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92-474: The marque was founded in 1994 by Micro Compact Car AG (MCC), a joint venture between SMH and Daimler-Benz. MCC became a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler-Benz in 1998, and was subsequently renamed MCC smart GmbH , then smart GmbH. smart GmbH was then absorbed by DaimlerChrysler (later Daimler AG) in 2006, making smart a marque within the Mercedes-Benz Cars division. The name Smart derives from

184-549: A 1.7 L diesel engine (OM 668 series). In 1999, a larger 1.9 L petrol model was added, with the 2.1 the last W168 version to be launched in 2002. Also two AMG versions were produced, a 3.2 in 2001 and a 3.8 in 2000, though very few of these were made. DaimlerChrysler invested EUR 900 million in developing the Rastatt plant where the A-Class is produced, and created 1600 new jobs (for a total of 4700). A further 600 people work in

276-471: A 2008 British satisfaction survey by Which? , the A-Class came third from bottom out of 217 models surveyed with a score of 65 percent. The W169 is constructed with high-strength steel alloys with bonded joints. Standard equipment included front as well as combined head and thorax-protection side airbags. The front airbags are adaptive with two-stage gas generators operating according to the severity of accident. Optionally rear side airbags (for side-impacts in

368-491: A 21J/23J ETA 2842 movement. This movement is exclusive to Swatch and is derived from 2824 to 2822. Irony Chronograph was introduced in 1996 (type/code: YCS101). The Skin family contains two sub families: Original Skin and Skin Chronograph . The Original Skin was introduced on 6 October 1997 as a thinner version of the original Swatch watch. It is ultra thin, standing at 3.9 mm ( 1 ⁄ 8  in), hence

460-407: A 70-horsepower (71 PS; 52 kW) naturally aspirated Mitsubishi -sourced gasoline engine of 999 cc (61.0 cu in) for North America, up from the 799 cc (48.8 cu in) cdi diesel, with the attendant loss of fuel economy. Smart decided not to import the cdi version of the 451, now with 55 DIN HP, although this decision has led to criticism that the new Smart does not get

552-481: A 90-hour power reserve – and is 100% Swiss made on a 20-metre-long (65 ft) automated assembly line in clean-room conditions, without human intervention. The movement is permanently sealed in its case with structural adhesive securing both the acrylic crystal over the dial and the case back, making it invulnerable to environmental conditions including moisture, dust or foreign objects – and also making it maintenance free – i.e., impossible to service. The movement

644-462: A Bioreloaded watch is made of a material derived from the seeds of the castor plant, while the packaging material is a biodegradable "paperfoam" created with tapioca and potato starch. The Swatch x Omega collaboration debuted in 2022, with MoonSwatch , a collection of reimagined Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatches in eleven different color variants themed after the Sun, Moon, and planets of

736-467: A car which would consume three litres of fuel per 100 kilometres of driving (the eventual Volkswagen Lupo 3L ). Volkswagen's own concept was believed to be a better business proposition, featuring four seats and more cargo room. Hayek had suspected that Piëch would seek to end the agreement with SMH upon his ascendancy to the CEO position; therefore, he discreetly began approaching other car companies with

828-503: A common-rail direct injection system that improves fuel consumption and reduces exhaust emissions and engine noise . All the engines meet the tight EU4 emissions limits. A particulate filter system is available as an option for the diesel units to reduce particulate emissions by about 99% without the need for additives. The A-Class is a front wheel drive car and features traction control (ASR) as standard, as well as electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes (ABS). Handling

920-608: A driving range of 160 km (99 mi). Three A-Class F-Cell cars were used in the 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show for press shuttle service. On 18 June 2004, 4 production F-Cell vehicles were delivered to Deutsche Telekom and BEWAG/Vattenfall Europe in Berlin. In 2007, the A-Class F-Cell were delivered to Landsvirkjun and Reykjavik Energy. A DHL version of F-Cell was unveiled in FC EXPO 2008. According to

1012-609: A free choice of metallic paint finish. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL was introduced in September 2010 and debuted at the October 2010 Paris Motor Show . The E-Cell has a range of 200 kilometres (120 mi) capable of developing a peak output of 70 kW (94 hp), a continuous power rating of 50 kW (67 hp) and a maximum torque of 290 N·m (214 lb·ft). The Mercedes A-Class E-Cell can accelerate from 0–60 km/h (37 mph) in 5.5 seconds, and its top speed

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1104-407: A front-engine, front-wheel drive , five-passenger, five-door hatchback , with a three-door hatchback offered for the second generation. As the brand's entry-level vehicle, the first generation A-Class, internally coded W168, was introduced in 1997, the second generation (W169) in late 2004 and the third generation (W176) in 2012. The fourth generation model (W177), which was launched in 2018, marked

