This review first appeared on Asia361.com.
Sigh… not again. Is there yet another EV model coming to Singapore? But after spending three days with this car, I found myself both impressed and in love.
Why? Read on!
As a bit of a car enthusiast, I was initially excited, then overwhelmed, and now just desensitized by the flood of EVs arriving on our shores. It feels like there’s a new EV brand or model launching in Singapore every other week, and it takes quite some effort to understand each one’s unique offerings, value propositions, and target markets.
Amidst this wave of new EVs, the smart #3 Brabus caught my attention.
First, there’s the brand “smart.” Have most of us heard of it?
Then there’s the model name “#3.” Are we supposed to call it “Number 3,” “Hashtag 3,” or just “3”?
And what about Brabus? Strange images of bras and buses popped into my head.
Zzzzzzt. Let’s clear that up!
SMART?
SMART originally stood for “Swatch Mercedes ART.” Yes, it was an unlikely alliance between a Swiss watchmaker and one of the world’s best German car manufacturers.
Today, SMART is co-owned by Mercedes-Benz and Geely. Together, they are creating electric vehicles that represent the future of urban mobility.
#3?
It’s pronounced “Hashtag 3.” Don’t ask me why. And no, it’s not their third car—it’s actually their second car post 2019 (the year Geely got involved). Again, don’t ask me why.
Bra…Bus?
NOPE!
Seriously, Brabus is a German tuning company that takes Mercedes-Benz cars and gives them a power and style boost. Basically, they turn high performance Mercedes-Benz cars into supercars.
smart #3 Brabus
What do you get when you add the fun, hip, urban, nimble and high-tech characteristics of the smart #3 with the performance and styling trademarks of Brabus?
Yeah well, you get the smart #3 Brabus.
Any boy, there’s nothing quite like it on the market.
There’s the Fun
This is an extremely fun car. It exudes fun in every detail, from the door handles popping out to greet you as you approach…
…to the user interface on the infotainment, featuring a vibrant globe that rotates…
… to a cheetah mascot that shivers when you get into the AC menu…
… and to the quirky chimes and beeps from the car’s system, the Smart #3 Brabus never fails to bring a smile to my face every time I get close or hop in.
My kids absolutely loved the glass roof. They had a blast counting the birds flying in the sky as I drove along—something they could never do in my dreary, everyday car with its old-fashioned metal roof.
But that’s not even the best part.
The Looks
I know looks can be subjective. But just look at this. Even with my rather uninspired car photography skills, I’m sure a majority of you, my dear readers, would agree that this car simply looks gorgeous.
If you wish to, you can take a closer look at the interiors. Pinch and drag around to your heart’s content in the view below.
But once again, that’s not even the best part.
The Performance
This. Is the best part.
All-wheel drive.
543 Nm of peak torque.
428 horsepower.
This translates to a 0 to 100 km/h time of 3.7 seconds.
3.7 seconds!
With this kind of power and torque, whenever I put my foot down in Brabus mode (one level above “Sports mode”), I’m slammed back into the bucket seats, blood rushing to the back of my head—dizzy, even. But I can’t get enough of it. I can’t help but smile.
I had planned to get a colleague to ride shotgun and record a video of how fast the speedometer climbs from 0 to 70 km/h, but no one on my team had strong enough abs to handle the G-force without messing up the footage. So… no video for you. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
Whenever I took off from a green light, my son would say, “Papa, why do the other cars look like snails crawling?”
Yes, yes, I’m sure you’re wondering—what’s the big deal about going fast in a straight line? What’s the point? Singapore is so small, the roads are curvy and winding. Can this car even handle speed? Can you corner it like a maniac without flipping it over?
Fair question. But have you forgotten? This is a Brabus.
Let’s break it down:
- 50-50 weight distribution.
- Sports chassis tuning by the Mercedes-Benz team.
- Extremely low center of gravity due to the battery placement.
- Low driving position.
- 82.7 km/h in the Moose Test.
- 5.5 m tight turning radius.
- 0.4-second switch between RWD and AWD.
- Extremely rigid body and chassis.
Therefore, this thing really moves—and corners. The steering feels incredibly precise and responsive, with no dead zone. I pushed it hard through corners, and the car followed my commands effortlessly—no lazy body roll, no understeer. It’s the kind of performance you’d expect from a hot hatch or a sports sedan, not something that looks like an SUV.
Just take a look at the hill climb and descent I did at Calixto’s Secret Test Track.
Enjoy the 2 driver’s POV ASMR video (with audio, headphones recommended).
Notice how planted, precise, and silent the ride feels. It looked so effortless.
Yes, I had to stay under 50 km/h to keep things LTA-friendly, but plenty of other cars I’ve tested don’t feel nearly this stable, even at much lower speeds.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I do not encourage, condone, or recommend driving like a lunatic on public roads. There’s a simple matter of lives and money at stake.
But when you have this level of handling excellence in a car, you can actually drive safer—because this car does exactly what you want, nimble, agile, without the risk of unexpected understeer or rollovers.
“Cue the multiple cars that crossed into my lane while heading in the opposite direction during my hill test…
The Final Verdict
So, after putting up with all my ramblings, you may be wondering—what’s my final verdict?
You should BUY this if you:
- Have kids or a partner who scream with joy during a ~2 seconds 0-70 km/h acceleration.
- Want fun and excitement in your daily commute.
- Did I mention? Adrenaline rush in every drive.
- Are a young couple or family (your kids must love the acceleration, just like mine did).
- Value performance and appreciate good handling.
- Enjoy supercar performance at EV prices (whatever that means).
- Love feeling like the king of the road—you’ll easily overtake 99% (based on my imagination) of the cars out there.
- Have S$ 282,000 (as of Oct 2024) to spare (a crucial point).
DO NOT BUY if you:
- Have kids or a partner who scream with fear during a ~2 seconds 0-70 km/h acceleration.
- Think of a car as just a simple mode of transportation.
- Think that driving should be smooth and relaxing.
- Spend most of your time ferrying your aging parents around.
- Don’t understand any of the specifications I’ve mentioned above.
- Are not looking for an EV and believe batteries explode daily.
- Don’t have S$ 282,000 (as of Oct 2024) on hand (consider the non-Brabus Smart #3, which is about S$40,000 cheaper).
I’d love to drive another performance car in a future review and share my thoughts. If you loved this article and my review, feel free to write to Porsche and let them know I’d be more than happy to review the Taycan. After all, I share the surname name—Tay!
I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed reviewing the car.
I’ll likely be reviewing the Nissan Serena e-power Highway star next. Whatever that means. What a long name.
