German automaker Mercedes has unveiled its new Smart ForTwo Brabus TG 2016 model year. The novelty has acquired a fairly powerful power plant and improved, according to the developers, design.
So what is it?
We can only say with certainty that the Smart ForTwo Brabus TG 2016 model year is the fastest and most powerful car among the entire family.
Okay, what's new?
Immediately attention is attracted by a completely new design of the vehicle, which is made of high-quality durable alloys. However, the most significant changes affected the power plant. The Smart ForTwo Brabus TG has a modest 3-cylinder engine that is capable of developing 107 hp. and 125 Nm of torque. In previous versions, the power was 28 hp. less, and torque - 25 Nm less.
With the new power plant, the car is able to accelerate from standstill to 100 km / h in just 10 seconds, for such a small car this is simply an outstanding indicator. By the way, the maximum speed of the vehicle is 165 km/h.
The ground clearance of the German novelty has been changed by 10 millimeters. Because of this, it was necessary to introduce a completely new shock-absorbing system, which became more rigid. Thanks to this upgrade, the stability of the Smart ForTwo Brabus TG has also increased.
And what's funny?
Due to its size, this car is simply not able to pick up speed and brake smoothly and smoothly, all efforts are transferred to the driver. Although it is commendable that the Smart ForTwo Brabus TG is the most powerful, in fact it is more created for PR and a beautiful headline, since the driver of such a car does not need this power, he will be more comfortable at lower speeds.
The 6-speed manual gearbox looks especially ridiculous, while driving you constantly feel these high-speed jumps, depending on the gear. There is one more nuance - these are road bumps, potholes and pits. All this listed 5th point of the driver feels great, there are hardly any people who will like such sensations. It seems to be very convenient to manage the Smart ForTwo Brabus TG on the one hand, since the dimensions are small and new opportunities appear, but as for the steering specifically, everything is not so colorful.
Speaking of this new product, you can never say that it has excellent responsiveness in terms of steering. Smart ForTwo Brabus TG obeys the driver very tightly, this applies to absolutely everything: the steering wheel, transmission and transmission.
Is everything that bad?
No, all the previously described disadvantages are best manifested only when driving on densely populated roads, where traffic jams and stop-start patterns often occur. However, if you drive along free streets, then the picture is much nicer.
The Smart ForTwo Brabus TG doesn't need to move hard, hard on the gas or hard on the brake. On such a machine, you need to smoothly accelerate, then calmly slow down in advance, then it is possible that you will have a really pleasant feeling from driving.
True, who among us is insured against traffic jams? Perhaps, if the Smart ForTwo Brabus TG car owner lives in a small village, city or village, then he never encounters traffic jams, but in his opinion, such cars are created with the implication “the ideal choice for densely populated cities”.
But we all must understand that the creation of such vehicles is an attempt to look into the future, where it is possible, according to many experts, that we will all drive such small cars. Therefore, it is not worth criticizing the German automaker strongly, they did everything possible to improve the Smart ForTwo Brabus TG as much as possible, if something is wrong in it, then today it was impossible to design otherwise.
Do you need to buy?
Smart ForTwo Brabus TG as a whole is not a bad car for its segment. Appearance is quite attractive, if we discard the thoughts “what a trifle rides”, as for the interior, it is quite spacious, modern and beautiful. By the way, the interior of the German novelty is completely lined with very high-quality and practical leather. The basic equipment of this vehicle includes all the most necessary and modern elements, in this regard, absolutely everything is perfect. The power characteristics of the new Smart are the best, you will not find a more powerful representative of this car series.
You can buy Smart ForTwo Brabus TG 2016 model year for 20 thousand dollars, a very affordable and attractive price, although this is exactly the price a city car should have.
Outcome
Summing up, we must admit that the German automaker has done a lot of work to improve its new car as much as possible, at some points they managed to do it, but in fact there is still a lot of work. Smart ForTwo Brabus TG is a gourmet car for singles, because if you have a family and need to think about choosing your first vehicle, this German novelty is unlikely to be your choice.