1196-660: A hybrid drivetrain, but the final product used a relatively conventional gasoline engine. Shortly afterward, Daimler-Benz bought out SMH's remaining stake in the company. MCC was now a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler-Benz (which soon merged with Chrysler Corporation to become DaimlerChrysler). The office in Biel was shut down and operations were consolidated at the MCC GmbH design centre in Germany. On 1 January 1999, MCC GmbH changed its name to MCC smart GmbH , and by 2000, it dropped

1288-562: A large 12.8-inch (33 cm) touchscreen infotainment system. Apart from the original Smart Fortwo , a sporty Smart Roadster , a limited production of 2000 erstwhile concept Smart Crossblade and a supermini Smart Forfour were also offered. These have now been discontinued. There were also plans to introduce the French made cross-over based on the body of the ForFour and the AWD hardware of

1380-414: A marketing consultant hired by Thomke to give the project an outsider's consideration, sought to create a fashionable line of watches. Swatch was originally intended to re-capture entry level market share lost by Swiss manufacturers of mechanical watches and the subsequent growth of Japanese companies such as Seiko and Citizen in the 1960s and 1970s. It was also meant to re-popularize analog watches at

1472-406: A modular system of assembly for the car, insisting that suppliers design and assemble and even install their own modules onto the final car at the new plant, using their own employees and thus reducing the cost overhead for the parent companies and divesting MCC of the financial and legal liabilities for those parts. It also provided a fiscal framework whereby MCC could share the development costs with

1564-401: A neutral name. The final selection was Smart , an acronym that had been previously used internally by MCC for *S*watch *M*ercedes *Art *. By May 1994, the co-directors had identified 74 potential sites for the assembly plant. The final site was announced on 20 December 1994: Hambach , France . The purpose-built factory quickly gained the nickname " Smartville ". In 1995, Tomforde devised

1656-532: A new production plant to be built in China, which will start production on a new generation of Smart-branded vehicles. In 2021, the first concept of this partnership, called Concept #1 , was unveiled at the Munich Motor Show. The concept vehicle is built on Geely's SEA platform and features design details of existing Smart models, including a panoramic glass roof, frameless suicide-style rear doors, and

1748-625: A new ultra-sonic welding process and assembly technology. In 1997, the Swatch Group opened about 60 stores worldwide. There are families under the Swatch brand: The Originals are plastic-cased watches. They are available in various sizes, shapes, and designs. The Originals consist of various sub-families as well. The Irony family contains all the metal-cased watches produced by Swatch. These include both quartz-driven and automatic mechanical watches that can be serviced. The automatics have

1840-399: A product that allows one to design their own Swatch by selecting the category and design one wishes to use. An outline of a watch is superimposed over the user's image to assist with designing. The Bioreloaded line was introduced by Swatch in 2020, consisting of a relaunch of Swatch's 1983 debut collection, but partially made from "bio-sourced" materials. The case, strap, and strap clasp of

1932-422: A rain sensor, automatically dimming rear-view mirror, an illuminated vanity mirror in the sun visor, separately adjustable reading lights in the rear, a reading light for the driver and illuminated front foot wells, Seating Comfort package (height-adjustable front passenger seat, seat cushion angle adjustment and lumbar supports for the driver and front passenger). Standard exterior features also include fog lamps and

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2024-460: A time when digital watches had achieved wide popularity. In 1983, the group hired Jacques Irniger—who formerly served as the marketing executive for Colgate and Nestlé—to launch the swatch. The first collection of twelve Swatch models was introduced on 1 March 1983 in Zürich , Switzerland. Initially the price ranged from CHF  39.90 to CHF 49.90 but was standardized to CHF 50.00 in

2116-572: A total of 1,500,000 A-Class produced at DaimlerChrysler's Rastatt plant in ten years. As of 26 June 2009, the 750,000th second generation A-Class vehicle was built at the Rastatt plant. As of 1 February 2012, 1 million second generation A-Class vehicles had been delivered since autumn 2004. In 2021, the Mercedes A-Class achieved the title of 4th best-selling car in the UK having achieved

2208-415: A total of 30,710 registrations. The model was introduced at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show officially as a subcompact executive / C-segment model for the first time after being a supermini / B-segment for fifteen years. This model does not offer a 3-door model, due to the decreasing popularity of 3-door models and its larger size. The W176 was available in some markets from September 2012. Models in

2300-491: Is 150 km/h (93 mph). Tesla Motors , as part of its collaboration with Mercedes-Benz , built electric powertrain components for the E-Cell. The 36  kWh battery contains approximately 4,000 individual lithium-ion cells . Mercedes has developed a modular system for electric vehicles with battery and fuel-cell. This system allows the efficient use of shared parts in all the brand's electric vehicles . Thanks to

