xcel
03-24-2007, 04:27 PM
Pint-sized cars may get up to 50 miles per gallon. (http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070324/APC0101/70324012)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Smart_ForTwo1.jpgLarry Avila - Post-Crescent - Mar. 24, 2007
"The time is right for this car," said Penske, chairman of the dealer company United Auto Group. "The market is crying for a car like this - or thirsting, if you will," said Penske.
NEENAH - A non-hybrid car that’s smaller than the Mini Cooper and gets up to 50 miles per gallon is coming to Wisconsin in early January.
Bergstrom Automotive Group will be one of the first 60 U.S. dealerships to offer the Smart car line.
John Bergstrom, chairman and CEO of Bergstrom Automotive, told The Post-Crescent that he will begin selling the Smart cars at the Bergstrom Metro Auto Park in Milwaukee on Jan. 8.
Bergstrom will be the exclusive Smart dealer in Wisconsin and long-term plans include opening a Smart dealership on Victory Lane in Grand Chute, which he hopes will happen in about a year, and another store in Madison.
“There already is a waiting list for these cars,” Bergstrom said. “There is a buzz around the country about them.”
Smart’s ForTwo model speaks for itself. Promotional materials for the car say it can seat two adults and can reach speeds up to 90 miles an hour with its base three-cylinder, 60 horse-power engine.
“The vehicle is not meant to be a hot rod,” Bergstrom said. “It’s a hip car, one that will appeal to all age groups.”
The Smart car’s small engine size also translates to lower emissions so it’s better for the environment. The vehicle has a nine-gallon gas tank but at up to 50 miles per gallon, that means a Smart car can go up to 450 miles on one fill up.
Smart cars are built and designed by Mercedes Benz and will be distributed in the U.S. through Michigan-based UnitedAuto Group, which is led by Roger Penske.
Bergstrom said the vehicles have been available in Europe for about 10 years.
With its older cities and narrow streets and gasoline selling for more than $5 a gallon in Europe, the Smart car has been well received over the years. The base model in the U.S. will start at about $11,000, according to UnitedAuto Group, with a topped out model going for about $15,000.
A base Smart car is about nine feet long and just over five feet wide. That’s three feet shorter than the 12-foot long Mini Cooper and four feet shorter than a new generation Volkswagen Beetle.
From a safety standpoint, the Smart car’s frame has a cage-like structure, similar in concept to an open-wheel racing car.
Bergstrom said the interior front-seating space of the vehicle is equal to that of a C-Class Mercedes Benz, which is the line’s entry-level model. There is little storage room, but the vehicle is designed with efficiency in mind, he said.
Despite it’s small size, the Smart’s ForTwo does meet the standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for motor vehicles, according to information on the agency’s Web site.
If this is case, the vehicle can be registered and licensed to operate on Wisconsin’s roads, said Paul Bernander, chief of title and registration with the state Department of Transportation’s Division of Motor Vehicles.
“The main requirement is that it has to be approved by the federal government,” he said. “If it meets the federal safety standards, then it can be registered.”
Bernander was unaware of any registration requests for a Smart car in Wisconsin, but said his office has received several inquiries.
“People have seen the advertisements for the cars,” he said. “Once we get an application, we’ll have to review it. We won’t title vehicles unless it meets the federal motor vehicle guidelines.”
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Smart_ForTwo1.jpgLarry Avila - Post-Crescent - Mar. 24, 2007
"The time is right for this car," said Penske, chairman of the dealer company United Auto Group. "The market is crying for a car like this - or thirsting, if you will," said Penske.
NEENAH - A non-hybrid car that’s smaller than the Mini Cooper and gets up to 50 miles per gallon is coming to Wisconsin in early January.
Bergstrom Automotive Group will be one of the first 60 U.S. dealerships to offer the Smart car line.
John Bergstrom, chairman and CEO of Bergstrom Automotive, told The Post-Crescent that he will begin selling the Smart cars at the Bergstrom Metro Auto Park in Milwaukee on Jan. 8.
Bergstrom will be the exclusive Smart dealer in Wisconsin and long-term plans include opening a Smart dealership on Victory Lane in Grand Chute, which he hopes will happen in about a year, and another store in Madison.
“There already is a waiting list for these cars,” Bergstrom said. “There is a buzz around the country about them.”
Smart’s ForTwo model speaks for itself. Promotional materials for the car say it can seat two adults and can reach speeds up to 90 miles an hour with its base three-cylinder, 60 horse-power engine.
“The vehicle is not meant to be a hot rod,” Bergstrom said. “It’s a hip car, one that will appeal to all age groups.”
The Smart car’s small engine size also translates to lower emissions so it’s better for the environment. The vehicle has a nine-gallon gas tank but at up to 50 miles per gallon, that means a Smart car can go up to 450 miles on one fill up.
Smart cars are built and designed by Mercedes Benz and will be distributed in the U.S. through Michigan-based UnitedAuto Group, which is led by Roger Penske.
Bergstrom said the vehicles have been available in Europe for about 10 years.
With its older cities and narrow streets and gasoline selling for more than $5 a gallon in Europe, the Smart car has been well received over the years. The base model in the U.S. will start at about $11,000, according to UnitedAuto Group, with a topped out model going for about $15,000.
A base Smart car is about nine feet long and just over five feet wide. That’s three feet shorter than the 12-foot long Mini Cooper and four feet shorter than a new generation Volkswagen Beetle.
From a safety standpoint, the Smart car’s frame has a cage-like structure, similar in concept to an open-wheel racing car.
Bergstrom said the interior front-seating space of the vehicle is equal to that of a C-Class Mercedes Benz, which is the line’s entry-level model. There is little storage room, but the vehicle is designed with efficiency in mind, he said.
Despite it’s small size, the Smart’s ForTwo does meet the standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for motor vehicles, according to information on the agency’s Web site.
If this is case, the vehicle can be registered and licensed to operate on Wisconsin’s roads, said Paul Bernander, chief of title and registration with the state Department of Transportation’s Division of Motor Vehicles.
“The main requirement is that it has to be approved by the federal government,” he said. “If it meets the federal safety standards, then it can be registered.”
Bernander was unaware of any registration requests for a Smart car in Wisconsin, but said his office has received several inquiries.
“People have seen the advertisements for the cars,” he said. “Once we get an application, we’ll have to review it. We won’t title vehicles unless it meets the federal motor vehicle guidelines.”