Opportunity Knocks

Daimler will bring the cute little smart car to China next year as a competitor in the growing micro car segment.

The smart ForTwo will be imported from Germany, which will make it cost much more than competing cars. For example, the Chery QQ costs about $4,750 and a smart will begin around $20,000. Clearly the smart is at a disadvantage based purely on price, but Daimler expects the car to sell to people who wish to make a statement, not save money.