Daimler Smart Cars to get Diesel and Hybrid Powertrains

In brief: Daimler says that the Smart brand of vehicles will see new offerings in its lineup, including a diesel and hybrid-electric version of the diminutive cars.

Vehicle in the news

Make/Model: ForTwo / ForFour
Manufacturer: Smart (Daimler)

The word

As speculated when we showed the announcement that Daimler and Renault-Nissan were now working together, the first to reap the rewards may be Daimler's Smart brand.

The tiny ForTwo model will see a possible diesel variant as well as a hybrid-electric based on Renault's research. In addition, the car will undergo a few modifications to make it more modular and Daimler may resurrect the ForFour 4-door model.

The new design will come in 2012 along with these new powertrains, though Daimler has not announced which engine or even where the models will be available. A Smart model with a TDI engine, however, could get 50+mpg easily.

And so ...

Very interesting news for these cars.

Photo credits: Daimler