Smart has given its small (very small) ForTwo a refresh, but here in the US the ForTwo hasn't really been flying off dealer lots, so will any of the changes help it?

The new ForTwo will be available this fall and gets new exterior colors, including a new matte finish. The the front spoiler, side skirts and the rear apron can also be painted in the body color on request. The front end also gets new LED daytime driving lights and new 15-inch alloy wheels are also part of the refresh.

Inside the interior has been redesigned featuring a full fabric-covered instrument panel, which has also been redesigned with new gauges.

Smart didn't change much in regard to the engines and transmissions, although the 60-h and 70-hp engines are now cleaner.

The rumors were true. Renault-Nissan and Daimler AG have announced a new alliance today that will involve sharing and cooperating on the development of diesel and gasoline engines. The new partners are also going to combine their efforts to develop a new platform for the Smart ForTwo, a new Smart four-seater and the next-generation Renault Twingo.

The partnership also involves Renault-Nissan supplying three and four-cylinder engines to Daimler for use in some Mercedes models. In return Daimler is going to provide gasoline and diesel engines that will be used in some Infiniti models.

Lastly Daimler will now hold a 3.1% stake in Renault and Nissan and the two partners will also hold a same stake in Daimler.

Daimler has announced the start of a new pilot program in Austin, Texas, in which 200 Smart ForTwos will be available through its cars2go car sharing service.

The program will allow city employees to rent the cars for a few hours and then return them to a designated location. It's similar to Zipcar. Daimler also tested the program earlier this year in Ulm, Germany. If it's successful it will be expanded to other areas.

The IIHS has released the crash test results involving three subcompact/ minicars into a midsize sedan from the same automaker and the results are not pretty.

Normally crash test results involve a vehicle crashing into a deformable barrier, which most of the time is not accurate in the real world. Most crashes involve two vehicles crashing into each other. In these three tests the IIHS chose pairs of vehicles from Daimler, Honda and Toyota due to their subcompact models earning good frontal crashworthiness ratings. The Honda Fit, Smart Fortwo and Toyota Yaris all earned good ratings in the Institute's offset test into a deformable barrier, but all three performed poorly in the frontal collisions with midsize cars.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has officially released the crash test results for the smart fortwo.

The Smart ForTwo is finally being offered in the US and it is selling way beyond expectations, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has raised a concern about how the car performed in recent tests.

According to Dr Bernd Bohr, chairman of automotive component company Bosch, 20% of all new cars sold by 2015 will have the new start-stop technology. The technology turns off the engine when the car comes to a stop at stoplights or in traffic. This new technology will reduce emissions and increase the fuel-economy of vehicles equipped with the technology.

BMW announced last week that the MINI range is going to have start-stop technology standard on all of its models. Now comes word that the Smart ForTwo will also have similar technology when it debuts later this year.

For months there have been rumors and internal statements about the possible sale of Chrysler, which would result in the end of the current relationship with Daimler-Benz. The partnership that was announced in 1998 has now come to an end. Cerberus Capital Management has won the bid to take over the Chrysler group for $7.45 billion.

Edmunds.com has posted a list of the most wanted cars in 2007 based on reader feedback. Out of the 32 categories you may be surprised which automaker took home the most awards....

April's auto sales numbers have just been posted and almost every major automaker had a sales decrease last month. Even the Asian automakers that have been making headlines for their sales gains, took a hit.

Gas prices are expected to reach $4 a gallon in some parts of the U.S. this summer. Because of the ever increasing gas prices, automakers are expecting consumers to continue to flock to smaller more fuel efficient cars, such as the Mini or Honda Fit. Next year the Smart ForTwo will make it to these shores and GM has also shown three new small Chevy concepts at the New York Auto Show. Will these cars that are smaller than the current popular subcompact cars, such as the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris sell?

DaimlerChrysler has begun taking reservations for the its Smart ForTwo car that will be available in the U.S. in 2008. Buyers can reserve either the hardtop or convertible for $99. The company has set up a reservation page were people can enter their personal information and select the car that they would like. The $99 fee does not guarantee a car. Instead it is meant to help the company figure out where to distribute the car. The money will be applied to the cost of the car if you do actually buy one, if not it is refunded.