Smart #3 Brabus review

6

Tuner behind the world's most outlandish V8 hyper-saloons turns its tools to an electric coupé-SUV

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When did we stop dropping to the floor, slack-jawed and swooning, upon the announcement of 400bhp-plus hatchbacks? Not so long ago, even the wildest hot hatches on sale were packing power figures in the low 200s – and even then only had a driven front axle.

But as the mechanical limitations of internal combustion technology fade away, so too does the novelty of endowing even the most everyday family runaround with power figures historically reserved for the most potent of road cars – which is why the 422bhp Smart #3 Brabus is not as outrageous a proposition as it might have been a few years ago. 

At least in potency terms, that is. Some will still find it difficult to reconcile the concept of a fairly chunky crossover bearing a badge previously reserved for some of the very smallest automobiles on European roads, but if you think this is unnatural, wait until you see the Land Rover Defender-flavoured, Volkswagen Tiguan-sized #5 coming down the line. 

The Brabus is the range-topping version of the Smart #3 - the most potent and expensive of a four-strong line-up that starts with the smallest-batteried, single-motor Pro in the low £30,000s, then climbs to the longer-range Pro+ at circa-£37k and the higher-spec £40k Premium edition, with 283 miles of range. 

Taking the #3 into the mid-£40s, the Brabus edition adds a second motor on the front axle for four-wheel drive, and with it another 154bhp to trim the 0-62mph time to a blistering 3.7sec, and a lower, stiffer chassis set-up in pursuit of heightened dynamic agility - all signalled by an unmistakably performance-inspired makeover that’s more than a little reminiscent of what Brabus used to do with Smart cars of old. 

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DESIGN & STYLING

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As a purveyor of a pair of crossovers and with a third yet larger one on the way, Smart is plainly not what it once was. But then this is a Brabus edition, and although the #3 is far removed in conception from the 1000bhp Mercedes-AMG-based hyper-saloons, monster trucks and £500k Porsche 911 road racers the German tuning outfit is best known for, it does at least hold true to its principle of being wildly over-powered - and just a bit silly. 

Although you might accuse the #3 of looking a little like someone had described a Porsche Macan to its designer over the phone, the fact that Smart design is still handled by Mercedes rather than its co-parent (and builder) Geely means it is undeniably a more charismatic and purposeful proposition than many a Chinese-built alternative. 

That’s especially true of the Brabus, which ramps up the rambunctiousness with its snarlier air intakes, 20in alloys, contrasting roof and all the obligatory spoilers, splitters and diffusers. All complemented, of course, by lashings of microfibre and angry red accents inside.

Those racy visual cues signal the addition of the extra motor on the front axle, with the rear keeping the 268bhp unit from the standard #3. Together, they put out more power than a base 911 and an equally hefty 400lb ft of torque for 0-62mph in as little as 3.7sec. See? Silly.

On the more sensible side of things, a 62kWh (usable) battery supplies enough juice for a 258-mile WLTP range and can be charged at a decently competitive 150kW rate.

INTERIOR

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Aside from the more overt sporting cues (clock the Alcantara steering wheel, microfibre seats and lashings of red), the Brabus interior is identical to that of the standard #3.

It’s a spacious and airy environment, with plenty of room to stretch out in each row and rear head room not unduly impacted by the sloping roofline, plus a 370-litre boot that’s agreeably capacious, if not astoundingly so. 

The minimalist cockpit is dominated by a 12.8in touchscreen which plays host to darn near every function bar the demister and door handles, supported on the move by a 9.2in driver display screen and a 10in head-up display.

Physical switchgear is limited to a smattering of buttons on the steering wheel and a row of touch-sensitive icons below the touchscreen, but unlike the Volvo EX30 with which it shares its SEA platform, the #3 does at least get window switches on both sides of the cabin. 

The #3 is commendably equipped as standard, and the different trim levels pertain mainly to battery capacity and power output, but the Brabus does add a dusting of extra kit over the base car - namely its ventilated front seats, retractable boot cover, illuminated tread plates and heated steering wheel.

Of note is that only the entry-level #3 Pro, with the smaller 49kWh battery, comes with a sliding rear bench - useful for boosting boot capacity.

Overall, it’s a comfortable and decently equipped cabin, although the Brabus’s more sporty-looking seats are on the firmer side and the overly wide centre console – an unnecessary concession to convention on this EV-only architecture – impinges on knee room for the front occupants. 

But the real fly in the soup is the #3’s sub-par ergonomics: there aren't enough buttons for key functions and the touchscreen interface feels poorly judged and outdated. The menus are illogically arranged and the icons can be tricky to decipher, making it difficult to find your way between climate control and Apple CarPlay or even to adjust the wing mirrors at 70mph, for example.

