In America we have no shortage of cars. You'd think being the biggest automotive market on earth, we would be able to buy any model manufactured in the world. But some of the coolest cars aren't imported here, especially the smaller models. I suppose their marketing departments see our wide open spaces in the movies and think we have no reason to be economical and compact. But 98 percent of the nation lives in cities, and our urban areas are getting denser all the time. Fiat makes a range of stylish cars, none of which are imported here. The brand, sullied by memories of spotty reliability, vacated the American market a while ago. Now while the rest of the world is agog with the the launch of the iconic new Fiat 500, we have to settle for the staid and practical Honda Fit.
That's what's so interesting about having the Smart car available here - it's all about variety and choice. We all own more than one car these days - why not have one, more purpose-built vehicle for transporting a single person on a long commute or for running errands. Every vehicle doesn't have to be able to seat seven and tow a cabin cruiser.
Pictured above is the relatively upmarket Fiat Stilo I snapped while visiting Prague a coupe of years ago. A very sleek looking hatchback. It would be great to be able to buy something like this here.
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