toyota Prius.
www.edmunds.com New 2009 Fuel Economy Comparison: www.youtube.com These days there are a lot of small cars pounding their chests and claiming they get the best gas mileage around. Well, we got tired of the talk and decided to settle the score. Right here, right now! We picked three cars from our long-term fleet known for squeezing extra miles out of every gallon of gas: the spunky 2008 Smart Fortwo with a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine, the thrifty 2008 Ford Focus SES coupe with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, with its legendary 1.9-liter “TDI” diesel engine. Then we added a heavily favored gasoline-electric hybrid to the mix: a 2008 Toyota Prius.
Urban drivers often pick mini and microcars because theyre affordable, fuel efficient, and easy to park on city streets. Fender-benders are hazards of urban driving, and just one of them can add up to thousands of dollars in repair costs because car bumpers dont adequately protect vehicles from damage. None of the bumpers on 7 mini and microcars the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently tested earn the top rating of good, and just 1, the Smart Fortwo, is acceptable. Five out of the …
.fullpost{display:none;}On 24 October 2008, Smart’s parent company Daimler will inaugurate a pilot rent-a-car project called ‘car2go’ in the southern German city of Ulm that will see a fleet of Smart Fortwo vehicles being made available for rent within the boundaries of the city. So what’s so different about Daimler’s project that any other car rental service? Well, the difference is that following a one-off registration process, the Fortwos can be hired spontaneously in passing, or pre-booked and used for as long as desired with customer being able to simply park the rental smart anywhere within the city limits.
Having already made its way to the North American continent, the Smart brand is now heading south and in particular to Brazil. The announcement was made today at the Sao Paulo Auto Show where the Fortwo celebrated its domestic debut. Smart will tap in the promising Brazilian market from April 2009 offering the second generation Fortwo in both coupe and cabrio versions. Over one million of the two-seaters have been produced since the introduction of the first generation Fortwo in 1998.