2392-399: Is a contraction of "second watch," its concept of "low-cost, high-tech, artistic and emotional" watches marketed as casual, disposable accessories. Swatch began development in the early 1980s under the leadership of the then ETA SA 's CEO Ernst Thomke with a small team of watch engineers led by Elmar Mock and Jacques Müller. Conceived as a standard timekeeper in plastic, Franz Sprecher,

2484-534: Is a limited (5500 units) version for all model variants of the A-Class. It includes the BlueEfficiency package, black radiator louvres, 16-inch titanium silver light-alloy wheels in a new 9-spoke design (tyre size 195/55 R16), a "Special Edition" badge on the mirror triangle, two-tone colour scheme in black and grey, Audio 20 radio with CD player and Bluetooth hands-free system and the Light and Sight package with

2576-603: Is also at least one BoConcept 451 built to Canadian standards. In 2009, the Government of Canada acquired the European Smart mhd (micro hybrid drive) through partnership with Mercedes-Benz Canada. The project was administered by the ecoTECHNOLOGY for Vehicles (eTV) program within Transport Canada . Goals were to identify the benefits of the start-stop system equipped on the vehicle and how to accelerate

2668-670: Is also the first country in Southeast Asia to have the Smart Electric Drive , which has been lent to the Government of DKI Jakarta for a one-year period and can be extended for further indefinite period by a signed agreement between PT. Mercedes-Benz Indonesia, PT. Siemens Indonesia, and the Government of DKI Jakarta. The Smart ED will then serve as a pilot project to prove the effectivity of zero-emission car usage that can utilize alternative sources of energy. smart

2760-424: Is an optional feature. The petrol A 200 Turbo provides 193 hp (144 kW) and 280 N⋅m (207 lb⋅ft) of torque (rotational force); the diesel A 200 CDI has 140 hp (104 kW) and 300 N⋅m (221 lb⋅ft). The most powerful engine achieved 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.0 seconds with a top speed of 218 km/h (135 mph). The newly developed direct-injection CDI diesel units use

2852-615: Is back in Indonesia! The MOU signing ceremony with Inchcape at GIAS 2024 marks a new era. Please welcome the smart #3 Premium and Brabus. The Smart Fortwo was introduced in Canada in late 2004 and was sold through Mercedes-Benz dealers. Demand was initially heavy with up to 6-month waiting lists in major urban areas in the spring of 2005. The vehicle was especially popular for commuters, small car enthusiasts, people needing light delivery and service vehicles. Demand relaxed slightly in

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2944-807: Is improved by precision tracking and anti-roll support, and by a Parabolic Rear Axle. A "Selective Damping System", in which the shock absorber forces respond differently according to conditions, is standard. For example, under normal conditions it operates at soft absorption; while cornering at speed it changes to full damping force. Sales of the W169 were targeted at 50,000 units in 2004. Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes Car Group, said that target had been reached even before vehicles arrived in dealer showrooms. Japan models went on sale in 2005-02-04. Early models include 5-door right drive versions of A 170, A 170 Elegance, A 200 Elegance. 5-door right drive version of A 200 TURBO Elegance

3036-428: Is made from ARCAP, an anti-magnetic alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc – designed to free the movement from the need for adjustment. The escapement has no manual adjustment or regulator; the initial rate is factory laser-set. Swatch reports precision of ±5 seconds per day. The design's peripheral bi-directional rotor allows viewing of movement components through the caseback. In 2017 Swatch introduced Swatch x You ,

3128-817: The Beijing Auto Show . The Smart Fortwo started the pre-sales in October 2008 and the Smart vending machine road show in 12 cities from October 2008 to February 2009. Smart is available in Hong Kong through an authorised dealer, Zung Fu Motors. Since 29 November 2010, the Smart Fortwo has been available in Indonesia with PT. Mercedes-Benz Indonesia (MBI) as the authorised dealer. MBI originally offered three models: Pure Coupe, Passion Coupe, and Passion Cabriolet, for sale in Jakarta and Bali . Indonesia

3220-718: The Kei car category of cars in Japan, and are eligible for a range of lower taxes. Recent models with a larger engine do not meet the Kei qualifications. An official version of the Smart Fortwo called the Smart K has been released to fit the Kei car category. English musician Steve Appleton is featured in a Smart TV commercial, running in Japan during 2010. Smart was shown in April 2008, at

3312-445: The touchscreen technology used. In contrast to other Swatch families, a digital LCD shows the time. Various models in different colors of the display are available, which include backlighting for reading in the dark. These Swatch models of wristwatches with a quartz movement are additionally equipped with a near-field communication (NFC) chip to accommodate contactless payment. As an improved second generation, Swatch introduced