So to say, the “habitat” for the Smart ForTwo Brabus TG is very limited and narrow, it seems that a city is needed, but not densely populated and at the same time not too empty. Perhaps for typical European small towns with narrow streets, the German novelty fits perfectly, but in other parts of the world the cities are completely different, this car is definitely not able to please everyone.
The largest clock in the world is built somewhere in Saudi Arabia. Their diameter is about 43 meters and they are installed on a tower in Mecca, in a hotel for two million pilgrims. The smallest and cheapest car in Russia is the Indian Bajaj Qute. Its price does not exceed 250 thousand rubles, it rides with the help of a 13.5-horsepower motorcycle engine, it rides badly and it is dangerous to ride in it. Neither Mercedes nor the watch company Smart knew this when they jointly created one of the most compact cars on the planet. The first serial Smart could be both the smallest Mercedes in the world and the most expensive watch on wheels. As a result, the world got a nice city car, and when this baby fell into the hands of specialists from Brabus, especially in the latest generation of 2016-2017, the auto public began to be less sarcastic about its size and even give way. There is progress.
Why Brabus Smart
The court Mercedes tuning studio was not always so popular and certainly would never have paid attention to the compact A-class car. The segment itself is going through hard times, it was at the turn of the century that city cars, due to their novelty, enjoyed increased interest from the progressive public, and now they do so, insofar as.
Nevertheless, of the 170 thousand cars sold annually by Brabus, about a hundred are accounted for by Smart. As many as two-thirds of sales! This is despite the fact that Brabus has previously modified mainly Geliki and S-class sedans. It turns out that European society is changing, and Brabus clearly grasped this.
And this fall, in Moscow, official dealers began selling charged Smart Fort Brabus 2016-2017 model years. In September, three models were presented at once - a two-door double Smart Fortwo Brabus, a five-door four-seater Smart Forfor Brabus hatchback and a two-door meringue convertible. Moreover, the Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Brabus turned out to be the most expensive. The most inexpensive is the double Smart Fortwo, you can buy it for 1,360,000 rubles. The price of a five-door is 1,400,000, while the cabrio version is estimated at 1,500,000 rubles. Standard Smart can be bought on average 120-130 thousand cheaper, depending on the configuration.
Compact and nimble Brabus Smart
There is an intermediate option, this is the Brabus Sport Pakage and it costs about $ 1900, although it is only available in the US market so far. The peculiarity of these cars is that all changes, all tuning of the car concerns only the interior and external decorative bells and whistles. Specifications are no different from the stock, non-Brabus Smart. The main advantage that the sports package provides is the perfectly tuned Brabus suspension. Stiffer springs will be installed there, other shock absorbers, anti-roll bars will have different characteristics. As a result, the clearance decreased by 10 mm, the car received sharper handling and, they say, the dynamic characteristics also somehow changed. Exactly how, they don't say. Another advantage of the sports package is that it can be installed not only on a new, but also on a used Smart Fortwo or Smart Convertible. But no sports package can replace a real Brabus, which improves everything that can be improved.
Why is the new Smart better than the old one, and Brabus is better than the new one, photo
Photograph of the interior of the city car
Smart of the past generation could be called a car with a big stretch. And the point here is not only and not so much in size, but in its inadequate behavior on the road and at the same time a fabulous price. The length of the new standard Smart has not changed, the car has become a little higher, but the main thing is that the company took into account the dangerous tendencies of the body to collapse at speed in corners. Yes, this is not a racing car, however, an increase in body width and track by as much as 110 mm made it possible for the driver not to feel at the wheel of a shoebox, shying away from every oncoming truck. Even in its base trim, the Smart feels like a normal human-sized hatch. Not to mention the improvements that the alchemists of their Brabus implement in full-fledged production conditions.
The suspension on the smallest Brabus is 22% stiffer than stock and grippier than stock. The car literally sticks to the asphalt at any speed and does not tend to fall on the side from a gust of wind, aerodynamic impact from a passing truck and in an unexpectedly sharp turn. At the same time, the car retained decent comfort, this is not a track car with a furious stiff suspension. MacPherson plugs are installed in the front, as on the stock Smart, and the rear suspension is a rigid DeDion beam. Each of the two-door Brabuses received original alloy wheels and special edition tires from Yokohama. The rear wheels are 17, the front ones are 16 inches, yes, this can cause some difficulties when changing tires, but since Smart does not have a spare wheel at all, selecting tires by diameter will seem like just fun.
