Smart 1 SUV 315kW Brabus 66kWh 5dr Auto Owner Review

Had the car for 3 months and 2700 miles and it has been excellent. Being the Brabus version it is rapid, although when the battery is cold or starts to get low there is a noticeable dip in power but still looking at around a 5 second 0-60 time. It corners as expected for a heavy SUV, but once the road straightens out there’s not much can keep up. I use it entirely in Brabus mode (what’s the point of having the Brabus otherwise) and I have averaged 39 kWh per 100 miles which works out at less than £3 per 100 mile in Brabus mode. You could easily achieve better if you desired. There are a couple of downsides. The infotainment system could be easier to use. There is a car icon below the screen, another on the screen and then you can swipe down from the top. All 3 bring up slightly different vehicle settings menus. Remembering what setting is in each on the move can be difficult. The voice assistant also can’t do much. It can change the radio and the temperature but for most requests it says that it is “still learning”. It does update itself though so hopefully there’s more to come. One update activated the heated steering wheel. I didn’t know it had the hardware so that was an unexpected gift! Regardless this is not a car where you’ll be able to instinctively use all features on your first trip. One surprising thing is the lack of a snow mode. I put the car in its least powerful mode and it didn’t cope with the snow very well. I only found out later that the AWD only operates in the two most powerful modes. I’d unwittingly switched it to rear wheel drive for the snow. Overall I am very happy with the car, its very roomy, the boot is not massive but my German shepherd size dog fits in which is what matters.