Although it may not be virtually unknown outside its ‘native’ Japan it won the 2007 Car of the Year award from the Japanese Automotive Researchers and Journalists Conference (RJC), and two other “Car of the Year” awards, from the Carview Corporation website and the Consumer’s Choice.
It also won the “Most Advanced Technology” Special Achievement Award at the 2006–07 Japan Car of the Year awards, where it was nominated unsuccessfully in the overall Car of the Year category, and ranked first in the Japan Mini-Car APEAL Study published by J.D. Power Asia Pacific in October 2006, with a higher score than any previous winner. Aside from the 2006 Good Design Grand Prix, its style won Design Awards from the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame (JAHFA), and the magazines Popeye and Car Styling.
Even the 2008 Car of the year 2008 Toyota’s iQ although better performance wise & designed by Toyota’s design studio in France pales in comparison to the sleek shape & georgeous look of the “i”. Agreed that microcars or ‘kei’ cars as they are known in Japan are made generally for the ladies &/or ‘sissies’ but offlate the modified versions of Smart Cars having superbike engines have been known to pack quite a muscle (0-100kph in under 3.5seconds.
“i”s breakthrough success with the said market came after a “Hello Kitty” customized “i” was put on display in a large Japanese Department Store for a week in 2007. Other close rivals include Smart Mortor’s fortow & K models, ZAP (zero air pollution), Toyota iQ the proposed Aston Martin-Toyota joint venture Cygnet & Honda’s Insight.
Suzuki has also marketed its own budget version of the smart car known as Suzuki Twin while rounding off the European competition are Mercedes-Benz’s Motsy & Subaru’s R2.
I got a chance to take a closer look at Motsy outside Jammin' Java few days ago. Earlier I used to feel somehow that the car is of Japanese origin. But I was perplexed to see the three pointed star both at the from and the rear.I thought may be the owner had put the emblems there just for fun because I believed that Merc's micro car is just Smart.
But now seeing Motsy being mentioned as an MB brand in this post, I have to think further. Unfortunately, nothing significant is available on the net about this car.
What's the engine size and the car's price in Lahore?
You saw the Merc's 'small wonder'? The car that the Pink Pather drove in the movie, right? I have seen that little thing in the streets of Lahore, though I have not seen the car mentioned in this post (the one by MB)
Are you referring to seeing an actual MB smart car here in PK? :/ That would be a sight no doubt