Everywhere are reminders that this is not an ordinary Smart, but a Brabus
Stock Smart does not spoil engines and gearboxes too much, and Brabus - even more so. A standard baby is supposed to have only two motors:
- liter aspirated with three cylinders with a capacity of 71 forces;
- 900 cc petrol 90 hp three-cylinder turbocharged engine;
- for our Smart Fortwo Brabus has prepared a special engine based on a stock turbo engine, its power is 109 hp with a thrust of 170 Nm.
The diesel has not yet been introduced, nor has the new Smart Roadster been introduced, but the company says that this is a matter of time. Another positive development is the disappearance of the hated robot, which, according to the owners, worked disgustingly, blunted and threw gears at its own discretion. Instead, a five-speed manual gearbox is installed as standard, as in a normal car. As an option, Smart has a renoshny robot with two DCT clutches, but for a stock car it will be installed for a surcharge of a thousand euros.
Big technology for a small Smart
Few people expect high speed from such a kid.
Even the stock Smart is exciting by default, and the layout dictates this. Whatever motor is hiding above the rear axle, a rear-wheel drive and rear-engined car can already provide a sufficient amount of pleasure if you know how to properly use these benefits of civilization. At Smart Fortwo Brabus all this is expressed in five times the size. Not only is the turbine engine itself more powerful and responsive, all the Brabus paraphernalia in the cabin, these two unique exhausts sticking out from under the branded body kit, make the tuned car much more attractive. The Brabus cabin is distinguished by sporty pedals, Brabus logos scattered here and there and the letters B, and what about the dial tachometer, arranged with an analog clock! It was installed in the left corner of the front panel and can be rotated so that there is as little glare as possible. A kind of retro spirit is introduced not only by a barometer-tachometer-clock, but also by an interestingly executed climate control unit. Not only was it inscribed in a soft rectangle with rounded edges, but also the temperature indicators are located under a real magnifying glass. The speedometer itself with the on-board computer display (it has become not monochrome, as before, but full-color and perfectly readable) is located directly on the front panel, like a shell scene in green theaters in every park of culture and recreation. The spirit is captivating.
Trunk only for the most necessary purchases
Smart Fortwo Brabus can shoot from a standstill almost like a Porsche, squealing tires, wedged into turns with incredible accuracy. This was achieved thanks to the special function of the Race Start robotic gear box, and it is activated without turning off the traction control, so you can be calm about the behavior of the machine after a crazy start. Everything's under control. However, there are some downsides to this as well. It's one thing - a fun and incendiary test drive for an hour and a half, another thing when the owner has to live with this four-wheeled joker. Because the new Smart Fortwo Brabus can only exist in two modes - crazy and semi-crazy.
Judge for yourself. From the point of view of practicality, any Smart has a disastrously little space in the cabin and it has a trunk of only 150 liters, and the engine is hidden under the trunk floor. To get to it, you need to unload the luggage, remove the bottom of the cargo compartment (although this is done simply, plastic screws are provided for this and it will not take much time), check the oil level in the engine and in the gearbox, assemble everything in a traveling state. What is the outlook for the modern comfort lover? The car rides almost in a sporty way, it is controlled in the same way, and the suspension is quite stiff. Therefore, potential buyers of bright red Smart Fortwo Brabus should evaluate their driving skills, especially on slippery roads. Even the usual Smart requires careful dosage of gas and careful braking, and Brabus doubly so.
