Smart is gearing up to reveal a hotter and angrier version of its #1 all-electric crossover tuned by Brabus on August 26, at the Chengdu motor show in China.
Leading up to the reveal, the Chinese-German automaker has published a set of official images of the Smart #1 Brabus on the Chinese social media site Weibo.
The Smart #1 Brabus has a number of exterior sporty additions such as air ducts on the bonnet, different alloy wheels, as well as red accents on the lower air intake, side mirrors, roof and brake calipers.
Interestingly there’s no obvious Brabus badging on the exterior of the hot #1. All of the badging is Smart related.
On the inside the Brabus badging is more apparent with a large ‘B’ insignia embossed into the front seat headrests, along with Brabus written out at the base of the steering wheel.
The red-accented theme continues in the interior with red stitching on the steering wheel and seats, red seatbelts, and red oval elements on the side of the front seat headrests.
At this stage it’s still unclear what will power the Smart #1 Brabus, but more power is expected than the normal model.
The regular Smart #1 is currently available with one drivetrain featuring an electric motor making 200kW of power and 343Nm of torque, driving the rear wheels. Smart claims the #1 has a top speed of 180km/h.
Equipped with a 66kWh nickel-cobalt-manganese battery, the Smart #1 has a claimed range of between 420 and 440km according to WLTP testing.
Car News China recently reported the Smart #1 Brabus will have a dual-electric motor setup with a total system output of around 300kW.
Deliveries for the regular Smart #1 are expected to start in China from late 2022, with Europe to follow soon after in early 2023.
Smart previously confirmed it’s upcoming range of Chinese-built models will all feature a hashtag followed by a number, which it says is “evocative of trendsetting in the digital era”.
Smart was founded in 1994 as a joint venture between Daimler and watch maker Swatch.
As development costs rose for the brand’s first car, the Smart Coupe, Daimler took a majority stake and then full ownership of the brand.
Since its inception, Smart has struggled to make a profit, and in 2019 Geely bought a 50 per cent stake.
As part of the joint venture, Smart’s new vehicles are designed by Mercedes-Benz and engineered by Geely. They’ll also be built by Geely in China, and exported around the world.
Smart’s original factory in Hambach, France has been sold to chemical firm Ineos, which is starting to build its rugged Grenadier there.
Smart left Australia in 2015 before the third-generation ForTwo could be launched locally. There are no current plans for Mercedes-Benz Australia to reintroduce the brand.
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MORE: Hotter Smart #1 EV with potential Brabus badging teased
