Report: Smart to sell less than 100,000 units globally in 2010

August 30, 2010October 29, 2011 Omar Rana Compact Cars, Smart ForTwo

If you’ve noticed fewer Smart ForTwos on the roads, it’s because demand for the two-seater minicar has been falling in the United States. According to German Magazine Der Spiegel, demand for the Smart ForTwo is so low, that the brand is likely to sell fewer than 100,000 units of the subcompact globally in 2010, down from 114,000 in 2009.

The reports say that dealers complain they are losing customers because the Smart ForTwo only has two seats and two model variation including a coupe and a convertible. The magazine said that in Europe, the Fiat 500 is stealing potential Smart buyers.

According to sales numbers from Daimler, U.S. sales for Smart is down close to 70 percent to just under 4,000 in the first 7 months. July sales totaled 560 units, down 60.5 percent when compared to July 2009. Globally sales are down just over 20 percent to 8,400 in July with volume down 17.4 percent to 59,100 in the first seven months of 2010.

Daimler’s sales and marketing head, Joachim Schmidt says that sales should pickup once the facelifted Smart ForTwo hits dealers.