Video: test drive Smart Brabus Fortwo
Yet once you are behind the wheel of a Brabus Smart at least once, it is impossible not to fall in love with him. The dynamics, from the point of view of the technical characteristics of an ordinary car, cannot be called stunning. It's about 9 seconds to a hundred. But when you sit in this capsule and essentially control only your body, the sensations are drastically aggravated. Moreover, the number 210 on the speedometer is not a declaration of intent, but the real possibilities of this tiny projectile. Let's not forget that track drills, sudden shifts and corner entry at 180 km/h are rather rare exceptions for this car. Its main task is to park on three square meters and leave the parking lot with axle boxes, leaving the neighbors in the parking lot stunned by such impudence with their mouths open. And this task Smart Fortwo Brabus performs perfectly. In Bottrop, where Brabuses are assembled, they set the task of bringing this tiny little car to the limit, and if the client is not afraid of the price for which you can buy an S-Class Mercedes with good mileage, then he will receive his dose of pleasure from the Brabus Smart.
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Brabus Smart ForFour 2017 review: model appearance, interior, specifications, security systems, prices and equipment. At the end of the article - test drive Brabus Smart ForFour 2017!
Review content:
The segment of super-compact city cars is gaining more and more popularity in Russia every year, which is facilitated not only by the rapid growth in the total number of cars, but also by the catastrophic lack of parking spaces, which is especially important for large cities and metropolitan areas, where car owners daily “drown” in kilometer-long traffic jams.
One of the most successful and popular manufacturers of supercompact cars is the German brand Smart, owned by Daimler. Cars of this brand were first presented in Frankfurt back in 1997, and a two-seater car went into serial production a year later.
In 2004, the company went further and presented to the world community its first four-seater Smart "ForFour", based on the Mitsubishi Colt. Unfortunately, the novelty did not receive proper support from customers, and the company's management decided to stop production of the model, but already in 2014 the model returned to the market to appear before customers in a completely different form. The model received a new look, which they tried to unify as much as possible with the younger ForTwo model, so the difference between the four-seater version lies only in the presence of a five-door body.
In 2016, during the Beijing Auto Show, the company officially presented the versions of Smart ForTwo and ForTwo "cabrio" charged at the Brabus studio, as well as a similarly modified modification of the Smart ForFour 2017. We emphasize that in 2005 Smart already released a "charged" version of the ForFour Brabus, which, despite the rather modest sales of the civilian version, it was in fairly high demand among buyers. But back to the hero of our review - Brabus Smart ForFour 2017 model year.
Exterior Smart ForFour Brabus
The appearance of the modification modified in Brabus is not much different from the “civilian” version of Smart ForFour. The front part of the body attracts the eye with a diamond-shaped head optics with LED U-shaped elements, a compact hood and a false radiator grill resembling a “smile”, in which there was a place not only for the brand emblem, but also for a small “Brabus” inscription.
The front bumper looks quite aggressive, which is facilitated by a stylish air intake and neatly inscribed round fog lamps. The profile of the model is not particularly distinguished by anything, and its main difference from the double modification, as already mentioned, is the presence of four doors. Separately, we can highlight the presence of a unique design of light-alloy wheels of a larger size, created by Brabus specialists specifically for the “charged” version, as well as rear doors that open almost 90 degrees, which provides a more comfortable disembarkation and landing in the car.
The compact rear is represented by a small fifth door, almost square position lights and a muscular bumper, in the lower part of which there is a sporty diffuser and a pair of exhaust pipes. In general, the appearance of the car leaves a positive impression, but it is difficult to call the design massive.
The external dimensions of the 4-seater compact are:
- Length- 3490 mm;
- Width- 1660 mm;
- Height- 1550 mm;
- Wheelbase length equals 2494 mm.
Customers are offered a choice of one of eight body colors, two of which are basic, and six are offered as an option. In our opinion, the car looks especially stylish in metallic red and metallic blue.
The interior of the new Brabus ForFour
The interior design of the “charged” Smart ForFour is stylish, modern and as ergonomic as possible. In front of the driver is the original three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, as well as a well-read, but slightly toy instrument panel, where the dominant place is given to a large arc-shaped speedometer. The original designed central dashboard flaunts a new multimedia and entertainment system with a large touch screen and an original temperature control unit in the cabin. Special attention should be paid to the two-tone trim of the dashboard, as well as the presence of original air duct deflectors and a free-standing tachometer round. On the inside of the front doors there are deep niches in which you can easily place a water bottle and other small things.
The front seats have good ergonomics and provide a comfortable fit for people of almost any height and build. Between them is a fairly wide armrest, designed to increase the level of comfort during long trips.
