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Tiny car arrives smartly in U.S.

Demand is high for the Smart Fortwo, with a pair of local dealerships to come.

DETROIT - Americans who want to drive Smart like their European counterparts are finally getting their chance.

The flagship dealership and corporate headquarters for Smart USA were opening Thursday in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills. The dealership is one of 68 in 31 states expected to open this month to sell the Smart Fortwo micro car.

Hundreds of Fortwos were shipped out of ports in Maryland, Florida and California. Miguel Bartoli, the new car sales manager at Clearwater's Lokey Motor Co., can't wait to start selling them.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook," he said Wednesday, crediting the listing of official dealer locations on Smart USA's Web site for the call volume. Mercedes-Benz of Tampa will have the area's other Smart dealership.

Bartoli hopes to have Lokey's Smart showroom open sometime next month, but says a more realistic goal is March 1. Representatives from Smart USA must still visit the showroom to approve it.

Smart has a steel safety cage and four air bags: two in front and two on the sides to protect the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability control, designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road.

Smart USA president Dave Schembri said the timing is right for Smart cars, given consumers' growing preference for higher fuel economy and smaller cars to deal with urban congestion - while not sacrificing safety.

But even in Europe, Smart never has been profitable.

Aaron Bragman, an analyst with Global Insight, said he doesn't see the Smart Fortwo selling well beyond about two years.

"For me, it boils down to the business case for buying one. For $13,000 to $15,000 on average - as high as $18,000 for a convertible - you're getting two seats, almost no cargo room and good but not stellar mileage," he said.

Times staff writer Peter Couture contributed to this report.

Small, but smart

Some details on the Smart Fortwos, whose first U.S. deliveries have begun:

- Length: 8 feet, 8 inches

- Weight: 1,800 pounds

- Miles per gallon: 33 city/41 highway

- Base price: More than $12,000

[Last modified January 18, 2008, 00:22:18]