3404-467: The "ForTwo". In late 1982, SMH (makers of the Swatch brand of watches) CEO Nicolas Hayek began developing an idea for a new car using the same type of manufacturing strategies and personalization features used to popularize Swatch watches. He believed that the automotive industry had ignored a sector of potential customers who wanted a small and stylish compact city car . This idea soon became known as

3496-465: The "Swatchmobile". Hayek's private company Hayek Engineering AG began designing the new car for SMH, with seating for two and a hybrid drivetrain. The name Smart was coined by Manfred Gotta . While design of the car was proceeding, Hayek feared existing manufacturers would feel threatened by the Swatchmobile. Thus, rather than directly competing, he preferred to cooperate with another company in

3588-404: The 2021 model year. In 1994, Mercedes-Benz confirmed that it would be launching a compact car - the A-Class (A 160) - by early 1997, and (A 190) by early 1999, which would be the company's first venture in this sector of the market; it was hinted at this stage that the new car would be shorter than the average supermini but as spacious and practical inside as a large family car. The A-Class

3680-660: The Concept vehicle used at Canadian International Auto Shows (a red cabrio with silver alloys), is now in London, Ontario. The next Brabus tailor made Canadian car was a one-off all orange 451 made for a customer in Vancouver. The other ten were all ordered by Mercedes-Benz Canada as the special "edit10n" of the Canadian Brabus 451 (with only 70 HP), painted in metallic dark grey with an orange Nappe leather interior. There

3772-1103: The EPA, the Smart's fuel efficiency is lower than the fuel efficiency of some hybrids, including the Ford Fusion , the Toyota Prius , the Honda Civic Hybrid , and the 2-seat Honda Insight , which achieve 41 mpg ‑US (5.7 L/100 km; 49 mpg ‑imp )/36 mpg ‑US (6.5 L/100 km; 43 mpg ‑imp ), 51 mpg ‑US (4.6 L/100 km; 61 mpg ‑imp )/48 mpg ‑US (4.9 L/100 km; 58 mpg ‑imp ), 40 mpg ‑US (5.9 L/100 km; 48 mpg ‑imp )/43 mpg ‑US (5.5 L/100 km; 52 mpg ‑imp ), and 40 mpg ‑US (5.9 L/100 km; 48 mpg ‑imp )/43 mpg ‑US (5.5 L/100 km; 52 mpg ‑imp ) (city/highway) respectively while

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3864-762: The Home Ministry and the Malaysian governement, challenging the legality of the seizure in July 2023. The ban was gazetted only in August 2023. In a September 2023 interview, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that the raid was 'excessive', but defended Malaysia's current stance on the LGBT issue. In November 2024, the Malaysian High Court ruled that the raid was conducted without a warrant therfore

3956-633: The Japanese market went on sale in January 2013. The design for the third generation of A-Class was based on the 2011 Concept A-Class and was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show . The facelifted model of the W176 was presented in Q3 2015. Orders for the facelifted model had started in July 2015, and mass production started in September. The facelift had added updated lights, technology, and models. The model

4048-509: The LGBTQ+ cause worldwide. The collection has six watches with different monochrome colours that corresponds to the colours of the gay pride flag. In Malaysia, the Home Ministry banned the sale of the watch and raided 13 Swatch outlets to seize and impound 172 watches over three days in May. The company reported that Malaysia was the only country which seized the watches. Swatch filed a lawsuit against

4140-653: The Mercedes C-class with the name of Formore but industrialization of this was cancelled at the 11th hour (even as tooling was being installed in the assembly plant) due to unfavourable exchange rate swings and spending cutbacks driven by losses elsewhere within Smart. Smart Roadster Cabrio (C452) Smart Fortwo Cabrio (A451) (2008–2011 in limited trials) Smart Fortwo Cabrio Electric Drive (A453) Smart Fortwo Cabrio (A453) Smart EQ Fortwo Cabrio First generation Smart models equipped with engine sizes smaller than 660 cc (40 cu in) fit into

4232-631: The Mercedes City Car (coincidentally abbreviated MCC) project at Daimler-Benz since 1990, which produced the eco-sprinter and eco-speedster concepts, as well as the Vision-A concept, which eventually became the Mercedes-Benz A-Class . One of the first controversies at MCC was the name of the car itself. Nicolas Hayek insisted it retain Swatch in some way: "Swatchmobile", or "Swatch Car". Daimler-Benz refused and pushed for

