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By Jonathan Crouch

EV hot hatches are getting serious. Jonathan Crouch drives the smart #1 BRABUS.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 38

The smart #1 gets angry in this hot hatch BRABUS form. It's an all wheel drive twin motor 428hp EV shopping rocket that claims to offer a glimpse into the future of the hot hatch. But does it?

Backgroundword count: 128

We're already beginning to get an idea of what the EV hot hatch market is going to look like. With modestly powered front motor models like the Abarth 500e and the Volkswagen ID.2 GTI at one end. And at the other, much quicker twin-motor all-wheel-drive contenders like the MG4 XPOWER and the subject of this test, the smart #1 BRABUS. BRABUS is a badge that's adorned smart models for two decades but, for this trendy brand at least, has never really meant very much in terms of increased power. Well it does here. 428hp promises some serious speed, the need for which you might question if you've driven an ordinary #1, not a car engineered for enthusiastic drivers. Can the BRABUS changes radically alter its personality? Let's see.

Driving Experienceword count: 245

Is a hot hatch merely about speed and power? If you think it is, then there's plenty to like here. In this case, the 'BRABUS' badge designates an almost completely different powertrain recipe for the #1, with an extra motor being added over the front wheels to create an EV dual motor AWD system, as part of which the power output leaps up to 428hp. And that's enough (if you select this variant's fieriest extra 'BRABUS' drive mode) to hurl a #1 BRABUS to 62mph in just 3.9s courtesy of 543Nm of torque. In class, only the MG4 XPOWER can match that - though that car can't quite equal a #1 BRABUS model's drive range, rated at 248 miles. This sporty #1 variant certainly proves the worth of this car's advanced 'SEA' Geely-sourced platform. But ultimately it's still not a credible EV hot hatch in the sense that combustion enthusiasts would understand. Partly that's because little work has been done to re-tune the steering and the tyres are much the same as you'll find on the eco-conscious variants. The smart engineers claim that the suspension settings have been revised to take account of the extra weight of the additional motor up-front, but the ride still isn't as firm and engaging as you might expect a hot hatch to be. Still, there's a rortier fake drivetrain note included with this model. Perhaps that'll be enough in compensation if you happen to be disappointed by these oversights.

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