"Smart Car" set to hit U.S. market

American automotive consumers will have a new, smarter option in their selection of automobiles when they head to their local dealer beginning this month in the form of a new fuel efficient car.
The car has been also dubbed the "Micro Car" due to the fact that it is less than 9 feet long and weighs only 800 lbs. Because of its small size and light weight it can get up to 40 mpg, which should work wonders in terms of lowering the average consumers fuel expenses, not to mention the good it can do for Mother Earth.
In Europe, where the cost of fuel is twice that in America in most places, the smart car has been around for a decade. Some industry insiders however are a little bit skeptical whether the car will "take off" in America given the American consumer preference for big trucks, mini vans, and suv's which account for more than half of the market. The makers of the car are hoping that this tendency will be overcome in time by the desire on the part of the driving public to be more environmentally friendly and socially responsible. The car will have a base price of $11,590 with the loaded convertible model going for $16,950.
30,000 people have already put down deposits to reserve their smart car and these people run the gammut from students to millionaires. The most orders so far have come from 5 states, Arizona, California, Florida, N.Y., and Texas. Sub compact sales in the U.S. make up 2.4% of the market currently.