4324-459: The Smart achieves 33 mpg ‑US (7.1 L/100 km; 40 mpg ‑imp ) city and 41 mpg ‑US (5.7 L/100 km; 49 mpg ‑imp ) highway. The Smart Fortwo is the most efficient car at its pricepoint, since it costs about half as much as a hybrid in the US. The Fortwo has received much attention in the U.S. In its April 2008 issue, Men's Vogue raised

4416-475: The Swatchmobile project. Rebuffed by BMW , Fiat , General Motors and Renault , he finally reached an informal agreement with Daimler-Benz AG , maker of Mercedes-Benz cars. A deal was announced on 4 March 1994 at a press conference at Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart , that the companies would join forces in founding Micro Compact Car AG (MCC). 49% of the initial capital of 50 million Swiss francs

4508-421: The US market for Smart Fortwo models. The program was scheduled to last until 28 February 2010 but has been extended indefinitely despite lack of leasing sales. Penske Automotive Group announced plans on 14 February 2011 to relinquish distribution of the Smart Fortwo under Smart USA, to Mercedes-Benz USA. In 2011, Smart USA offered four versions of their Fortwo model. These models include the following: cabriolet,

4600-451: The automotive industry. This would also relieve SMH of the cost burden in setting up a distribution network. Hayek approached several automotive manufacturers, and on 3 July 1991, he reached an agreement with Volkswagen to share development of the new project. By 1993, Ferdinand Piëch had become CEO of Volkswagen, and he immediately sought to terminate the project with SMH. Volkswagen had already been working on their own "three-litre car":

4692-409: The autumn of the same year. Sales targets were set at one million timepieces for 1983 and 2.5 million for the year after. With an aggressive marketing campaign and relatively low price for a Swiss-made watch, it gained instant popularity in its home market. Lebanese entrepreneur Nicolas G. Hayek , together with a group of Swiss investors, took over a majority shareholding of Swatch during 1985 in

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4784-741: The backseats) and side-curtain airbags were available. The force exerted by the seat belt system during a collision adapts dynamically to collision characteristics. The 'active' head restraints (standard for driver and front passenger) reduce neck injury, especially in rear collisions. The cargo capacity of the W169 was increased by 15 percent over the W168. Seven four-cylinder engines were available: four petrol (gasoline) (A 150, A 170, A 200, A 200 Turbo) and three diesel (A 160 CDI, A 180 CDI, A 200 CDI) partnered with either five- or six-speed manual gearbox . A continuously variable transmission system called "Autotronic Constantly Variable Transmission" (CVT)

4876-420: The cars was regional markets (from Argentina to Mexico) with modifications made to the cars to suit local conditions, like a protection for the motor base. By May 2004 production stopped in Rastatt plant. In September 2005 Brazilian Juiz de Fora factory stopped production of A-Class cars. It is a version of 5-door A-Class hydrogen fuel cell vehicle with 88 PS (65 kW; 87 hp) electric motor. It has

4968-1056: The cars will be leased to selected customers in several European countries, including Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Daimler is not planning to sell the electric version outside Europe. The Final Edition is a limited (300 units) version of 5-door righthand drive A 180 for the Japanese market. It included calcite white body colour, black interior colour, sport package (chrome exhaust tip, 17-inch 7-spoke alloy wheels, chrome iridium silver front grille, stainless acceleration and brake pedals with rubber stud, leather wrapped sport steering wheel and silver shift knob, silver meter panel), bi-xenon headlights and headlight washer, cornering lights, fog lamps (front/rear), rain sensor, sun visor with illuminating mirror, anti-glare mirrors, 'Final Edition' emblem, and floor mats with 'Final Edition' silver logo plates. The vehicle went on sale on 28 May 2012. As of 4 December 2006, 371,700 second generation A-Class units had been sold since September 2004, making it

5060-438: The company to 81% by 1996, leaving SMH with only the remaining 19%. The assembly plant opened on 27 October 1997, with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting by then-French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl . Introduction of the new Smart City-Coupé was planned for March 1998; however, dynamic instability of the prototypes prompted Daimler-Benz to announce postponing the launch until October 1998. Johann Tomforde

5152-642: The company's profitability and integrate its operations with Daimler (at the time DaimlerChrysler). In 2005, Daimler decided against purchasing a 50% share in the Dutch NedCar plant used to manufacture the ForFour, ending its production. A planned SUV called Formore was terminated as the assembly plant in Brazil was being fitted with machines, and production of the Roadster was discontinued. In 2006, after dwindling sales and heavy financial losses, Smart GmbH

5244-473: The cooperation of the Swiss company Swatch with Mercedes-Benz: "Swatch Mercedes ART". The design concept for the marque's automobiles began at Mercedes-Benz in the early 1970s to late 1980s. After brief backing by Volkswagen , the first model was released by Daimler-Benz in October 1998. Several variants on the original design have been introduced, with the original being the "City Coupé" that would be renamed

