While walking over to City Hall the other day I saw these two cars parked side-by-side at a nearby apartment complex – and immediately thought “this picture perfectly captures the tough business case Smart faces here in Japan.”
Obviously the Smart is on the right – it appears to be a first-gen (03-06) “Forfour” 4 door model similar to this one.
On the left is a fourth–gen (08-12) Suzuki Wagon R, the sales leader and most popular model in Japan’s “Kei” or mini-car class.
As you can see, the Smart is a little wider (1.68m) than the Suzuki (1.47m). Ditto for the engine – Smart 1000 cc, Suzuki 660 cc (max mini-car size). Length is roughly the same; 3.7m for the Smart, 3.4m for the Suzuki. Height however goes to the Suzuki; 1.66m to 1.45m.
With its minivan-like increased height, and lower floor, the Suzuki actually has more interior space than the Smart.
Why does all this matter? Purchase price and operating costs…
Due to its width and engine size, the Smart is defined as a regular-size automobile under Japan’s auto classification system – same class as a Corolla, Sentra or Civic. The Suzuki, however, as a kei-class car, benefits from much less expensive taxes, fees, insurance, and registration costs – in addition to a lower MSRP. An example;
– In Japan, MSRP for a 2016 Smart Forfour is around $21K, a 2016 Wagon R starts at $11.3K and goes up to $15K loaded.
– Sales tax on the purchase price of a kei car is 3% vs 5% for regular models.
– Annual Road Tax is $70 vs $300-$500 (dependent on engine size) for larger vehicles.
– The Weight tax due every two years is approximately $70 vs $120-$240.
– The compulsory two-year Japan Liability Insurance is approx $200 vs $300.
– Lastly, in most large cities, regular size cars require a parking certificate issued by the local police station prior to registration verifying a space to park the vehicle – kei cars do not require this certificate.
So unless you’re really into having a foreign make with some European cachet, it’s tough to make a dollars and cents argument for the Smart over a similar size JDM model; specifically a kei-class car. Factor in dealership accessibility and maintenance costs and the argument becomes even more difficult.
Smart did market a Fortwo model in Japan from 2001-04 that met kei-car class engine and size dimensions but it was just too expensive for its size and unrefined for Japanese consumers.
That may be why we see so few Smart’s here in JDM-land. I assume Smart salespersons here must have a lot in common with this gentleman – brownie points to anyone less ancient than Paul and I who can identify him…
The lonely Maytag repairman!
Isn’t the forfour based on a Japanese car? I thought it was a much-facelifted Mitsubishi Colt.
And its the original Maytag repairman, (albeit in his later years) and not his replacement (Gordon Jump of WKRP fame)
I didn’t realize “the big guy,” Mr. Carlson also served as a Maytag repairman. WKRP was one of my favorite shows growing up!
For once, the Lonely Repairman gig wasn’t just hype; I got about 25 yrs of reliable service out of my washer & dryer. Not sure I’d buy a new one though.
My Maytag washer did have an assembly defect though: loose hose clamp on the pump, which I fixed myself.
Yes, very sad what Maytag has become, and, dare I say, emblematic of what American manufacturing (or, rather, non-manufacturing) has sunk. IIRC, Maytag appliances are all now just badge-engineered Whirlpools (and have been for sometime now).
CR said LG had the most reliable washer and dryer IIRC from a recent issue.
Our Maytag washer…a real Maytag…had its water pump go out last year. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that it was so old, and without a glitch the whole time, that we can’t remember how long we’ve had it. I replaced the pump ($65) myself. Easy.
The water temperature control knob broke last month. They are still available new from Whirlpool. $20!!!! Instead, I fixed the knob with self-cure acrylic plastic. If that hadn’t worked the washer would have permanently gotten the Dodge HVAC knob that went in its place while the repair compound was setting up.
This gen Forfour is really a Mitsubishi Colt with a different body, and the Forfour shared no mechanicals with the other Smart models available at the time, which were all rear-engined and RWD. Colt and Forfour rolled off the same assembly line in Born, the Netherlands. That gen Colt was built for 10 years, the Forfour, well, it wasn’t.
Like many people here in the USA, I’ve heard of the Smart Forfour, but I’ve never seen one in person.
