A four-seater Smart model is likely to come to the United States as a part of the new Renault-Nissan and Daimler AG alliance, according to Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche. Zetsche said that having a partner to develop the four-seater Smart “was a prerequisite” for expanding the brand’s lineup.

“We could not have found a feasible basis alone for the next-generation Smart family,” he said. “Of course, we could do a next-generation Smart alone, but we would lose a lot of money.”

The next-generation Smart ForTwo two-seater, and four seater and the next-generation Renault Twingo will be jointly developed by Renault-Nissan and Daimler. The plans also call for an electric-version of both the Smart and Twingo models along with sharing and co-development of diesel and gasoline engines.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)