Skip navigation
advertisement

Tiny Smart car faces safety questions


< Prev | 1 | 2
FREE VIDEO
Smart car crash test
Watch a crash test by Smart, a division of Mercedes, between one of its cars and a Mercedes sedan twice its size.

MSNBC

INTERACTIVE
Image: 2011 Buick Regal
Ten cars to look forward to in 2010
New technology and styling make these 2011 model year vehicles the pace setters.
  Latest interest rates
MortgageHome EquitySavingsAutoCredit Cards
See today's average mortgage rates across the country.
Loan typeToday+/-Last week
30-year fixed
5.20%
5.07%
15-year fixed
4.65%
4.47%
30-year fixed jumbo
5.97%
5.90%
5/1 ARM
4.28%
4.32%
7/1 ARM
4.49%
4.63%
See today's average home equity rates across the country.
Loan typeToday+/-Last week
$30K HELOC
5.16%
5.19%
$30K home equity loan
8.37%
8.37%
$75K home equity loan
8.30%
8.29%
$50K home equity loan
8.27%
8.26%
$50K HELOC
4.90%
4.92%
See today's savings rates across the country.
Savings typeToday+/-Last week
Money market
.87%
.85%
$10K money market
.93%
.93%
Six-month CD
1.02%
1.04%
One-year CD
1.44%
1.45%
Five-year CD
2.55%
2.48%
See today's average auto rates across the country.
Loan typeToday+/-Last week
48-month new car loan
6.84%
6.81%
36-month used car loan
7.17%
7.17%
36-month new car loan
6.71%
6.70%
60-month new car loan
6.88%
6.85%
72-month new car loan
6.12%
6.12%
See today's average credit card rates across the country.
Card typeFixedVariable
Standard13.47% 11.48%
Gold12.13% 9.90%
Platinum11.46% 12.21%
All12.43% 11.68%
  LIVE QUOTE
Quotes delayed 15+ min.

"Three stars is low," said Euro NCAP spokeswoman Cordelia Wilson. "Most cars get four- or five-star safety ratings."

The NHTSA has not yet said when it will conduct its own tests and Rader said his group has yet to assess it.

Some versions of the Smart car have been brought to the United States by importers directly from Europe, but modified to accommodate U.S. standards. California-based ZAP Corp. has been importing fortwos since 2005, and had to make them meet U.S. safety standards, including reinforcing the doors with aluminum cross beams and adjusting the engines to meet EPA emission standards.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

Smart USA spokesman Ken Kettenbeil said U.S. tests are likely to be completed this year with the result released in the fall, and that the company expects a four-star crash rating.

In Europe, where smaller cars are more numerous and mismatched collisions less likely, size has not been a problem, said Vicenzo Luca, a spokesman for Germany's ADAC, Europe's biggest automobile club.

Euro NCAP tests on the City Coupe found that the car provided good protection for the driver and passenger, particularly with side impacts. But the agency found while there was good head and leg protection for a passenger in a front impact, there was weak protection for that person's chest. The driver had good head protection and adequate chest protection, but poor to adequate leg protection in a front-end impact.

The new model, nearly 8 inches longer, features improvements including a steel safety cage ADAC's Luca likened to a race car designed to protect the driver and spread out the energy from a crash across the car.

Smart also has touted the two "crash boxes" in the front and rear of the car that help spread energy from a collision across the safety cell.

The new model also includes complete driver and passenger front and side air bags. A collapsible steering column is designed to retract if there is a serious front-end collision. The seats have seatbelts that adjust to motion changes to tighten or release.

DaimlerChrysler said the additions are part of its adherence to better safety in all its cars, from the big Mercedes-Benz models to its SUV Dodge Nitro.

Smart USA Distributor LLC, part of United Auto Group Inc., launched a 50-city U.S. road show in May to give would-be buyers a chance to test drive the fortwo. The campaign has been to Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Boston and is scheduled to go to other cities including New York, Charlotte and Seattle.

At a stop in Detroit Tuesday, Dave Schembri, president of Smart USA, said he expects to have between 40 and 60 dealerships open by Jan. 1.

Schembri said the U.S. target market is not a certain age or income level, but rather one of attitude and lifestyle. He said he plans to tap that market through the road show and other nontraditional marketing, including on the Internet. "In America, we love our cars ... but we love cars that are fun to drive," he said.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


< Prev | 1 | 2

Sponsored links

Scottrade: Trade Stocks
Open an Account Online Today! $7 Trades & Powerful Trading Tools.
www.scottrade.com

Resource guide