China To Get Smart

China is a hotspot for automakers, and now it seems Mercedes may be looking to use this emerging market to get the most from a ten-year-old design. Starting in 2009 Smart will begin selling the second generation of the Fortwo coupe in China. This is the latest in a rapid expansion of the brand, which also saw official importing of the little two-seater to the U.S. at the beginning of this year.

Originally sold almost exclusively to the European markets, Mercedes-Benz seems to be expanding in an attempt to make the little cars profitable. The original two-door design for the Smart was first put into production in 1998, and the model line expanded to include a roadster and a four-door version in 2003 and 2004. By 2006, disappointing sales and reported heavy losses brought Smart back down to one model—original two-door now known as the Fortwo.