Smart, a car marque belonging to Geely and Mercedes-Benz in equal proportions, is getting ready to introduce the market to a particularly beefy variant of the #1 SUV. CarNewsChina believes it will be getting a Brabus badge and up to 400 horsepower.
The rumor makes sense, because the German tuning shop has a history of teaming up with Smart to produce high-end compacts. Based on the photos allegedly showing the production version of the Smart #1 Performance by Brabus, there is plenty to differentiate the SUV from its stock cousin. There are new bumpers, additional front air intakes, new wheels, lots of vivid accents, a spoiler and reinforced brakes.
A closer look reveals video cameras built into the front fenders and the rear spoiler, among other locations. The whole looks like a semi-autonomous driving setup.
The standard Smart #1 (see video) makes do with a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle for 272 PS (268 hp / 200 kW). If the reports are true, then the Brabus version is 1.5 times more powerful. Acceleration times remain to be measured, though.
During the reveal of the standard Smart #1, the manufacturer said sales would start in late 2022 with China and Europe as the priority markets. It looks like the Performance version may wait until 2023 to debut.