2023 Smart Smart #1 Brabus unveiled in China

27 August 2022

Smart #1 Brabus hasn’t been a secret for a while now, we’ve seen it many times before and even recently, Smart itself revealed the car in its full glory. Not all details were confirmed though, there was still speculation about the exact power output from its two electric motors and last but definitely not least, there was no information about its price.

Smart did not delay any longer and finally and officially unveiled the car at the Chengdu Motor Show in China. Without further ado - the power output is confirmed at 422 hp combined. The front motor has 154 hp and 200 Nm of torque while the rear motor pushes 268 hp and 343 Nm of torque. The combined figure for torque is 543 Nm. Those numbers itranslate to a blistering 3.7 seconds sprint from 0 to 100 kph.

Those numbers make the Smart #1 Brabus faster than Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Lamborghini Murcielago and Lamborghini Diablo. This city car that wants to be a crossover is as fast as Ferrari 360 Modena and equals Tesla Model Y with which it is most likely to compete for the customers.

The battery remains identical as in the standard versions of the Smart #1 with 66 kWh capacity, according to the company the driving range will be slightly impacted but there are no official numbers available yet.

Unlike majority of Brabus creations, the Smart #1 is an exercise in restraint. There is the bright red roof and mirrors, red accents on the front lip and the rear spoiler, compulsory red brake calipers and that’s it. On the inside we get the Brabus branded sport seats and a flat bottom steering wheel, all with contrasting red stitching.

Smart #1 Brabus will be available in only one color, actually three colors to be precise. The combination of Matte Gray, Silent Black and Laser Red is the only option on the menu. The interior comes in the same combo but interestingly enough, there are blue LED accents around the cabin - across the dashboard, the front speakers and even inside the air vents.

Final piece of the puzzle is the price - Smart #1 Brabus starts at RMB 279,000 which roughly converts to $40,600. It’s a steep premium over the entry level model which starts at RMB 190,000 (around $27,650) but in Europe the Smart #1 starts at €40,000 which is around $40,000. There is no word on the Brabus version availability on the Old Continent but you can expect a hefty premium if it ever reaches our shores.

As it stands, Chinese car enthusiasts are getting a pocket rocket for a competitive price, from a brand that although well established in the western world, is hardly known in China. Maybe that explains the small Mercedes-Benz logos in strategic places around the car, to remind the customers, what they really are getting is a bargain, high performance Mercedes.

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