Interesting comment on why the 01-04 smart didn’t do so well in Japan, the same applies to the smart as sold in the U.S…..too expensive for what you are getting and not that refined with its clunky transmission.
Those “characteristics” aside, I thought the forfour and the roadster were very appealing looking cars. Too bad the company discontinued them, at least temporarily.
BTW, there were rumors that smart was working on an SUV before economic conditions forced the company to “downsize”, no pun intended.
The Toyota/Scion iQ, a closer match to the Smart, isn’t a kei-car either though its length complies. I don’t see many on the road here, unsurprisingly.
To me, “European Cachet” is lacking in the Smart brand.
I’ve seen one around here with a Mercedes badge on the back. I’m guessing the gent was being ironic…
You are (perhaps?) not aware that at one time Mercedes-Benz owned smart? The 1st generation smart and the 1st generation Mercedes “A class” were very closely related.
Howard, Smart has always been owned by Mercedes. And the A-Class and Smart are not at all related; totally different.
Sorry, I thought that smart started as an “independent” brand and was quickly bought up by Mercedes-Benz.
And while the smart and the “A-class” were never as similar as a Chevy Malibu and Oldsmobile Cutlass, I thought a few of the design ideas were employed by both car companies. For example, the “sandwich” floor, wasn’t that used by both at one time?
Should have done more research before opening my mouth.
Swatch had a brief tie-up with Volkswagen, very brief, but when the CEO of VW changed, the decision was made to cease work with swatch as it would compete with proposed VW products. That’s when management went looking for another partner and after being rebuffed by nearly every other car company, Mercedes came to the rescue.
Designers at smart car had design input into the car that eventually became the Mercedes A-class, but if they “shared” design features with the smart car it would have been by accident.
Am I the only person that thinks pure interior volume is not a great way to measure “space?” Yes, it’s technically correct – “the best kind of correct!” 😀 – but for those of us that aren’t tall, all that volume up high makes the car feel airy but doesn’t provide any actual usable space.
My parents have a first gen xB, which I enjoy driving, but all that space above my head does nothing to prevent me bumping elbows with a passenger.
Comparing the kei and the Forfour, I likely would prefer driving the Smart for that reason, though not paying the additional costs!
I’m put in mind of an old pilot saying… The space above your head, just like the altitude above your plane, doesn’t help you.
Not arguing with you Joe, but if you have a chance to read the first chapter of Fate Is the Hunter by Ernest K. Gann, that old pilot saying might lose its luster a bit.
But surely the point of a taller car is that you can provide a higher seat and effectively more legroom?
You can only make the seat so tall before it causes comfort issues (pressure on the back of the legs and your feet not touching the floor). For shorter folks, it doesn’t need to be very tall to cause those issues.
Plus, some people prefer a less-upright driving position.
Seems like there are a lot of obstacles to own a car in Japan! I wonder what percentage of people don’t own a car there? Or do people just deal with it and pay up? Here in the United States the percentage of car owners is very high, but I know in some countries it is not.
The general speed limit in Japan is 60 km/h (37.3 mph) except for divided national highways where the limit is normally 100 km/h (62.1 mph). Urban areas are usually zoned at 40 km/h (24.9 mph). You don’t _need_ anything larger than a kei apparently. If you want to get there fast, you take the train. You would get around just fine with a 50cc moped and using public transportation.
Considering that gas is 120 yen per liter, I don’t blame them at all for going as small as they can.
That’s significantly cheaper than most European countries, where Fiesta (or forfour) sized cars are popular, but kei cars are not.
I remember the 55mph days in the US… maybe GM should have started making Kei cars back then.
I can indeed confirm that the Maytag repairman is lonely. Got a Maytag clothes dryer from 1983, and still works great. Repairs? exactly one fan, when a pop rivet that was in my pants pocket found its way into it, locked the fan up, and the hub stripped out (its plastic). Did the repair myself, did put a new belt on as PM while I was in there. That’s it. One funny side note; couple of years ago, bought a new Maytag top load HE washing machine, and the ’83 dryer is heavier than the washer! I can’t understand why anybody would buy a Smart car, regardless of where they live. Each their own, I guess…
” I can’t understand why anybody would buy a Smart car, regardless of where they live.”
Someplace where parking is an issue, but it’s still advantageous to have a personal car?