SMART AND SMARTER; We probably won't get these fun cars, but we'll likely get a four-door version.(Smart City Coupe)(Brief Article)

Byline: MATT DAVIS

There's been an ongoing conversation about whether or not North America will ever get the cute little Smart City Coupe, Coupe Cabriolet or Crossblade. Well, take it from the Smart side of the Atlantic, you won't. They would never sell in sufficient numbers, in the minds of most Americans they're priced too high for what you get, and the business case for making them comply to our EPA regs is thoroughly cost-ineffective.

But here now we have the low-lying Roadster and Roadster Coupe that go on sale this April all over Europe. There's been gab about these being Smart's calling card in the U.S. market. The door is not completely shut on the possibility, but don't wait up nights. Again, justifying the costs of EPA-compliance is a fool's pursuit. And when you launch in North America, you really need it to be something that will sell in more places than Los Angeles and Miami.

It will be kind of sad if we never get these, since our drive in them around Portugal's south shore revealed a car that is sturdier than the Mazda Miata and more huggable than the MR2. There are a couple of off-key notes that we'll get to, but all in all a lot of North Americans would like these two little pistols, even if few of us would put one in our driveways. As a calling card, though, they'd do the job.

The Smart Roadster was first shown at the 1999 Frankfurt show, and that original design by Michael Mauer (now design boss at Saab) has changed little in what you see here. As with the smaller and more upright city cars, the dominant design element is the trademark Smart Tridion steel safety cell that can come in either black or the optional silver.

Whereas the city cars come in three trims-pure, pulse and passion-the Roadster and Roadster Coupe have one standard trim level. Various packages can be added to the standard package for more fun. Base prices for the 81-horsepower (i.e. 60 kW via 14.6 psi turbo boost) versions we drove are $17,000 for the Roadster and $18,500 for the Roadster Coupe based on current euro/dollar exchange rates. Mid-2003, there'll be a 61-horsepower (45 kW with 11.6 psi boost) Roadster at $14,000. Then to all these add your value added tax (VAT) which in the EU is about 13 percent for cars.

We're curious how these financials might go over Stateside. Get the less expensive Roadster, add speed-sensitive windshield wipers, the performance package (three-spoke steering wheel with sequential paddle shifters, plus 16-inch alloys), the safety package (fog lamps, electronically adjustable heated side-view mirrors and side airbags), the comfort package (cruise control, electric power steering and a trip computer), heated sport seats, et al. and you would be paying close to $22,000. Though we really like these cars, we've got to admit that's a lot for ...