When I reviewed the base-spec smart #3, I walked away feeling positive about the vehicle. It is a significant improvement over the smart #1, which made me wonder just how much better the smart #3 Brabus Edition could be. So, I reached out to smart Malaysia and requested the smart #3 Brabus Edition for review. I really wanted to find out whether the added power would make the #3 even better. Let’s find out. With that, welcome back to carsick.my for another review video.

While the #3 Brabus Edition is still a #3 at heart, it does come with some upgrades that make the vehicle sportier. Finished in orange, I really like that smart Malaysia chose this colour for the review unit, as it truly makes the vehicle stand out. One of the biggest differentiators from the regular #3 is the full body kit that comes with the Brabus Edition. This body kit includes a lower front bumper, more prominent side skirts, and a fake rear diffuser. To further complement the body kit, the Brabus Edition also features a larger rear wing above the tailgate.

Additionally, as the top-of-the-line model, a front light bar is now available. There are also some changes to the headlights. At first glance, they may look similar, but the Brabus Edition is equipped with matrix LED headlights. These headlights can switch individual LEDs on and off, selectively dimming certain areas of the light pattern to prevent glare for other road users. Lastly, the Brabus Edition comes with sporty-looking 20-inch rims, wrapped in 245/40 R20 tyres. While these rims look decent, I still prefer the design of the base-spec rims.

As for the interior, it is very similar to the regular #3. However, the Brabus Edition does get some nice touches that make the vehicle feel sportier from the inside as well. Compared to the base-spec #3, the Brabus Edition now features ambient lighting, which is absent in the standard #3. This instantly makes the interior feel more high-tech. Another nice touch the Brabus Edition gets is the red seat belts, which further enhance the sporty feel. In fact, these red seat belts alone are enough to differentiate the regular #3 from the Brabus Edition.

While sitting in the driver’s seat, I also noticed that the Brabus #3 now comes with a head-up display. It is a nice addition that makes driving more pleasurable. Similar to the Brabus #1, the Brabus #3 features Brabus lettering on the steering wheel and a Brabus logo etched into the front seats. On top of that, the Brabus #3 also gains the Beats Premium sound system, which elevates the in-car entertainment experience. Other than that, the interior doesn’t differ much from the regular #3.

One of the biggest differences between the regular #3 and the Brabus Edition is its powertrain. The Brabus #3 not only gains an additional electric motor on the front axle but also a much larger battery. This makes the Brabus #3 an all-wheel-drive vehicle. The battery capacity now measures 66 kWh, with an estimated range of 415 km. The total output for the smart #3 is 428 PS with a peak torque of 543 Nm. This allows the smart #3 Brabus to accelerate from 0–100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds.

If you’re looking for straight-line performance, I’m pretty sure you’ve come to the right place. The #3 Brabus packs quite a lot of horsepower with its two electric motors. With all this power on tap, there aren’t many places around Malaysia where you can actually utilise it, apart from launching off the traffic lights. For this reason, I actually think the single-motor #3 would suit a lot of people better. With a dual-motor setup, energy consumption will definitely be higher. During my drive, I managed to clock an average energy usage of about 17 kWh/100 km, which I believe translates to roughly 360 km on a full charge. This is quite similar to the dual-motor Volvo EX30 and the smart #1 Brabus, as both vehicles share the same motor count and battery size.

While the base-spec #3 has a well-balanced ride and handling, the Brabus #3 is quite the opposite. This is because smart has retained the same ride and handling setup on the more powerful Brabus #3. As a result, the suspension struggles during spirited driving. On top of that, it feels much bumpier than in the regular #3. Over uneven roads, the vehicle feels unsettled, and in corners, the Brabus #3 doesn’t inspire the kind of confidence you would expect from a performance vehicle. On the bright side, the steering is sharp, which is a plus, but it lacks feel. I really wish the Brabus #3 had a sportier suspension setup to better cope with the extra performance.

In my previous review of the base #3, I found that the regenerative braking was well tuned. However, things are a little different with the Brabus Edition. The brakes on the Brabus #3 feel very similar to those on the Brabus #1. I found it difficult to tell where the regenerative braking ends and the physical brakes begin when pressing the brake pedal. This makes utilising regenerative braking a bit more challenging. To be fair, the base-spec model surprisingly felt better in this department.

As for the ADAS, it’s the same across all smart models, as they share most of the same systems. As long as you turn off features like lane-keeping assist, the drive is rather peaceful. The smart #3 Brabus comes standard with Front Collision Mitigation, Rear Collision Mitigation, Evasive Manoeuvre Assist, Front Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Highway Assist with Automated Lane Change Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Keep Assist + Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure System, Lane Change Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Intelligent Speed Assist, and Adaptive High Beam Assist.

If you’re looking for all this performance, you can have it for a price tag of RM255,000. The smart #3 Brabus gives you a lot more horsepower for the money you pay. However, as an overall package, the car still has some issues to overcome. At the very least, the smart #3 Brabus is quite a good-looking car, even after you’ve parked it. In my opinion, I would choose the single-motor variant, as most of the vehicle is better suited to cope with a single motor rather than this dual-motor configuration. If smart really wanted to make the Brabus Edition better, they should have beefed up its mechanical components to handle the additional performance. That would make the Brabus Edition even more appealing.

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