If you haven’t put down your money for the BRABUS Smart #1 featured a post earlier. Well, then you may want to hold your wallet because a new Smart EV has been announced at the recent Shanghai Auto Show, the Smart #3. The Smart #3, which also will include a performance model by BRABUS, is the rejuvenated automobile brand’s first-ever Sports Utility Coupé.
The powertrain is not known at this point but here’s what we know. It features slimmed-down CyberSparks LED headlights paired with a distinctive “shark nose” and A-shape wide grill. It has a fastback silhouette and a two-tone halo roof which ends with a rear roof spoiler.
The new Smart #3 is 4.4 meters (14.44 feet), which is longer than the #1 by 13 mm (0.5-inch), and it has a longer wheelbase too, at 2,785 mm (9.14 feet). This means a spacious interior with good legroom. This newest Smart EV also touts a pretty impressive drag coefficient of 0.27 Cd which is critical for electric range.
A few other notable design touches include a light-up logo on the front quarter panel, a “Styled by Mercedes-Benz” badge on the B pillar, and a lift-up boot that opens by pushing a button hidden in the ‘a’ of smart badge. Speaking of hidden, the boot also touts below-floor storage.
On the inside, it has a wrap-around cockpit design with a sculpted dashboard featuring a central cockpit with a 12.8-inch elevated central display. In interior also boasts artificial illumination from multi-colored ambient lighting to spruce up the ambient mood.
The front has a pair of microfiber sports seats with integrated headrests and the cabin is outfitted with a 13-speaker Beats sound system. The new Smart #3 also benefits from Qualcomm 8155 automotive chip and supports voice commands for control over all aspects of the car, including the opening of windows.
With the new Smart #3, Smart also introduced new vibrant Photon Orange Metallic and Electric Blue Matte exterior colors, and a Vibrant Brown interior variant.
The Smart #3 will be presented to the EU audience at IAA in September 2023, before launching in the respective European markets early next year. More details will be offered at a later date.
Meanwhile, we have some bits and pieces on the BRABUS edition. Visually, the BRABUS Smart #3 will be dressed in an aero kit that includes a front spoiler, a deeper rear roof spoiler, and a single slit of air intake (the BRABUS Smart #1 has two).
It will also offer four drive modes, namely, Eco, Comfort, Sport, and BRABUS. The performance variant will also benefit from a rear five-link suspension setup and outfitted with an anti-roll bar front and back as standard. While the powertrain is unknown, we do know that it will make the century sprint in 3.6 seconds, makes the 1/4 mile in just 11 seconds, and has a top speed of over 180 km/h (112 mph).
Images: Smart.
