Smart #1 Brabus Review

I only found out recently that Smart is an acronym for Swatch Mercedes ART. I didn't even know that Swatch (yes, that funky plastic watch company), was involved in cars.

But what I do remember of Smart was just how tiny these cars were, and their fame for attaining an incredible safety rating despite their size (and insignificant crumple zone). These cars were cheerful city-runabouts that were designed for ease of driving and parking in city streets - a niche offering that stood out from the rest and made Smart cars extremely recognisable.

Today, Smart is a joint-venture between Mercedes-Benz and Chinese brand Geely, and the first car it has introduced to the market is the #1. Like the original Smart Fortwo, the #1 is also available in Brabus guise and that is what we have here. But, it seems a little larger than I remember…

The #1 isn't the tiny Smart that we remember, but it retains that playful charm

Tiny car, no more!

Cars have grown over the years, but nothing could have prepared me for just how drastically larger the Smart #1 is compared to the iconic Smart Fortwo. The new Smart is almost 1.8 metres longer!

The cute and fun #1 features head and taillights that seem inspired by Mercedes-Benz's EQ series taillights

Despite its newfound proportions, the Smart #1 manages to be as cute and playful as I remember the brand to be. With rounded edges and soft lines, the #1 reminds of the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. The front and taillights are reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz's EQ series signature taillight shape, where a thin bar expands towards each end to form a singular light signature that reaches the extremities of the front and tail end respectively.

The #1 Brabus gets trim-exclusive touches, including the special Atom Grey Matte with Radiant Red paint job, Brabus badges and a different set of rims from the #1 Pro+

The #1 Brabus comes equipped with several exclusive touches, starting with the special Atom Grey Matte with Radiant Red paint job, which is reminiscent of the MINI Cooper JCW with their iconic red roof and side mirrors (in fact, the fun nature of the #1 parallels the MINI Cooper in many ways). The #1 Brabus also gets a unique set of body add-ons with Brabus logos found on each side of the car, plenty of sporty red accents, along with a special set of rims.

You won't find an engine in the #1 Brabus - it's all-electric!

Tuned-up tiny engine? Nope, it's all electric now!

The original Smart Fortwo Brabus had a hotted-up version of the three-cylinder turbo engine with more power. But with the Smart #1, there's no longer an engine to tinker with - it's all-electric. So, what has been done to ensure the Brabus nameplate doesn't get muddied?

Hop behind the wheel, set the car to Brabus mode, and you'd be blown away by the intense acceleration that it is capable of

Easy, add another motor up front to bump the total output to 422bhp and 543Nm of torque and the drivetrain from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive. What this results in is a shockingly explosive acceleration when you put the car in 'Brabus' mode and push the go-pedal to the floor.

I've tried it on a less-than-ideal surface and the car would even spin all four wheels before taking off like a bat out of hell. The official data is 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, but it sure feels quicker than that. Compared to the original Fortwo Brabus, which put out less than 100bhp, the #1 Brabus sure is much more deserving of the association with the tuner that is known for its monstrously powerful cars.

With a 66kWh battery, the #1 Brabus manages a WLTP range of 400km - likely sufficient for a week's driving

Equipped with a 66kWh battery, the #1 Brabus has an energy consumption of 5.5km/kWh, which works out to a WLTP range of 400km. This range seems highly attainable considering how I drove the car all the time in 'Brabus' mode with a lead foot and still managed to get an average consumption of 5km/kWh. With the #1 Brabus, you would probably only need to charge it once a week; there's also enough range for you to drive into Malaysia comfortably with little range anxiety as well.

It's a Brabus, so how does it drive?

After driving it for awhile, I started to enjoy the #1 Brabus - in its entirety, the car is well-balanced and easy to drive.

Nicely weighted steering with a well-judged suspension setup, the #1 Brabus is a car that's balanced and easy to drive despite having plenty of power

The steering is nicely weighted, especially for an electric car. The suspension, while not the comfort-oriented one on the #1 Pro+, isn't overly harsh for daily commutes. On the contrary, the car's performance could benefit from a stiffer suspension - as it is, the car squats considerably on hard acceleration, and the front end would also roll a fair bit when you push hard into a turn.

