Get Smart

There has been a need for more fuel-efficient cars for years, but it’s only now, when gas prices are teetering near a dollar a gallon, that small, diesel-powered vehicles are getting a marketing shove. The Daimler-Chrysler Smart Car is no exception, and has been generating excitement since its recent launch in Canada.

Joanne Caza, Smart Car representative said interest in the Smart has been huge. “Some people put deposits on a vehicle more than two years ago,” she said.

She explained the Smart was in the process of being launched by continent with North America being last on the list, when pressure from would-be customers bumped Canada up on the launch list.

Canadians want their fuel-efficient cars, especially in British Columbia, Caza said. She cited Vancouver Island as a particular hotbed of interest. As for the rest of the country, she said orders for the Smart began pouring in as soon as the announcement was made in February 2004 that the car would be launched in Canada in October.

Production for the Smart began at 500 units but was recently bumped to 800, said Caza. More than 1000 units will be delivered between now and the New Year, but this will not fulfil demand, she added.

So how has this tiny car become such a hot-ticket item? Measuring in at a scant 2.5 meters, the Smart is a baby compared to the SUVs and monster vans that seem to be overtaking the highways.

The engine is in the back, and the dashboard is set away from the seats so there is a feeling of having more space than you actually have, she explained.

Size isn’t the only reason it’s become a media darling, and popular little sister to the mid-size sedan and giant SUV. According to Transport Canada’s 2005 Fuel Consumption Guide, the diesel powered Smart gets 3.8 litres for every 100 kilometres on the highway, and 4.6 litres in the city.

Transport Canada has recently purchased a Smart for use in its fleet, which is now at more than 70 environmentally friendly vehicles, including some hybrid and electric cars, said Charles Thibodeau, senior engineer with Transport Canada’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Program.

Transport Canada began testing the Smart three years ago, Thibodeau said, and even though it is a low-powered car, it’s actually very safe. It handles well in the snow and ice despite its size, and has been certified to conform to all Canadian safety standards.

In terms of fuel efficiency, the Smart has a big advantage because it’s diesel. “You’ll have 25 – 40 per cent fuel economy savings with diesel,” he said.

This is very good compared to a lot of other vehicles out there, guzzling gas like a beer-starved frat boy. Mary Pattenden of Pollution Probe said there has been a trend in Canada toward larger cars, which consume half to a third more fuel than the standard size automobile.

She agreed the launch of the Smart is heading us in the right direction. “As far as I know it’s the most fuel efficient car on the road,” she said.

Though the Smart is a trend in the right direction, Pollution Probe does not advocate driving if you don’t have to, Pattenden said. She does advocate choosing the most fuel-efficient option, but added you need to also minimize how much you drive in general.

Allan Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum is glad diesel’s reputation has improved. “People have only just become aware of the energy efficiency of diesel,” he said.

Diesel has 10 – 12 per cent more energy possibility than gasoline, and wastes less energy going to heat loss, Schaeffer explained. “A diesel is the most fuel efficient combustion engine on the planet.”

Diesel is inherently low in hydrocarbon and CO2 emissions said Schaeffer. Low hydrocarbon emissions is an important factor for areas that have concerns about ozone, he added.

The Smart will be an adorable addition to our highways and clogged downtown streets, and is a much better buy than that Escalade you’ve been eyeing up, but lets be honest, the only way to minimize smog and clean up the air it to drive less.

Image courtesy Daimler-Chrysler