Brabus continues its cooperation with Smart even after the brand was taken over by the joint venture between Daimler and Geely. The new Smart #1 SUV has already been modified by Brabus, has electric all-wheel drive and 428 HP.
Photo: Auto motor und sport
In addition to tuning Mercedes models, Brabus has also distinguished itself by tuning Smart models. This cooperation continues now that the smart brand has been taken over by the new joint venture between Daimler and Geely.
The German tuner moved very quickly and just 4 months after the presentation of the production version of the smart #1 in April 2022, Brabus presented its own version at the Chengdu Auto Show at the end of August.
The car presented in Chengdu has two body colours – grey for the body with red for the rear pillar and roof. Also the lower part of the front and rear spoiler, mirror housings, sills and brake calipers are painted in red. A diffuser has been fitted in the rear.
Another modification is the two front air intakes between the headlights. The Brabus Smart #1 runs on 19-inch two-tone wheels. Compared to other Brabus models, the Brabus logo does not appear at all on the body but only on the interior. The Brabus logo appears on the headrests and on the lower arm of the steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara.
Red is also predominant colour on the interior, with red headrest ends and seatbelts and contrasting red stitching on the leather upholstery.
The production version presented in April has a single rear axle engine developing 272 HP and 343 Nm while energy is supplied by a 66 kWh battery located between the axles. Smart has not yet announced an all-wheel drive version but this is very possible and a second electric motor at the front axle could boost power to 400 HP.
But Brabus has moved faster and has already presented such a version with two PSM motors (permanent magnet synchronous motors) developing 428 HP in total and 543 Nm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, which is as fast as the BMW i4 M50. Brabus has not yet released any more data on performance or range.
But there are four driving modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport and Brabus. In Eco mode only the rear engine runs and the highest range is achieved. In Comfort mode, the front electric motor starts only in case of loss of traction, while in Sport mode both motors run but not at full power. This is only available in Brabus mode.
Two types of sound are available: either as a Smart petrol engine or as a V6.
The car is currently available in China for around 40,000 euro but it is not yet known how much it will cost in Europe. It’s a reasonable price considering the power, electric all-wheel drive and custom exterior and interior design.