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Design Review: Smart For-US concept

First seen NAIAS 2012 Design studio Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios, Sindelfingen, Germany Type 2-seat pickup Dimensions (L | W | H) 3,547 | 1,506 | 1,701 mm Wheel size 18-inch ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Daimler’s Smart brand has bombed in the US market since its introduction in 2008. That first year proved modestly successful, with 25,000 units sold but since then sales have fallen off a cliff, with just 5,927 shifted in 2010. Seeing the ForTwo dicing with big-foot pickups and Hummer limos in Vegas, it’s easy to see why something has been lost in translation.

Driving age to be raised to 18?

A government-commissioned report has recommended probationary driving licences are in future issued from the age of 18, not 17 – and that learner drivers would be required to invest big in getting a licence. The new proposals would still see provisional driving licences issues from 17, allowing learners to get out on the road under supervision. However, learners would have to undertake a 12-month ‘learner stage’, in which they’d have to cover a minimum of 100 hours’ supervised driving.

Subaru Impreza

Following on from the Impreza concept that debuted at L.A last year, the all new Subaru Impreza, set to be unveiled at New York looks set to retain most of the concepts attributes. Subaru have officially 'teased' this side profile shot of the car, showing that the concepts pronounced arches, DLO and surfacing seems to have made the transition to production model, relatively unscathed. Subaru have been relatively scarce with information on the new model, other than to say that the new design results in a roomier cabin, with new level of comfort and refinement.