5336-589: The debut of two concept cars: the "eco-sprinter" and " eco-speedster" , styled by Mercedes-Benz's design studio in California. The cars were similar to the eventual Smart City-Coupé . No mention was made of the fact that SMH had no input in the design of these concepts, and they were badged as normal Mercedes-Benz vehicles. By the end of April 1994, MCC had set up a head office in Biel/Bienne , Switzerland . Three co-directors were immediately named to head

5428-494: The diesel powered Canadian Smarts did not meet American emissions regulations. In June 2006, DaimlerChrysler confirmed that Smart would be officially launched in the United States in the first quarter of 2008. The cars were offered through a dealership holding company Penske Automotive Group , which created a new U.S. dealership network for the brand under the name Smart USA . Initially, an updated gasoline powered Fortwo

5520-422: The driver. The five-door Hatchback and the three-door Coupé vehicles debuted in spring 2008, alongside the refreshed 2009 M-Class and B-Class. Early models include A 160 CDI, A 180 CDI, A 200 CDI, A 150, A 170, A 200, A 200 TURBO. Japan models went on sale in late August 2008. Early models 5-door versions of A 170, A 170 Elegance. Japan models of A 170 was renamed to A 180 in August 2009. The Special Edition

5612-462: The end of 2007. The Canadian version of the Type 450 Smart Fortwo cdi sold to 915 customers over three months in 2004; 4,080 were sold in 2005, and 3,023 in 2006. Virtually all the deliveries in 2004 and many of the deliveries in 2005 were to long-time Smart fans who had been waiting for their car for years, which largely accounts for the higher numbers. Through 2007, sales totaled about 2,200 units, with

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5704-581: The first time the A-Class was offered in the United States and Canada. This fourth generation A-Class is also the first to be offered both as a hatchback (W177) and sedan (V177). Styled by Steve Mattin and launched at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show , the A-Class was noted for its short, narrow footprint, its overall height, and an interior volume and level of equipment competing with larger cars. The A-Class subsequently gained length and width over its successive generations, losing some of its height. Approximately 3.3 million A-Class models had been manufactured by

5796-574: The fuel economy that many would expect from such a small car. The 799 cc, far more fuel efficient diesel is sold in Europe and some other markets. The Brabus Tailor-Made program is not well advertised in Canada, but at least 16 Tailor-Made cars have been produced to Canadian specification. These vehicles are sent to the Brabus factory in Bottrop, Germany, where the standard ex-works cars are stripped to

5888-571: The hatchback is available in Canada and Mexico, but in the US, only the sedan is available. The fourth generation A-Class hatchback was unveiled to media in February 2018 in Amsterdam ahead of its public debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show . At launch Mercedes-Benz revealed the vehicle's "predator face", which is also implemented in the C257 CLS and C118 CLA , which will not spread throughout

5980-630: The high-cost convertible version; passion, the mid-cost moonroof version; pure, the low-cost basic version; and electric drive, the electric version. Swatch Swatch is a Swiss watchmaker founded in 1983 by Ernst Thomke, Elmar Mock, and Jacques Müller. It is a subsidiary of The Swatch Group . The Swatch product line was developed as a response to the " quartz crisis " of the 1970s and 1980s, in which inexpensive, battery-powered, quartz-regulated watches were competing against more established European watchmakers focused on artisanal craftsmanship producing mostly mechanical watches . The name Swatch

6072-476: The last few cars being sold in the first month of 2008, when the new Type 451 was already on sale. The Smart's strongest sales performance ever in Canada was in April 2007, when more than 500 units were sold. Sales are strongest (per capita) in Western Canada, with Vancouver Island and Vancouver being especially hot markets. The 2008-2011 (North America) Smart Fortwo Type 451 was totally redesigned, with

6164-450: The last vestiges of the association with SMH, becoming smart GmbH . The model line was subsequently expanded to include the rear-engine, rear-drive Roadster and a four-door, four-seat supermini aptly named Forfour (the original City-Coupé was renamed Fortwo to fit the new naming scheme). The expansion did not increase profits at the company; Smart GmbH lost nearly four billion euros from 2003 to 2006. Plans were enacted to increase

6256-524: The model Pay for the Chinese market in July 2017. Unlike the Bellamy, Pay can be programmed and activated in Swatch shops using a Cloud Computing service operated by several Chinese banks. Swatch introduced Sistem51 at Baselworld 2013 as "the world's first mechanical movement with entirely automated assembly." The movement uses 51 components anchored to a central screw with automatic winding and

