Does size matter? Smart car challenge to US gas guzzlers

Andrew Clark in New York
Thursday June 29, 2006
The Guardian

Can anything persuade American motorists that size is not important? DaimlerChrysler is hoping to smash received wisdom in the motor industry by unleashing its tiny Smart car on the world's biggest auto market.

The manufacturer announced yesterday in Detroit that the 2.4-metre (8ft) long, two-seater car would go on sale in the US in 2008, a decade after its launch in Europe. Originally a design collaboration with the Swiss watch firm Swatch, the micro car has won plaudits for its fuel efficiency and for allowing drivers to slip into tiny parking spaces.

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