Smart Car ForTwo Gets High Crash Mark

smart USA Distributor LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc., (NYSE: PAG), announced today that the U.S. model of the 2008 smart fortwo earned the highest front and side crashworthiness ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

“This is important news for consumers who are looking for vehicles that offer both excellent fuel economy and safety,” said Dave Schembri, president of smart USA. “IIHS tests are very stringent and highly regarded as indicators of actual crash performance on the road, and we are very pleased with the results.”

“The IIHS frontal crash test is conducted at a higher speed than required by federal safety standards, and it’s an offset test that replicates most real-world crashes. The smart’s sophisticated safety management system performed as designed,” said Schembri.

Consumers are encouraged to review complete crash test results and watch videos of the actual crash tests at – www.iihs.org.

smart fortwo Safety Management System The smart fortwo has a sophisticated safety management system, for its vehicle category, with features that are typically found on many high-end vehicles, and it is a trend setter in terms of the safety developments in the small car segment. The occupants are surrounded by the tridion safety cell, which is a reinforced steel cage. The tridion safety cell is reinforced at strategically important points with high strength steel, covering more than 50 percent of the entire cell. Its longitudinal and transverse members are designed to activate the crumple zone of the other vehicle involved in the accident and distribute the impact energy throughout the body of the vehicle.

The smart fortwo comes equipped with electronic stability program (esp®) as standard equipment, four years in advance of the federal requirement for this important safety enhancement. esp® can help prevent rollovers and other loss-of-control crashes. Many cars in the small vehicle segment do not yet offer the technology, even at an additional charge. The IIHS reports that esp® reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle crashes by more than 50 percent. Bundled with smart’s esp® are these additional safety features: traction control system, brake assist and hill start assist.

Anti-lock braking (ABS) also is integrated with esp® to prevent wheels from locking during emergency braking.

Every smart fortwo comes standard with four airbags, two in the front and two on the side. The front airbags are dual-stage airbags that are activated according to the severity of the impact. Every smart fortwo comes with full-size airbags for the driver and passenger. The passenger airbag (volume: 34 gallons) is located at the top of the instrument panel. Head/thorax side airbags are housed in the sides of the seat backrests and are intended to protect both the upper body and head. The smart fortwo also has a specially designed knee pad.

Since smart car USA's network of dealers began selling three trim levels of the smart fortwo in January, the company has sold over 7,000 vehicles and has added thousands of new vehicle reservations. Complete information about placing a reservation and the dealer network, in addition to vehicle pricing, standard equipment and options, can be found at www.smartusa.com.

ABOUT the smart fortwo and smart USA smart USA Distributor LLC, headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo in the United States and Puerto Rico and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc.

The smart fortwo is a brand of and is manufactured by Daimler AG. This technologically advanced vehicle achieves 41 mpg on the highway and is an ultra-low emissions vehicle, as certified by the State of California Air Resources Board. The vehicle is 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide and comes equipped with many functional and safety features found in most luxury models. smart is currently sold in 36 other countries, and more than 900,000 smart fortwos have been sold since 1998. The 2008 smart fortwo is available in three trim levels ranging in price from $11,590 to $16,590*. For more information visit the smart USA website – www.smartusa.com.

* For 2008 models. Excludes tax, title, registration, destination charge, options and other dealer fees.

smart is a registered trademark of Daimler AG.