January 2008 — For its USA market intro­duc­tion, the smart fortwo demon­strated the excep­tional envi­ron­mental-friendly attributes of the vehicle concept and its usability over long distances with a coast-to-coast road trip. On a tour from Los Angeles via Chicago to the Detroit Auto Show, the two smart fortwo mhds consumed only 4.8 liters per 100 kilo­me­ters, while the two smart fortwo cdi’s took only 3.9 liters.

Behind the wheel of the cars for the dura­tion of the road trip orga­nized by OSK, were jour­nal­ists from the USA, Germany and Italy. The route wound along high­ways and the legendary Route 66, taking in long desert stretches and steep moun­tain passes along the way. The smart fleet mastered these just as compe­tently as it did temper­a­tures down to minus 15 degrees Celsius, as well as some surprising winter weather accom­pa­nied by heavy snow.