The high performance Brabus version of the Smart #3 delivers a level of pace that was once alien to compact SUV drivers but is becoming par for the course.<\/h2>\n

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3.5<\/span> out of 5<\/span><\/p>\n

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The battery in the Smart #3 Brabus is the same 66kWh unit you\u2019ll find in the Pro+, Premium and 25th Anniversary Edition but the Brabus gains an extra electric motor on the front axle to deliver all-wheel drive and boost power from 268bhp to 422bhp. The torque figure of 543Nm is equally monstrous for a car of this size.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More reviews <\/h4>\n

Road tests<\/h5>\n

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• New Smart #3 2024 review: is three the magic number?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  This isn\u2019t a unique offering to the Brabus, however. The Volvo EX30 uses the same SEA platform as the #3 and in Twin Motor Performance guise it has the same dual-motor powertrain – completing the 0-62mph sprint in 3.6 seconds – edging ahead of the Brabus\u2019 3.7-second time. The Volvo comfortably beats the Brabus in terms of range, however, with the Swedish car managing 286 miles to the Brabus\u2019 258 miles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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  This hot Smart #3 feels every bit as quick as that 0-62mph time suggests and it\u2019s a satisfying linear surge of power. The straight-line performance is breathtaking and almost all-encompassing. Once you reach a corner (these can arrive rather quickly in the Brabus) the rest of the car seems like it can\u2019t quite cash the cheque written by the dual-motor's 422bhp output.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  The brakes act like a switch, they\u2019re either on or off. They have decent stopping power, but little in terms of feel. The steering is perhaps a little too quick because it\u2019s rather easy to upset the front end – although it is responsive to your inputs. It\u2019d be a tad unfair to label the the Brabus as a \u2018point and squirt\u2019 merchant but there\u2019s no doubt that its best work is done between the twisty bits. Entering a corner, you pick a line and can easily stick to it because you can lean on the copious grip levels – even though the tyres are no wider than the standard car\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  
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  Like the brakes, it\u2019s difficult to modulate the accelerator pedal, so you end up booting the accelerator out of the corner, sometimes resulting in a break of front-end traction, other times the rear – it seems to depend on the road surface. The suspension has been stiffened compared to the less extreme #3 models, although there\u2019s no adjustable damping here to really fine-tune your experience. There\u2019s no getting away from the 1,810kg kerbweight (100kg more than the single-motor car), but there\u2019s equal weight distribution between the axles so it stays impressively flat through the corners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  For the most part, the Brabus feels just as refined as the regular #3. The firm suspension equals a slight trade-off in ride comfort, but longer journeys won\u2019t feel like a burden. Wind and road noise is a little too prominent, we\u2019d perhaps like extra augmented motor sound coming through the speakers (especially in the hot \u2018Brabus\u2019 driving mode) to give a more engaging feel and help you keep track of your speed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  The interior is very much like that in the #1 Brabus and many other Mercedes Brabus cars we\u2019ve seen. Red seat belts, red seats with perforated suede and further red accents plus \u2018B\u2019 badging throughout gives the #3\u2019s otherwise rather friendly, curvy interior a meaner look. As with the standard #3, the lower seat positioning over the #1 works a treat for the performance-focused Brabus and the seat itself is cosseting yet comfortable. There\u2019s also a standard-fit 10-inch head-up display – featuring some of the less distracting graphics that we\u2019ve come across.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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  There\u2019s no mistaking this for anything other than a Brabus model on the outside. For starters there\u2019s a wealth of Brabus badging but there\u2019s also a bold two-tone, red and black paint job, tweaked front and rear bumper, more pronounced rear spoiler, an additional vent on the nose and big 20-inch wheels with red brake callipers behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  Pricing for the Smart #3 has now been announced with a mild increase of around \u00a31,000 over equivalent #1 versions. The #3 Brabus costs \u00a345,450 – which we don\u2019t need to say is a sizable chunk of money. If you\u2019re in the market for a sub-four second family EV there\u2019s quite a lot around with the MG4 XPower and Smart\u2019s sibling, the Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance, being the obvious choices. Neither of them offer their performance within a sleeker and more fashionable coupe-SUV shape, though, and maybe that\u2019s the Smart #3\u2019s trump card.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

  \n Model:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n Smart #3 Brabus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n Price:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n \u00a345,450\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n Engine\/battery:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n 2x e-motor, 62kWh (usable)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n Power\/torque:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n 422bhp\/543Nm<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n Transmission:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n Single-speed automatic, four-wheel drive<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n 0-62mph:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n 3.7 seconds<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n Top speed:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n 112mph<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n Range:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n 258 miles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n Max charging:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n 150kW DC (10-80% in <30min)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
  \n On sale:<\/p>\n<\/td>\n	\n Spring 2024<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The high performance Brabus version of the Smart #3 delivers a level of pace that was once alien to compact<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":246818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n