The rear seats are able to take two riders, and more or less comfortable here will be riders whose height does not exceed 190 cm.
Trunk volume in the standard configuration is 185 liters, but if necessary, it can be increased to 730 liters, for which it is necessary to lower the rear seatbacks. Note that in the underground of the luggage compartment there is a car engine, the presence of which ate most of the trunk.
Fairly high-quality materials are used in the cabin, although hard plastic is still found in some places, but the fitting of parts is at a height, so the interior should not be annoyed by annoying squeaks even during long-term operation.
Specifications Brabus Smart ForFour 2017
The Brabus Smart ForFour is based on the third-generation Renault Twingo rear-wheel drive rear-engine bogie, which is also used in its charged GT version. As a power unit, a 0.9-liter turbocharged gasoline engine is used, boosted by specialists from Brabus to 109 “horses” and 170 Nm of rotational thrust. As noted in the company, the increase in power was made possible by optimizing the system responsible for the air supply and increasing the fuel injection pressure.
The motor is paired with the only available 6-band “robot” with a dual clutch system and the RaceStart function, to activate which the driver needs to simultaneously depress the gas and brake pedals, and then release the latter. As a result, you can get the fastest possible acceleration from the start.
The Smart Lighter takes 10.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100, and the maximum possible speed is 180 km/h. For comparison, the maximum speed of the “charged” version of Smart ForTwo is only 165 km/h. Despite the presence of a forced engine, the city car consumes about 4.5 l / 100 km in a combined driving mode.
Unlike the base version, the "hot" version of Smart is equipped with stiffer shock absorbers and springs, a sports exhaust system and differently tuned steering. The suspension of the car has been significantly improved, but, as before, it is represented by an independent design with MacPherson struts in front and a semi-independent De-Dion type on the rear axle.
The car handles well, but let's be honest, driving it at high speeds is somewhat uncomfortable, which is to blame for the slightly unfriendly handling and high windage.
Otherwise, this is an ideal car for a big city, instantly taking off at traffic lights, leaving drivers of larger and more powerful road users far behind, and also capable of turning around almost on the spot (turning radius is 8.65 m).
Safety Brabus Smart ForFour 2017
Like its predecessor, the novelty involves the placement of passengers in a special Tridion power frame, on which all body panels are fixed. The company emphasizes that the frame itself has acquired additional reinforcement, and when using it, more modern and durable steel grades are used, designed to significantly improve the safety level of the “baby”.
Despite the external toy, the car is equipped with a large number of security systems, including:
- Automatic alarm function in case of emergency approach to the vehicle in front;
- A pair of front airbags, as well as a knee airbag for the driver;
- Emergency light signaling in case of emergency deceleration;
- Tire pressure monitoring system;
- Stabilization system and ABS;
- Electronic brake force distribution function;
- Stability function;
- Seat belt indicator;
- Technology of automatic locking of doors when driving;
- ISOFIX mounts.
Options and price Brabus Smart ForFour 2017
In the Russian market, Brabus Smart ForFour is offered at a price of 1.39 million rubles. (about 23.1 thousand dollars), for which the buyer receives:
- Halogen optics with integrated daytime running LED lights;
- Three-spoke multifunction steering wheel;
- Upholstery in black and gray;
- Automatic climate control system;
- Branded audio system with multi-touch display;
- Side turn signals with indication function when changing lanes;
- Central locking and immobilizer;
- Three-point belts with tension limiting system;
- Emergency light signaling in case of emergency deceleration;
- Assistant at the start downhill;
- Tire pressure monitoring system;
- stabilization system and ABS;
- Electronic brake force distribution function;
- The function of exchange rate stability;
- The indicator of not fastened belts;
- Technology of automatic locking of doors when driving;
- ISOFIX mounts.
- A pair of front airbags, as well as a knee airbag for the driver;
- Sports diffuser and a pair of exhaust pipes, etc.
Conclusion
The version of Smart ForFour charged in the Brabus studio is an ideal car for residents of large metropolitan areas, which has excellent dynamics for cars of its class, a roomy and extremely friendly interior and, as far as possible for a compact city car, aggressive appearance.
