By Andrés Lang Valentino, executive director space
I was not going to handle the Smart #3 Brabus. That’s how everything started. I had it scheduled for before, but between interviews, meetings and truck tests in Lampa, my calendar crossed. But fate – and curiosity to know if this electric was at the height of the surname Brabus – was imposed. And less bad.
I went to look for the Dehesa, where Smart has her first showroom in Chile under Kaufmann’s eaves. I saw him and thought: “Another electric SUV.” But not. I barely got up, I realized that this crossover is not any electric. It is a formula 1 with patent.
Before following, a pair of data to put it in context: double motor (one per axis), 428 horsepower, 543 nm of torque and integral traction. And the 0 to 100? In 3.7 seconds. I repeat: 3.7. For a SUV of almost 50 million, that is a territory of cars that cost three or four more times. I didn’t expect it.
I went out to the highway. I put the Brabus mode. I affirmed. And I stepped on. I felt how the world stretched. As if someone had rewind the landscape. To that acceleration you have to have respect. It is addictive and violent, like those spicy chocolates that you cannot stop eating.
The characteristic silence of the electric is, but not so much. This smart has artificial sounds: the one I liked the most is the “classic”, which mimics a combustion engine. False, yes. But necessary. Because in a fast electric, silence can make you feel disconnected. No here: here you are in command of something that moves and sounds like what appears to be.
-Inside, this #3 Brabus also impresses. Alcántara in the seats, red seams, sports steering wheel with a flat base and a 12.8 -inch screen where everything is controlled: handling modes, sound, lights, air conditioning and even the position of the co -pilot seat. And although I am more of the “physical button”, I must admit that this system is intuitive and easy to use.
Criticisms? Some. The panoramic roof does not have curtain (only one filter), so the sun hits strong. And the handling position did not quite convince me: I would have liked the steering wheel to go down a little more. But beyond that, it is a surprising car.
I connected the cell phone, put some jazz, lowered the glass without a frame and simply drove. Not out of necessity. Not for work. For pleasure. Because this electric – which rather looks like a Brabus that plugs – reminded me of something important: that there is still space for emotion, even when the engine roar is just a digital illusion.
And yes, I say it without fear: it is the best electric I have handled. And probably the most entertaining too.
A little history
Born as a revolutionary bet between Mercedes-Benz and the Swatch watch brand, Smart debuted in Europe in the late 90s with its iconic Citycar Biplaza. Today, after a total reinvention under the umbrella of the Chinese giant Geely (also owner of Volvo and Lotus), Smart returns to Chile with 100% electric DNA. The #3 Brabus, assembled in China and with the support of Kaufmann, is the flagship of this new era: bigger, more powerful and bolder than ever.
