#1 Brabus
Alternatives: Skoda Elroq vRS, Cupra Raval VZ, Abarth 600e, Alpine A290, MINI JCW Electric
Overview
The Smart #1 Brabus represents a significant departure from the brand's historic identity of tiny ultra-compact city cars. Developed under a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz, who was responsible for the design, and Geely, who handling engineering and platform development. This crossover sits on Geely's Sustainable Experience Architecture. The flagship Brabus trim transforms the standard compact crossover into a high-performance hot hatch, injecting dual-motor AWD performance and more aggressive design cues. Positioned against fast electric crossovers such as the Volvo EX30 Cross Country, Peugeot e-208 GTi, and Cupra Raval VZ, the #1 Brabus targets performance-focused buyers seeking explosive straight-line speed wrapped in a distinctive urban package.
Design
The exterior aesthetic of the Smart #1 Brabus retains the sleek, rounded silhouette of the standard model designed by Mercedes-Benz, while layering on purposeful sportiness. Up front, the Brabus variant gains extra bonnet vents, red-accented air intakes, a dedicated front spoiler, and dual-tier matrix LED headlights. Moving along the side profile, flush-fitting pop-out door handles, frameless doors, and a contrasting floating halo roof establishes a clean and muscular profile. Signature 19-inch Dynamo alloy wheels house red-painted brake calipers. At the rear, an extended roof spoiler, a modified lower rear bumper, and full-width LED lightbars with intricate light patterns complete the visual distinction over standard trims.
Interior
The cabin balances a modern minimalist layout with distinct performance details. The driver is greeted by an Alcantara and leather-wrapped steering wheel featuring contrast red stitching and an illuminated Brabus logo. Microfibre suede sports seats provide enhanced lateral support, accented by bright red seatbelts and contrast stitching throughout the dashboard and doors. A floating center console divides the front cabin, offering generous storage underneath. Dashboard infotainment is anchored by a 12.8-inch central touchscreen running Smart's customized software, which includes an AI fox avatar voice assistant and a synthetic engine sound generator. Behind the wheel sits an ultra-wide 9.2-inch digital instrument cluster paired with a 10-inch head-up display. A 13-speaker Beats premium audio system comes standard on this trim. While material quality on the upper dash is strong, some lower cabin plastics feel less premium than established European luxury rivals.
Performance & Powertrains
The headline feature of the Smart #1 Brabus is its powertrain. It adds a 154 hp electric motor to the front axle alongside the standard 268 hp rear motor, producing a total combined output of 422 hp and 543 Nm of torque. This dual-motor AWD setup propels the crossover from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds, onwards to an electronically limited top speed of 112 mph. Energy is supplied by a 66 kWh battery pack. Due to the added weight and power of the dual-motor layout, range drops slightly compared to single-motor variants, coming in at 249 miles. DC fast charging peaks at 150 kW, allowing a 10 to 80% charge in around 30 minutes. Driving dynamics feature dedicated Brabus Mode, which sharpens throttle mapping, increases steering weight, and engages maximum four-wheel traction, though the chassis tuning remains softer and more relaxed on twisty B-roads than dedicated electric hot hatchbacks.
Practicality
Despite its compact footprint, the long 2,750 mm wheelbase allows for generous interior passenger room. Rear legroom is exceptionally good for a vehicle in the B-segment, easily accommodating tall adults. Practicality is helped by sliding rear seats that move by up to 13 cm to balance boot space with rear passenger space. With seats in their standard position, cargo capacity stands at 313 litres, expanding to 411 litres when slid forward and 976 litres with the 60:40 split rear seatbacks folded flat. Up front, a small 15-litre frunk provides dedicated storage for charging cables.
Buying
The Smart #1 Brabus sits at the top of the #1 line-up with a starting price of £44,960. Standard equipment is comprehensive, leaving virtually no optional extras to select outside of paint finishes. Every Brabus comes fully loaded with matrix LED headlights, 19-inch wheels, microfibre suede upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, panoramic halo glass roof, 360-degree camera, wireless smartphone charging, Beats audio, and a suite of Level 2 driver assistance systems. The EV Hub recommended configuration has to be the Brabus in its single, fully-equipped trim level with virtually no options needed.