Atypical of EVs, the #1 Brabus' brakes feel natural and well modulated, along with sufficient braking force for its performance

The brakes on the #1 Brabus are commendable as Smart managed to get them to feel natural and well modulated. However, there are only two options for regenerative braking (medium and high), and I found both to be too strong for my liking.

On the driving assist side of things, there's everything you need with the Smart #1 Brabus. There is a 360-degree camera to assist you in low-speed manoeuvres, along with blind spot assistance, lane assist, as well as my favourite feature - adaptive cruise control with lane centering for an almost-autonomous drive. The #1 Brabus is a powerful car that is still easy and relaxing to drive.

It's not just about the drive!

The driving experience only makes up for a part of the car's attractiveness. For a brand like Smart, much of its allure comes from its design. Just look at the home page of its infotainment system and you'll see what I mean: The centre of the screen is a cute cartoon globe, and at the bottom left corner is an endearing animated fox that accompanies you on your journey.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are available on the 12.8-inch infotainment system

The user-interface is user-oriented - you can swipe down from the top edge to call up a handy quick-access bar

Most of the car's settings and features can be accessed through the 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with ease - including the sunroof blind. As I've come to expect from modern cars, both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. What's pleasantly surprising is how smooth and user-oriented the user interface is. While operating Android Auto, one can call up a quick-access bar by swiping down from the top edge of the display allowing easy access to the home page and climate control settings.

The slim digital cluster displays all the information you need and makes you wonder why anyone would even need anything larger; the current drive mode is also indicated by a cute cartoon globe

The 9.2-inch display that serves as the instrument cluster is of a slim form factor. This allows it to be completely visible through the steering wheel while displaying everything you need to know, including a cute cartoon globe that indicates your selected drive mode.

Legroom and headroom are generous within the Smart #1; the Brabus also comes with red trims and seatbelts along with unique trim pieces

Space is plenty within the Smart #1. Even with the front seat adjusted to the most rearward position, there is still sufficient legroom for me, and thanks to the tall roofline, headroom is generous as well.

Front headrests with Brabus' logo and a 13-speaker Beats sound system further differentiates the Brabus from the Pro+

The #1 Brabus also comes with many exclusive features within, including the generous use of microfibre suede, Brabus-specific trims, red seatbelts, front headrests with Brabus logo and a wireless charging pad.

Another notable addition is the 13-speaker Beats sound system, which was a pleasant surprise as the system manages to produce clear mids and highs without the overbearing and muddy bass that I've come to associate with the brand's products.

Playful, charming, easy to drive, and very powerful - is the Smart #1 Brabus the car for you?

Is the Smart #1 Brabus the smart choice?

Spacious, fun and charming, the #1 Brabus is lovable, easy to drive and much more practical than the Smart Fortwo that was synonymous with the brand.

It is well-equipped and feature-packed, and quite attractively priced depending on how you look at it. While it doesn't have the best price to power ratio in the market, its association with Mercedes-Benz has clearly allowed much of the brand's charm to trickle down to the Smart #1. In some ways you'll almost feel like you are driving a baby Mercedes-Benz, and one with Brabus' touches making it even more special.

At $278,888, the Smart #1 Brabus is $40,000 dearer than the Pro+, but it also puts out almost 160bhp more and comes with a fair bit of equipment that you won't get with the latter. Being an EV, however, the power increase results in an annual road tax of $4,416 - more than twice of the Pro+. At the end of the day, you are getting all the power, features and charming style at a cost that won't even allow you to get a base Mercedes-Benz EQA, thus making it a compelling choice of EV to opt for.

Granted, the additional costs would make one ponder the need for such firepower, but that isn't the fault of the car, but rather the result of the local tax structure that penalises powerful EVs. Judging the car by its own merits, I would say that it has managed to achieve what's stated on the box - a playfully charming city car with a dose of explosive power.

In the market for electric crossovers? Here are some others that you should check out:

The Smart #1 sports a pleasant exterior alongside plenty of quirks

The BMW iX2 is a capable, functional and practical electric crossover

The Volvo XC40 Recharge, meanwhile, offers good looks, cabin space plenty of driving delight