Meanwhile, the #3’s cartoon cheetah mascot stands idly – almost mockingly – to the side. The fact that it's sometimes wearing a parachute for comedic effect is no massive consolation, it has to be said. 

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Of course it’s quick. Really quick. BMW M2 levels of power and a pair of driven axles mean the #3 Brabus gets from 0-62mph almost as quickly as the Lamborghini Urus.

And it does so with such repeatable assuredness that you feel confident of deploying its full reserves in all conditions. Floor it in Sport mode and it squats, digs in and shoots for the horizon in that brutally – somewhat disconcertingly – effective manner to which we’ve become accustomed in such mega-power EVs.

Assuming you’re not given to full-bore launches off your driveway every morning, the #3 can behave more sedately and sensibly in everyday running - displaying a welcome duality that hasn't always been common to cars with this sort of output. In all driving modes, take-up is smooth, predictable and highly controllable, with no undue shunting and jolting in stop-start traffic and nice, progressive power delivery up to a cruise.

It’s a shame that there are no paddles for adjusting the regenerative braking (you're offered only the choice of Low, Medium or High), but there is a marked distinction between the various recuperation levels and the car will coast downhill when it’s in its lowest setting. 

RIDE & HANDLING

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Unlike the slightly wayward #1 Brabus, this second addition to Smart’s electric performance ranks does at least get something of a chassis overhaul to support its extra firepower, with the suspension dropped by 35mm and stiffened for a dash more poise and stability. 

It’s not fun, though. 

Manoeuvrable and confidence-inspiring, sure, but well short on the sort of whimsy and terrier-like naughtiness that we’ve been pleased to experience in the likes of the Alpine A290 and Mini Cooper SE EV hot hatches. Plant the right pedal in Rocket Launch mode and it digs in hard, with little propensity to scrabble and squirm off the line, and then surges forth with an urgency that’s initially exhilarating but quickly tiresome - and that, honestly, doesn’t feel dramatically different to the still-pokey standard car. 

The Brabus is commendably lithe for a car of this weight and size, switching direction assuredly and predictably with scant propensity to break traction or lollop disconcertingly adrift of the apex, which gives you the confidence to let loose when the mood takes you, but it is hamstrung by unfeelsome steering and a point-and-shoot powertrain which make that a vanishingly rare occasion. 

It is, though more comfortable and composed than you might have guessed, to look at its lowered body and thinly shrouded sports wheels. Potholes and rough roads are dispatched quietly and smoothly, and tyre roar is kept to a minimum at a high-speed cruise - which – together with its comfortable, spacious and well-equipped cabin – would help to sell the #3 Brabus as more a sort of GT-crossover than a hot hatch, if only it had the legs to cement that billing - which we’ll explore in the running costs section.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Choosing your flavour of #3 is about as simple as it gets: there are four trim levels, ranging from the low-£30s to the mid-£40s, and no option boxes to worry about save for a tow bar. 

The entry-level car, with its smaller 47kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery, returns an official range of a little more than 200 miles, but upgrading to the larger pack boosts that WLTP figure to a 283-mile maximum. The lower-range car can charge at up to 130kW, but upping battery capacity also increases charge speed - to 150kW, for a hypothetical 10-80% top-up in half an hour, assuming you find a charger that attains and maintains that peak speed.

The inevitable trade-off for the Brabus’s extra punch is a dent to its durability, with the hottest #3 returning a WLTP figure of 258 miles - which corresponds to an officially certified energy consumption rate of 4.2mpkWh. But that figure proved far from reality in our real-world testing. 

Over an hour at motorway speeds, we consumed electricity at a rate of just 2.88mpkWh - enough for a range of just 179 miles. Admittedly, it was just 5degC outside, but that’s still a good way adrift of this car’s touted efficiency - and fairly unimpressive in the context of a segment where real-world cruising ranges in the mid-high-250s are achievable for similar money.

VERDICT

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Although the #3 Brabus is rapid, composed, keenly priced, well-equipped and handsomely styled, it's a difficult car to recommend, because of the inherent compromises attached to its performance-focused drivetrain and its frustrating user interface. 

The extra pace on offer here is simply not enough to compensate for the penalty the Brabus treatment imposes upon the #3's efficiency, and it's difficult to know exactly how often you would even be inclined to deploy that firepower in everyday driving once the novelty wears off. A capable but predictable chassis, meanwhile, means that it's effective rather than effervescent in the corners, so it's unlikely to tempt you out of bed for an early Sunday morning blast. 

So too should the infotainment be easier to navigate and more visually appealing - a pitfall this car shares with the standard #3 (and the smaller #1) and one which wouldn't be so keenly felt were the touchscreen not so omnipotent and overbearing. A few more physical controls would do wonders for the usability and everyday appeal of the #3.

Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years.