More Growth Projected for Smart

Daimler AG’s Smart car unit expects to follow up last year’s record sales with even higher volumes in coming years.

Global sales of the tiny city cars jumped 21% to nearly 144,500 units in 2016. The opportunity for further growth is fueled by a mix of trends, including downsizing, urbanization and more stringent fuel efficiency and emissions regulations, Smart CEO Annette Winkler tells Automotive News Europe.

Winkler says the ForFour sedan, which accounts for one-third of the brand’s sales, will continue to be an important part of Smart’s product lineup. But she doesn’t see a need for the company to add a crossover/SUV model, noting that Smart customers are more interested in integrated smartphone apps than more vehicle variants.

Winkler also expects Smart to be a technology incubator for mobility services. This includes Daimler’s Car2Go car-sharing service and a pilot program—that she is personally testing—under which Smart owners can use their vehicles to make parcel deliveries.