Auto special: Discerning drivers know time's right for a smart choice

Held on Saturday in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, "smart times 2015" was the culmination of a fruitful year in China for the smart brand, which once again showcased its creativity for pioneering urban lifestyles.

More than 1,000 smart owners and fans gathered in the southern city for a vibrant succession of engaging activities and performances within multiple interactive zones.

With 100 smart owners from other cities attending the event in 48 smart vehicles, the number of smart cars participating was more than 200, which served as interactive pieces and cheerful backdrops for all the fun and excitement.

Since the smart brand entered China in 2009, it has had great appeal for China's urban trendsetters, both the young and the young at heart.

Driving smart's momentum in China are the All New smart fortwo that was launched in July to a warm reception, and the All New smart forfour, which premiered during Auto Guangzhou in November and is set to launch in the first half of next year.

This milestone year also saw the number of smart customers surpassing 70,000, underscoring the mutual correlation of the brand's core values and the success of smart's vision of future urban mobility.

China continues to be smart's second largest market globally, and the brand will continue to focus on meeting the needs of local fans, according to manufacturer Mercedes Benz.

"Designed for cities, smart has been delivering a unique urban mobility solution to China's urban trendsetters since it first entered the Chinese market," said Kang Yi, director of smart Operation at Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co Ltd. "The All New smart fortwo has once again exceeded consumer expectations, bringing smart owners endless fun while tapping into their relentless pursuit of a stylish lifestyle and positive attitude towards green mobility."

"Likewise, 'smart times 2015' upheld our 'FOR a new urban joy' brand concept by implementing a uniquely creative fantasy ice rink theme to not only express our pursuit of fashion and individuality, but more importantly use an array of interesting interactive activities to bring unlimited fun to people's urban lives through the smart brand," said Kang.

Kicking off the event was a carnival and parade, which featured a Ferris wheel made up of smart cars, a smart times ice sculpture and an array of other spectacles. These festivities were followed by the smart times Awards, which featured smart fortwo "dancing" on ice, highlighting the model's unrivaled agility.

Also present were singer-composer Kenji Wu and actor Li Chen, whose participation further fueled the passion of attending smart fans.

This exhilarating night culminated in the lighting up of a huge Christmas tree made up of LEDs, with smart fortwos located at the center, followed by a series of exciting awards for a select group of outgoing and enthusiastic smart owners.

Fans interested in the brand's signature vehicle need look no further than the All New smart fortwo, which boasts a comprehensive array of upgrades.

The car has retained its classic body length of 2.69 meters, and its distinctive bi-color body design courtesy of its body-paneling and a tridion safety cell allows urban trendsetters to fully express their individuality and style.

The All New smart fortwo also boasts the world's smallest turning circle of 6.95 meters, and its twinamic 6-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission and Direct Steer system allow the All New smart fortwo to seamlessly switch gears as it dashes nimbly through stop-and-go traffic.

In spite of its increased spaciousness, the All New smart forfour maintains smart's original, unmatched agility, as demonstrated by the fact that the smart among the fourseaters features the smallest turning circle in its class - just 8.65 meters.

The vehicle has retained all the strengths and charm of the smart fortwo while offering enhanced comfort and convenience, therefore rounding out smart's charming product portfolio.

By radically changing how people travel in cities across China, smart empowers China's urban trendsetters to get behind the wheel "FOR a new urban joy", providing an enjoyable yet practical vision of sustainable urban mobility.

As an important global market for any car brand, China is key to smart's vision of future urban mobility, and with the recent unveiling of the All New smart forfour at Auto Guangzhou and the All New smart fortwo taking the spotlight at smart times 2015, smart's future in China couldn't look brighter.

duxiaoying1@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 12/14/2015 page19)