Test drive Brabus Smart ForFour 2017:
The Smart brand was born in 1997 and was then called Micro Compact Car. At the moment, these miniature cars belong to the concern Mercedes-Benz Cars Group. And in 2012, the brand debuted on the Russian market. Despite the appearance of serial samples only in 1998, these small cars have a history in the DaimlerChrysler concern. Designing the first fundamentally new subcompact car began in 1972. For several years, an original design was developed, and already in 95, the first prototype was presented to the public. By the way, the name Smart is an abbreviation for Swatch Mercedes Art. The Swatch company at the initial stages took part in the creation of cars, and indeed miniature cars were conceived as a means to popularize the watch brand. Well, today we will talk about one of the latest compact car options - Smart Fortwo Brabus.
Appearance Smart Brabus
When you get into this car, you get the impression that this is not a car at all, but a moped with a cab, and even in a Brabus body kit. The first sensations from the car are the same as from his photos: “How can you even drive such a car ?!”. Small, low, with a missing hood and almost the same trunk; in general, no matter which side you look at, Smart Brabus is not like everyone else. But first impressions are often misleading, and so is this case.
Exterior and interior
Looks Smart Brabus, of course, very funny. One gets the feeling that the machine just had an accident and she crushed the hood and trunk. In reality, of course, this is not the case. Smart's hood is really small, but it's still there. There are containers for various liquids, for example, for cleaning windows. The hood opens easily, but not quite normally. You need to move the two latches on the grill under the hood, and then remove the plastic cover. The whole design of Smart is made in such a way that parts here can be easily replaced. You are tired of a plain hood - you can quickly remove it and put another one on, no problem.
Smart Brabus car hood
By the way, "unusual" is a key word that comes up every now and then when working with this car. To be honest, it's easier to simply forget how anything was done in previous cars than to get used to the innovations in Smart Brabus. Judge for yourself: the engine is in the trunk. Well, why not? Indeed, we open the trunk, unscrew the protective screws, lift the panel and here it is - the heart of the car.
Motor in trunk Smart Brabus
There is not much space in the trunk, but it is enough to put a couple of backpacks or sports bags. In principle, since Smart cars are not designed for long journeys, a large trunk is not needed here either. Of course, it’s a little disappointing that you can’t take extra things to the dacha in it, but delivering a few packages of food on the weekend is easy. For various little things in the trunk there is a special box. In it, for example, you can store tools and a first aid kit, but a fire extinguisher will not fit here. By the way, the trunk opens also not quite usual. First, the upper glass rises (here the method is somewhat reminiscent of the trunk in the Peugeot 106), and then you can open the lower part.
Storage box in the trunk Smart Brabus
Trunk Smart Brabus
Smart looks more like a ladies' car, but this does not mean at all that it is. No, if a man's height allows, then he can freely sit behind the wheel of this car. Moreover, I only once saw a woman driving a Smart, and in all other cases there were men in the driver's seat. But I was not quite comfortable with my height under 190. Due to the fact that the seat cannot be moved away (since there is already a trunk and a street behind), it turns out that you are sitting too close to the steering wheel, and this is not very convenient. However, there is already a question of personal comfort and habit, the main thing is that you like the car.
Side view of Smart Brabus
When you look at the car from the outside, it seems that this kid will not go further than the yard, but everything changes when you get behind the wheel and press the gas pedal. However, more on that later. We got a version in white for the test, but Smart does not have any colors. And silver, and yellow, and red, and with various inserts, in general, for every taste and color, as they say. The lines of the car are smooth, but there are no frills on the outside. Everything is as strict and even ascetic as possible. Plastic door handles, standard round taillights. If not for the size, then Smart Brabus could be confused with any Japanese or Korean entry-level foreign car.
Door handle Smart Brabus
However, the corporate identity of the cars of this brand is already visible. This is the frame of the doors, and the radiator grill, and by the headlights you can already find out what kind of car is in front of you.
Front view of Smart Brabus
Despite the small size of the car, the doors are huge and perhaps only slightly smaller than other cars. They occupy almost the entire side of the Smart, but this does not interfere at all, and when parking, in any case, you will have plenty of space to open a different door.
