Will Americans have to slim down to fit into their cars?

When my wife and I were in Europe a few years ago, we saw the "Smart Cars," vehicles so small that they look like they could have come off an assembly line at a toy plant. The reason we were told that they were so popular in Europe was that gas was expensive and people there did not need to drive huge distances over crowded highways. Well, I thought these sort of vehicles would never sell in the U.S. where we like our cars as wide and free as freeway at the crack of dawn.

Thanks to $4 gas, my theory has been proven wrong.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) may start producing the Chevrolet Beat in the U.S., a vehicle which according to Bloomberg News is more than a foot shorter than any other vehicle and whose 40-mile-per-hour fuel efficiency is only topped by hybrids. The new service points out that the the automaker has little choice because its current market value is SMALLER than Matchbox car maker Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) and a 10th of what it was in 2000. It only took GM billions of dollars in losses but hey better late than never, right?

Don't get be wrong. I have nothing against the Chevrolet Beat. Judging from the pictures I have seen online. it looks okay, not my cup of tea, but then again that's why we have chocolate and vanilla. Thanks to Al Gore, I understand about global warming and feel guilty that I own the small SUV that I drive. Nonetheless, the Chevrolet Beat and other cars like it scare me.


What's going to happen to passengers in the Chevrolet Bolt and other micro cars who are unfortunate enough to be in an accident with one of my fellow SUV drivers? Are these vehicles hearty enough to stand up to the rigors of America's highways and byways? Will Bolt drivers be as smug as hybrid owners if that's even possible.

First as anyone who has seen my picture will learn, I am not what they call a svelte American. My people -- we hate to use the "F" word -- have grown accustomed to having enough room for our ample frames in the non-sedan vehicle of our choice. Considering that car dealers are avoiding taking SUVs in trade-ins like the plague, we have got plenty of time to go on a diet.