It busts the myth that cars are overweight "because of the all the safety equipment" (commonly heard).
It's
less than 100 lbs heavier than my Firefly/Metro, yet it's got vastly better crash protection (
5/5 stars Australian NCAP), with better engineering (strategic use of high tensile steel), 7 airbags, ABS, traction/stability control...
(1998 Firefly/Metro: 1895 lbs. curb weight according to Edmunds).
And it's got more creature comforts: AC/power windows/locks, etc, etc.
And it's got more power (better power:weight ratio).
And better fuel economy.
Automakers are talking a lot about weight reduction these past few years. We're already starting to see re-designed models weighing less than the outgoing ones.