We all know how right now the U.S. Government is attempting to get the general public to buy the new hybrid cars. Many may have heard of the Mercedes, Smart Car, which comes in several models, and is quite small but engineered to be safe. Well, as a hybrid tax rebates alternate the Smart Car is highly efficient, and currently the “fortwo” vehicle, is now in the U.S. at some dealerships.

It used to be that the only way you could get a Smart Car into the United States was through the ‘gray market’ trade, where cars would be imported and then modified to U.S. manufacturing standards and sold at a premium. However, now that they have finally reached the U.S. market there is no need to pay the high import prices, and they have become an economically sound alternative to the more traditional automobiles.

Smart Car only became available in January (2008) and have been on the market for less than a year now. Currently the models in the U.S. are the aforementioned fortwo line, with three sub models. Their entry level vehicle called the ‘Pure’ starts at 11,000 dollars and makes a good hybrid tax rebate alternate, considering that the Prius, with rebate, is still several thousand dollars more. Their other two models, the Passion Coupe and the Passion Cabriolet start at 13,590 and 16,590 respectively.

The Smart Car fortwo all have a one liter 73 horsepower engine, a five speed automatic transmission, and a design that will stand up to impact. It also has two full airbags, head neck and side airbags, an electronics stability system, antilock breaks, a panic button on the remote key, and a tire repair kit. Of course that’s not all, but it gives a general idea on how much safety is packed into the Smart Car

The Smart Car fortwo is a small car but they have certainly used colorful designs to capture the young and young at heart.