Of all the cars that have been launched since the Singapore Motorshow, I have been anticipating the smart #1 the most. Even more so since our crew missed the media preview in late March, as Jek Ray and I were both overseas.

The roadshow launch in April was my first proper look, and I’ve been patiently waiting for my allocated test dates in late June. And finally, it was my turn to sample the latest addition to smart’s line-up.

From Small Beginnings

Ask anyone about smart, and the ForTwo and ForFour will come to mind. But smart has moved past their days of producing those tiny cars. The revitalised smart brand is the result of a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Geely. And this new joint venture takes on a slightly different direction than the original Smart car brand.

In the case of the #1, the Germans did the styling, whereas the Chinese provided its underpinnings and also the manufacturing support. It may have Chinese ancestry, but there’s no obvious telltale when you are sat behind the wheel. Discard your prejudices – you’ll see that the smart #1 is more than the sum of its parts.

Retaining Its Aesthetic Heritage

Smart always had a very distinctive and quirky appearance, and that has been a definitive attraction point.The #1 carries on this tradition, with the front body lines bearing semblance to the ForTwo and ForFour, and the headlight design being an evolution of previous models.

This particular unit, being the #1 Brabus, has several differentiating factors to really make known to onlookers that it is special. Besides the “air intake vents” on the bonnet, turbine-style wheels and red paint on the upper half, the main colour (a $5,000 option) is a matte Atom Grey, and is exclusive to the #1 Brabus.

While the paint doesn’t immediately appear attention grabbing, driving it around in direct sunlight adds a nuance to the matte paint that isn’t visible in a covered carpark. Plus, it certainly contributed to many long and curious stares from pedestrians and motorists.

The headlights and taillights are both light bars, and illuminate across almost the width of the car, before flaring out bi-directionally at the ends. This is a rather pleasant deviation from typical light bar design, as most manufacturers tend to have their light bars as a single line that converges into a circular-like pattern. 

Go To Match The Show

422 bhp and 543 Nm of torque in a crossover? Oh yes. Twin electric motors power all four wheels, accelerating all of its 1,900 kilogrammes from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. This power is drawn from a 66 kWh battery pack, which charges at maximum of 150 kW. And with said 150 kW charger, you can add 130 kilometres of range in merely eight minutes. EIGHT minutes.

While the initial hit of acceleration is slightly violent, it tapers off and feels more linear above 100 km/h. You can choose from four driving modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Brabus. Depending on the drive mode you’re in, the steering weight will also be varied accordingly. I mostly had it in Comfort mode, which kept the steering feel quite light and didn’t grant me the most sensitive throttle response, but still had enough power for quick bursts of speed.

Switching it to Brabus mode firms up the steering, increases throttle sensitivity, and you’ll really feel the full accelerative capability. Best to hold on to any loose items in the cabin.

It Rides Well, but with Compromise

Ride quality is rather compliant, only jolted by bigger expansion joints, and this is with slightly low profile 235/45/R19 Dunlop rubber. Unfortunately, there is one aspect that does stick out.

Switching driving modes does nothing for the suspension settings, which should be included for something with “Brabus” in its name. The car still handles fairly well in the corners, but I feel that some additional suspension stiffness would be quite useful to mitigate its noticeable levels of body roll.

And while steering feel does increase in resistance when set to Sport or Brabus modes, it doesn’t do much in terms of overall feel. I can’t say I’m entirely certain of what the front wheels are doing when turned in anger. Still, it shouldn’t bother most compact SUV buyers, as outright handling prowess perhaps isn’t very high on their priority list.

Never Enough Alcantara

With alcantara on the seats and the steering wheel, you’re not only well held in place by the grippy fabric, your hands also get to enjoy the soft, fuzzy feel of the material. The cabin is heavily accented with swathes of red. Seatbelts, stitching and the side of the front headrests.

This contrasts with the black leather on the door cards, centre armrest and dashboard, and the brushed aluminium trim pieces. Given how minimalism is a theme in car interior design nowadays, a lot of the controls are integrated into the infotainment screen, save for the steering wheel controls, which are actual buttons. There’s nothing complicated about those buttons. Volume and track control are on the right, while adaptive cruise control and parking assist are on the left.

A 9.2-inch screen displays all driving information, while a central 12.8-inch screen takes care of everything else, like ambient lighting, climate controls, driving modes, as well as the tunes thumping through the 13-speaker Beats system. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connect seamlessly and wirelessly, if you prefer not to use the native UI. 

Most interestingly, on the bottom left corner of the infotainment screen, is where the car’s mascot, a red fox, lives. It doesn’t do anything, but it moves around randomly, and will respond with movement when you tap it. Pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

Was It Worth The Wait?

Everyone desires the perfect car, but there will always be some shortcomings. Besides the vague steering and lack of suspension adjustability, the #1 Brabus also has a small 313 litre boot, with the space almost entirely consumed by a single large suitcase.

But to dwell on that negativity is to miss the point entirely. Previously, you bought a Smart if you wanted to be different yet stylish. While transitioning to crossovers does mean some of that quirkiness is lost, Smart maintains it through their less conventional designs and funky colours, which definitely helps to draw eyeballs when out and about.

The Smart #1 Brabus was definitely worth the wait. The all-round quirky design, power to match its looks, the constant attention from onlookers, what’s not enjoy? Smart may have chosen the path of the crossover, but they certainly are going at it on their own terms, and I am excited for what they have in the works.

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