Smart #5 Brabus launched with 646hp

You might not have heard of the Smart #5, it being a fairly conventional electric mid-size crossover and therefore about as interesting as a chest freezer. But you’ll have definitely heard of Brabus – and likely recall that its collaborations with Smart (a joint Mercedes/Geely venture, after all) are long-standing. In previous years, some of these have stretched credibility to breaking point, so it’s fair to say the new Smart #5 Brabus – a 646hp answer to a question it’s hard to believe anyone was asking – has plenty of company. 

“As the most powerful electric SUV ever in our joint lineup, it is all about pushing our design and engineering to the absolute maximum, delivering an electrifying ‘One-Second-Wow’ effect that truly stands out,” reckons Constantin Buschmann, Brabus CEO. If 21-inch wheels, matte paint, red accents, and a slightly weird-looking diffuser are your idea of ‘wow’, then mission accomplished. Inside, you get microfibre seats, a panoramic halo roof, sports pedals, Brabus badges and ambient lighting with 256 colour options to go with Brabus lettering which is also illuminated. 

Underneath, the tuner has applied itself in inimitable style. Even allowing for the fact that ‘tuning’ an electric car is often no more difficult than opening a laptop, the fact that the headline output starts with a ‘6’ does suggest it’s in keeping with Brabus’s rule about going hard or going home. In Launch mode, the firm reckons you’ll get to 62mph in 3.8 seconds – which sounds about right in a world taking leave of its senses. Naturally, the flagship is all-wheel drive, and though Brabus doesn’t mention it, we’ll assume it has taken steps for its Smart #5 to not fall over at the first corner. 

It does mention that the car is built on an 800-volt platform and supports ultra-fast DC charging of up to 400kW, which means that the unchanged 100kWh battery ought to get from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes, should you have stopped at the right German service station. Ultimately, assuming optimal conditions, the Smart #5 Brabus should deliver a range of up to 335 miles and apparently comes with an exclusive driving mode that simulates engine sounds. Something to look forward to, eh? No word on the price – the car goes on sale in the UK later this year – but, as ever, we’d recommend thinking of a plausible figure, then doubling it.