Daimler’s Smart brand city-car will be discontinued in the US and Canada at the end of the current model year.
Reuters reported that Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz brand, in a statement, cited “a number of factors” for the decision to end Smart’s run in the United States and Canada, “including a declining micro-car market in the US and Canada, combined with high homologation costs for a low volume model.”
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Reuters noted that Smart reported just 90 cars sold in the US during March and that sales of small cars in the US have been under pressure as consumers have moved to trucks, SUVs and crossovers.
Mercedes-Benz plans to bring new and larger electric vehicles to the US, starting with the launch of the EQC SUV next year.
Daimler has also concluded a deal with Geely to turn Smart into a JV that is pitched much closer to the Chinese market, seen by analysts as likely to account for a large and growing share of the global electric vehicle market.
See also: COMMENT – Daimler-Geely deal on Smart brand good for both
