The national expansion of the sales network for Smart continues with the appointment of eight new sales centres.

Five more Mercedes-Benz dealers will take on the Smart franchise; Falcoln of Lincoln, Cruickshanks of Bristol, Mercedes-Benz of Harrogate, Hughes of Beaconsfield and SG Newport in South Wales. Three other additions to the network - Derwent Vehicles Ltd in Leeds, Mercedes-Benz of Gatwick, Western Automobile Company in Edinburgh - were announced earlier this week.

This takes the total Smart franchise network to 17 sites, plus five DaimlerChrysler UK wholly-owned sales centres at Piccadilly, Chiswick, Milton Keynes, Birmingham and Manchester.

New Smart franchised sales centres will also shortly be opening in Ipswich and Norwich.