2023 Smart #1 Brabus: Powerful electric SUV revealed

City car marque Smart – now co-owned by Mercedes-Benz and Geely – has unveiled a more powerful version of its #1 electric crossover, in collaboration with famed tuner Brabus.

The 2023 Smart #1 Brabus was revealed at the Chengdu Motor Show in China this week, following the debut of the regular Smart #1 – which is designed for the Chinese and European markets – in April.

According to CarNewsChina, it features a pair of high-performance electric motors, producing 315kW of power and 543Nm of torque, with all-wheel-drive and a 0-100km/h sprint time of approximately 3.7 seconds.

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The additional power results from a new 115kW/200Nm front electric motor, supplementing the existing 200kW/343Nm rear unit fitted to regular examples of the small SUV.

Smart has fitted unique bumpers, different 19-inch alloy wheels and red exterior accents, while the bonnet vents improve airflow to keep the front motor cool.

There is no badging to denote the Brabus connection outside; however, the interior sports the firm’s ‘B’ logo embossed into the headrests, while the steering wheel includes Brabus wording.

The red theme continues inside, with red stitching, seatbeats and oval-shaped elements on the side of the front headrests.

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According to the brand, the regular Smart #1 offers a WLTP-rated 440-kilometre driving range, with a 66kWh nickel-cobalt-manganese battery pack fitted underneath the vehicle.

Driving range and battery capacity figures for the Smart #1 Brabus are yet to be confirmed, but a slight decrease is likely, akin to most other performance-orientated electric vehicles.

In standard guise, charging from 10 to 80 per cent takes as little as 30 minutes when using a 150kW DC fast charger, while occupants are treated to a 12.8-inch infotainment system, a 13-speaker Beats audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and a floating centre console.

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The 2023 Smart #1 is expected to go on sale in Europe and China in the coming months.

However, there are no current plans for an Australian launch.

Locally, the Smart brand was introduced by parent company Mercedes-Benz in 2004, offering the ForTwo, ForFour and Roadster city cars, before it was officially discontinued from the Australian market in 2015.