6348-656: The modular approach the electric drive of the A‑Class E‑Cell is also used in the B‑Class F‑Cell , and the energy storage units in the A‑Class EV are the same as the battery in the Smart fortwo electric drive . A limited production of 500 A-Class E-Cell electric cars will be built, for trial purposes, at the Mercedes Rastatt plant, near Stuttgart beginning in September 2010. As part of a demonstration program,

6440-660: The name Swatch Skin. The Swatch Skin later went on to enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's thinnest plastic watch. The Swatch Chronograph is simply the Swatch Skin with a chronograph function, adding two additional buttons on the side of the watch. The Bijoux line is a jewelry line Swatch released in the new millennium; it partnered with Swarovski to encrust the Bijoux line of watches. The Digital Touch line, launched in 2011, derives its name from

6532-443: The new company: designer and engineer Johann Tomforde and financial administrator Christoph Baubin from Daimler-Benz, and marketing manager Hans Jürg Schär, who spearheaded the original Swatch marketing campaigns in the mid-1980s. Tomforde had previously created concept sketches of an electric rear-engine, 2-seat, ultra-short economy car in 1972, which formed the basis for the 1981 Mercedes-Benz NAFA concept. Tomforde had been working on

6624-415: The newly consolidated group under the name Societe Suisse de Microelectronique et d'Horlogerie , or SMH. He became chairman of the board of directors and CEO in 1986. Later he changed the company's name to Swatch Group . This combination of marketing and manufacturing expertise restored Switzerland as a major player in the world wristwatch market. Synthetic materials were used for the watch cases as well as

6716-558: The office building at the plant site. Mercedes-Benz began W168 production on 17 February 1999 at its new Brazilian facility in Juiz de Fora , Minas Gerais . The Brazilian plant was the company's first factory in South America dedicated to passenger cars, with an investment of US$ 840 million and 10,000 employees. The factory initially produced A-Class and C-Class models, assembling them from pieces manufactured in Germany. The target for

6808-424: The penetration of this technology throughout Canada. See Smart mhd Test Results Report . On 30 April 2019 Daimler announced that 2019 would be the last year for Canada and will continue to support owners going forward. Before 2008, Smart cars were only available in the United States as " grey market " imports, such as ZAP . U.S. federal regulations allow certain grey market importing in large quantities provided

6900-459: The question, "in a nation where your supersized car is your castle, is the Smart too mini for a man?". To obtain a Smart Fortwo originally required obtaining a "reservation" costing $ 99 through a dealer or over the internet. The waiting time in January 2009 was approximately 12 months; by July 2009, there was no wait to obtain a vehicle and dealers had them in stock for immediate delivery. On 25 January 2010 Smart USA began its first lease program in

6992-572: The report, the W168 overturned when manoeuvring to avoid the "elk". Mercedes initially denied the problem, but then took the surprising step of recalling all units sold to date (2,600) and suspending sales for three months until the problem was solved by adding electronic stability control and modifying the suspension. The company spent DM 2.5 billion in developing the car, with a further DM 300 million to fix it. All A-Class models are powered by four-cylinder engines, with 1.4 L and 1.6 L petrol models at launch ( M 166 series ), followed by two versions of

7084-422: The second year on the market. Sales rebounded with the second generation. Canadian Smart cdis cannot be registered in some states in the US. 10,239 Smart Fortwo cdis had been sold in Canada by the first month of 2008. Just before the Type 450 ended production (after which the production had equaled 770,256 cars) Mercedes-Benz Canada built up stock of cdis to tide dealers over until the successor model 451 arrived at

7176-593: The shell and repainted/retrimmed to suit individual customers' tastes. The first four are the Brabus Canada 1; three in bright red (including the tridion, two cabriolets and one coupé) and one in all white (a cabriolet). Aside from the special paint, all had every Brabus part fitted to the body and interior, and the seats, door panels and dashboards were trimmed in black Nappa leather and Alcantara. Three of these cars are in British Columbia and #1-of-1,

7268-446: The solar system. The collection uses the 4 jewel chronograph quartz movement used in other Swatch chronographs and Swatch's BIOCERAMIC composite material. The MoonSwatch collection was released March on 26, 2022, at select Swatch stores. The New York Times called the release "the watch industry's defining moment of 2022". The collection sold out internationally on its release date, with lines formed at most Swatch boutiques where it

7360-473: The suppliers, rather than having to fund the entire project themselves. MCC secured contracts with suppliers to design and supply almost all parts of the car: seats by Faurecia , interiors by VDO , chassis and door modules by Magna , door panels by Dynamit Nobel , and suspension by Krupp . Despite offloading a substantial amount of the development on the suppliers, MCC required more capital. Recapitalization by Daimler-Benz increased their share of ownership in

