by Brian Byrne. Perhaps rumours of the imminent demise of the troubled Smart car subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler have been exagerrated, as a new generation ForTwo concept is expected to be seen at the Frankfurt show in September.
The car is expected to be slightly longer than the current version, and will probably have a Mitsubishi-sourced petrol 3-cylinder engine.
And though the brand cancelled plans to bring the current Smart range to the US, Smart boss Ulrich Walker says he wants to bring the ForTwo successor to that market.
The future of the ForFour car remains bleak, however, as it is selling at only a sixth of its forecast 150,000 units a year.
Smart has been given until 2007 to break even by its parent company.