“Industry executives credit the retro-styled Mini Cooper for helping pave the way for this revived market, because it demonstrated that some Americans would drive a subcompact if it's stylish and sporty. Toyota and Honda introduced new small cars in recent weeks, another is coming from Nissan in July and Suzuki will join the trend this fall. Hyundai, Kia and Chevrolet, meanwhile, have redesigned their tiniest models in an effort to make them more competitive. The industry calls them "B cars," one step bigger than the miniscule "A cars" sold in Europe and Asia, such as the Smart from Mercedes-Benz.”
—Jonathan Welsh, “Growing Interest in Shrinking Cars,” The Wall Street Journal, 12 May 06, p. W1.
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