SÃO PAULO, Brazil —Good news was afoot at the 2008 São Paulo Auto Show for economy-car fans: Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will bring the Smart Fortwo here in April 2009. Not to be outdone, Fiat said its 500 will come here in 2009 as well. Small cars are a tradition in Brazil, but these almost-too-small cars are something new.Mercedes-Benz startled the local and international press with its announcement of the Smart's imminent arrival. The little car was hoped for but was really not expected here. It will be available in the coupe and roadster configurations, with an expected price of the equivalent of U.S. $27,000 to $30,000. Fiat is showing its little 500 here and promises to bring it to the market next year also. The 500 Sport shown at the São Paulo auto show has a 1.4-liter 16-valve engine producing 100 hp. Sales should not be a problem if other countries are any indicator. The Fiat 500 was relaunched one year ago in Europe; the Italian brand expected to sell 80,000 units — and ended up selling 260,000. The little car reached Mexican shops two months ago with the target of selling 100 units in three months — and the goal was reached within two hours.Fiat's relative caution about a South American launch could be due to the fact that the 500 does not have the same history here as it does in Europe, where it is a landmark car for Fiat and a celebrity among products. There's another reason, though: the local tax policy, which leads to high pricing on all imported cars and will cause a $50,000 price tag to be affixed to the car — or almost double the price of the more basic Fortwo.Inside Line says: It's a small world after all. Sorry, had to say it. — Rodolpho Siqueira, Correspondent