smart scuttlebutt

There is speculation that Transport Canada is looking at the smart forfour with a view to approving it for sale in Canada. Their website is of no help as the information is out-of-date. The bureaucrats take our money but like to keep us in the dark.

The smart crosstown has recently been unveiled as a concept vehicle in Frankfurt. With its hybrid powertrain it is not thought to be destined for production. But is the body style of the crosstown the shape of things to come? Is it a clue to the replacement of the fortwo? The removable windshield and external hinges may point to a future under the Jeep brand. By the way, the USB and PDA ports in the crosstown should soon become standard features on most vehicles.

'smart's Roadster and Roadster Coupé have been given a stay of execution until the end of 2006. The two models were due to be axed at the end of 2005, but will now remain on sale in the UK throughout next year.
A spokesman for the company said 400 more cars will ship to the UK next year, and added: "As soon as we announced production was to stop, demand increased by 30 per cent."' Source: www.autoexpress.com.
Rumor has it that the roadster will live on as the Dodge Slingshot in the US. Daimler Chrysler may wish to exploit their investment in smart by marketing the vehicles under different Chrysler brands keeping smartville and the engine factory at Marienfelde in Berlin working closer to capacity