A smart UV in 2006
From the smallest (Perodua Kembara) to the biggest (Ford Excursion) and the most powerful (Porsche Cayenne), there seems to be a SUV to suit every kind of customer these days. Just about every manufacturer has at least one SUV in its stable and soon, even smart (a DaimlerChrysler subsidiary) will be offering a SUV.
The company recently announced this future product which it will call the smart formore (for more, get it?). However, it doesn’t necessarily follow that SUV must mean ‘sport utility vehicle’ as smart explains that the term refers to ‘smart utility vehicle’.
Scheduled for sale in 2006, this fourth smart model will also mark the company’s entrance into the US market. With the introduction of the new model, smart will be represented in the world’s largest automotive market for the first time. It’s going to be a challenge to make this small car satisfy the tough safety regulations of that country.
The 4WD formore will also be launched in the company’s other core markets at the same time.
From the beginning of 2006, the formore will be built in the DaimlerChrysler plant in Juiz de Fora, Brazil. The plant has a capacity of 60,000 cars per annum. In a full sales year, smart plans to sell half of these in the USA and half in their other core markets.
“With the smart formore, we will be applying the typical smart characteristics of innovation and functionality to the SUV sector. The new smart model will be a distinctive vehicle, unique in the market – so unique that we translate `suv’ as smart utility vehicle,“ explained Andreas Renschler, President of smart gmbh. Mr Renschler would know that US SUV market well since he was the one who set up and ran the first Mercedes plant there which was established to build the M-Class.
With the name smart formore, smart is following the naming logic which it began with the four-seater forfour. The basic principle of this logic is to give names which have a direct connection to the uses of the vehicle concerned. Therefore from 2006, the smart formore will be added to the range of new smart model names, the smart fortwo coupé, smart fortwo cabrio and smart forfour. The smart roadster and smart roadster-coupé are to retain their original, well-known names, since these already describe what all smart models have to offer – sheer driving pleasure.
Incidentally, a source at DaimlerChrysler Malaysia says that plans to introduce smart cars in Malaysia are still being studied and a lot will depend on the sort of tax structure which will affect the pricing. While the do not aim to sell as cheapy as a Perodua Kancil, they do want to ensure that the pricing structure will remain consistent for a sufficient length of time.
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