No US Market for Smart ForFour
North American customers will probably not see Smart ForFour in local dealerships, but the USA was not the part of the marketing plan from the very beginning.
At the development stage of ForFour the brand eliminated the idea of selling in America. Company’s CEO explains that positioning at the US market might demand additional expenditures which might be imprudent keeping in mind that the sales of Smart cars in this part of the world are not very lively. For instance, in 2013 ForTwo faced a seven-percent year-on-year sales decrease to 9,264 vehicles.
Refusal from the American market might give the competitive advantage to other companies presenting their four-seat cars in North America. Among the most active in the segment are Fiat with its 500L and MINI with its Countryman option.