7452-482: The vehicles are modified and tested to conform to U.S. safety and emissions regulations. Smarts were imported into the United States by "The Defiance Company LLC", modified by G&K Automotive Conversion in Santa Ana, California , and distributed and sold by independent dealerships which were not affiliated with Mercedes. U.S. regulations did not permit the purchase and import of used Smart CDi vehicles from Canada, as

7544-524: Was facelifted in February 2001, with minor alterations to the headlights, front and rear bumper design and the addition of a new 170 mm (6.7 in) longer wheelbase version. It was launched at the Geneva Motor Show . The W168 became infamous in 1997 after flipping over during the traditional " elk test " performed by the Swedish automobile publication Teknikens Värld . According to

7636-420: Was added in 2005-11-10. Due to the body width being larger than 1700 mm, it could not be registered as small car in Japan. (See Vehicle size class#Japan ) The W169 Model facelift changes included redesigned front and rear fascias and lights, and optional stop-start function on A 150 and 170 models. Active Park Assist enables the car to parallel park itself, with only throttle and brake inputs required from

7728-413: Was carried. Swatch initially stated each consumer could purchase up to two watches but later limited each consumer to one watch. While Swatch initially added the product to their online catalog, it later announced the collection would not be available for sale online. The MoonSwatch is neither a limited nor numbered collection. In May 2023, Swatch released a Pride collection of rainbow watches to support

7820-427: Was deemed illegal. The judge, Justice Amarjeet Singh Serjit Singh, also noted that the ban was imposed only after the watches were seized, which meant that no laws were violated in May 2023. The court ordered the returned of the seized watches to the company. Mercedes-Benz A-Class#W168 The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a subcompact car manufactured by Mercedes-Benz and marketed across fourth generations as

7912-614: Was initially built exclusively in Rastatt . However, from late 2013 it was also built in Uusikaupunki, Finland for certain countries. The W177 hatchback was launched in 2018 as the successor to the W176 Mercedes-Benz A-Class and sales commenced in March 2018. It is available as a 5-door hatchback (W177 model code), 4-door sedan (V177), and a long-wheelbase sedan exclusive to China (Z177). In North America,

8004-533: Was liquidated and its operations were absorbed by DaimlerChrysler directly. Until April 2019, Smart operated under the Mercedes-Benz Cars division of Daimler AG , offering the Fortwo coupé, Fortwo convertible and Forfour hatchback. In 2019, Daimler announced the establishment of a joint venture partnership with Chinese automaker Geely . The deal, worth a total of ¥5.4b RMB (about $ 830m USD), involves

8096-625: Was named Autocar magazine's 'Designer of the Year'. Earlier, Mattin had mostly worked on design for the W210 E-Class in 1991. Concurrent to the W168, he designed the exterior of the W220 S-Class. The final design freeze occurred in January 1995, at 32 months before August 1997 start of production. Between 1997 and 2004, 1.1 million first generation A-Class models had been sold. Overall, Daimler lost €1,440 per vehicle produced. The A-Class

8188-687: Was offered, starting around US$ 12,000. The new model made its debut at European auto shows in November 2006. A Forbes article has been critical of the stated reasons that Daimler-Chrysler gave for introducing the car in the United States. The Smart Fortwo may have claimed to be the most fuel-efficient fully gasoline-engined car for sale in the US, but it actually lags behind the 4-door Mitsubishi Mirage and 2-door Scion iQ (combined 40 mpg ‑US (5.9 L/100 km; 48 mpg ‑imp ) and 37 mpg ‑US (6.4 L/100 km; 44 mpg ‑imp ), respectively). According to

8280-561: Was presented to the motoring press late in 1996, and launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the autumn of 1997, the W168 A-Class was quite unusual for Mercedes-Benz featuring a front-wheel drive layout and unusual tall but yet short body and Avantgarde at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show and 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show. This was the first complete exterior designed by Coventry University trained Steve Mattin , for which he

8372-471: Was provided by SMH and the remaining 51% by Daimler-Benz. The company consisted of two subsidiaries: MCC GmbH based in Renningen (a suburb of Stuttgart), which would design the car, and the then-unnamed manufacturing plant. SMH Auto SA, owned by Hayek, would design a hybrid electric drive system for the car, while Hayek Engineering would audit the design and manufacturing. The press conference also featured

8464-460: Was replaced as chief engineer by Gerhard Fritz. Fritz lowered the centre of gravity, widened the track, stiffened the suspension, changed the steering, and added ballast weight to the front of the car in order to increase its stability in emergency avoidance manoeuvres (notably the Swedish " moose test "). The car launched successfully in nine European countries in October 1998, but the final design did not fulfill Hayek's expectations. Hayek pushed for

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