Remember when Smart cars were built for tight city corners and even tighter parking spaces? Yeah, forget all that. The new Smart #5 Brabus is here, and it’s no city slicker. It’s an electrified heavyweight with 637bhp, dual motors, and a mission to shove Smart into the performance EV game face first.
The Specs That Make You Look Twice
Yes, you read that right 637bhp in a Smart. That’s more than a Porsche Taycan 4S, and only a whisker off a Range Rover Sport SV. The #5 Brabus puts that power down via a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive setup, launching it from 0–62mph in just 3.9 seconds.
And while it’s quick, it’s not reckless. Thanks to a 100kWh battery, Smart claims a maximum range of up to 373 miles, depending on how heavy your right foot is. It’ll fast charge at up to 200kW, meaning a 10–80% top-up in under 30 minutes. Pretty sorted for both urban and motorway life.
A Brabus With Brawn and Brains
While Brabus is known for aggressive bodykits and bonkers power, this version has evolved. The #5 Brabus wears its muscle smartly – literally. You get matte paint options, 22-inch wheels, a Brabus-specific front grille, and all the sporty red accents you’d expect. But it doesn’t shout. It suggests.
Inside, it gets more serious. Sports seats with integrated headrests, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and lashings of microfibre and contrast stitching make sure it feels worth the premium. There’s also a 12.3-inch driver display, a massive 12.8-inch central touchscreen, and Smart’s new AI assistant with voice control. It’s all wrapped in a cabin that doesn’t feel like a parts-bin patch-up from the Mercedes mothership, it’s distinct, and that’s refreshing.
Performance Focused, But Still Practical
Despite the silly-fast acceleration and Brabus branding, the Smart #5 is still a mid-sized SUV. That means usable space, both front and rear, plus decent boot capacity and proper ride height for rougher roads. Brabus has tweaked the suspension and damping, too, so it’s not just about speed, it’s about controlled aggression.
There’s also torque vectoring on board, which helps keep this 2.2-tonne SUV feeling nimble in the corners. And while it might not give you tail-out thrills like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N or Kia EV6 GT, it’ll make light work of any fast B-road you throw at it.
But Who’s It For?
That’s the question. The Smart #5 Brabus isn’t cheap, it’s expected to come in north of £60,000, putting it in the same conversation as the BMW iX3, Tesla Model Y Performance, and even the Range Rover Velar Electric when it lands. But none of those offer the Brabus name, the head-snapping acceleration, or the same level of quirky brand appeal.
It’s for the driver who wants EV performance, Mercedes-level quality, but doesn’t want to follow the crowd. You’ll be the only one on your street with one, and that’s probably the point.
Final Thoughts: Smart Just Got Serious
Forget what you knew about Smart. This isn’t a quirky two-seater city car. The #5 Brabus is a proper, full-sized, all-electric muscle SUV with real performance credentials and the range to match.
Is it a niche within a niche? Maybe. But as car brands battle to stand out in a crowded EV market, Smart’s going all-in on attitude. And the #5 Brabus? It’s loud, fast, and surprisingly grown-up. We’re into it.
