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Zetsche Forecasts a Profit for Smart
Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche says the second-generation Smart ForFour minicar due in Europe this autumn should help the brand achieve its first profit, Automotive News Europe reports.
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Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche says the second-generation Smart ForFour minicar due in Europe this autumn should help the brand achieve its first profit, Automotive News Europe reports.
Daimler has sold nearly 1.6 million of the two-seat Smart ForTwo since the model debuted in 1998. But the one-model brand has struggled with losses from the start.
The original four-passenger ForFour attracted only 133,000 buyers before production ended in 2006. That model was based on the Mitsubishi Colt and shared little more than styling with the ForTwo.
The new ForFour was co-developed with Renault SA and shares its platform with the French company's Twingo minicar. Both models will be produced at Renault's factory in Novo Mesto, Slovenia.
Zetsche tells ANE the ForFour will have "all the genes of a Smart." Annette Winkler, who heads the Smart brand, describes the new model as "a station wagon version of the ForTwo."
The new ForFour and next-generation ForTwo will be unveiled this summer. ANE says there are no plans to bring the larger model to the U.S. market.
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