Sales of the smallest vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio have passed the two million mark.
Dr. Annette Winkler, head of smart, Serge Siebert, head of the Hambach plant and Dr. Joachim Betker, former head of the Hambach plant celebrated the sales anniversary with the management team and employees.
"The fact that worldwide smart sales have passed the two million mark shows the extent to which delighted customers around the world prefer our uniquely compact and unbelievably agile cars to any other car for city driving. Whether it's fitted with a combustion engine or an electric motor, whether it's a two-seater, a four-seater or a stunning cabrio – smart brings drivers plenty of joy and saves them time. For our customers smart is much more than 'just' a car," says Dr. Annette Winkler, head of smart.
The smart urban microcar was first launched in 1998 and, since 2008, it has a seen service as part of the car sharing scheme car2go.
At the end of 2015 smart became the world's first car manufacturer to combine an online store for new cars with a virtual showroom: customers in Italy are able to explore the smart options around the clock at www.smartforstore.it and purchase their chosen vehicle online.
The "smart ready to drop" service – a collaboration with DHL – enables parcels to be delivered to the boot of your car. Beta-testing of the service began in Stuttgart on 26 September with tests in Cologne, Bonn and Berlin set to follow within the next few months before it is eventually offered in seven German cities.
smart now has a presence in 46 markets. In August 2016, sales increased by 20.8% and customers took delivery of over 7,631 vehicles. smart proved particularly popular in China (its third biggest market after Germany and Italy), with sales almost treble those in same month last year.