Smat Brabus car doors
Parking on this machine, of course, is as easy as shelling pears. You can stand at least parallel, at least perpendicular, at least diagonally, Smart in any case will occupy only half of the parking space. By the way, this is very convenient, if there are two such cars in the family, then you can pay only for one parking space. Well, or keep the baby at home on the balcony so that it does not freeze in winter.
Parking on Smart Brabus
You can judge how many people will fit in this car from the name, because the full name of this model is Smart ForTwo Brabus. The brand also has models for four people, but about them some other time. So, two people, actually, the driver and the passenger. Even in the trunk of the third will not fit, no matter how hard you try, unless you leave the trunk open. For the convenience of people, the chairs are made with elastic lateral support, but they are not adjustable in height, only the longitudinal position can be adjusted. There are also many unusual or rather unusual things inside the cabin. What are the analog tachometer and clock, made in the same style and located in the middle of the front panel in the car.
Tachometer and clock in Smart Brabus
Directly below these devices is a single-zone climate control. Here, in general, everything is like other cars. We select the desired temperature, power, set where the air should flow and enjoy. In the cold season, a warm stream begins to blow only a few minutes after the car has started, but in this case, heated seats are saved, since Brabus has them.
Climate control in Smart Brabus
The steering wheel here is standard, albeit a little skinnier than usual. On the steering wheel itself are cruise control buttons, but under the steering wheel there are controls that are rarely seen in cars. These are the "petals" of the gear control. Despite the fact that the Smart Brabus has a robotic box, the developers probably decided to pamper the drivers and make them feel like driving a Formula 1 car. However, the good news is that these levers do not interfere in any way, and if you are not going to switch the box to manual mode, then they will not cause any discomfort.
Steering wheel in Smart Brabus
Behind the wheel is a speedometer and a small screen that displays various statistical information, as well as time, temperature and the amount of gasoline in the tank. On the sides of this dashboard are indicators for various errors and notifications, as well as turn signals.
Dashboard in Smart Brabus
Of the interesting features of the Brabus interior, I would also like to note the panoramic roof. Of course, there is no hatch here, and automatic opening of the curtain too, but the very presence of a glass roof is already great.
Panoramic roof in Smart Brabus
In general, the interior of the car is quite simple, but stylish. Many elements have a chrome finish, but if the interior was leather, it would look much better. In the fabric variation, the inside of the car looks like a decent mid-range sedan, no better or worse.
Smart logo on steering wheel
Chassis and technological features
The motor of this baby is something very unusual. It would seem, why in a car that weighs like half a normal sedan (about 800 kg), the power of 102 horsepower? But one has only to get behind the wheel and press the gas pedal, as you immediately understand - this is just what you need. Thanks to the 1.0 liter engine and low weight, the car accelerates like a 200-horsepower sedan. But the feeling is, of course, creepy. This is where the phrase “stool with a motor” comes in handy, but in a good way. Smart Brabus rushes along the road like crazy, other drivers just look after them in surprise. Now it’s clear why there are “petals” in the car for shifting gears. If you wish, you can really feel like a Ferrari driver.
But this engine consumes a lot of fuel. In the city, my average consumption was 8-9 liters per 100 kilometers, on the highway 6-7 liters. In principle, this is an indicator of a small sedan, but Smart is much smaller in size and weight. Yes, and only 98th gasoline is required to be poured into this engine, so even though Brabus is a small car, it will take no less money for it than for a full-size car. Considering that the tank here is designed for only 33 liters, then you won’t drive a Brabus for a long time without refueling, however, this is not so important for a city car.
Gear lever in Smart Brabus
The impression of the trip here spoils only the gearbox. If you have driven robotic boxes before, then forget everything you knew about them. Here it is a 5-speed robot that works in a very strange way. It will not work on it to quickly accelerate in automatic mode, when switching it will constantly twitch, and you, accordingly, will sharply lean towards the steering wheel according to all the laws of physics. In manual mode, the situation is not much better. In general, the only solution here is to get used to it. In general, if you moved to Smart from another car, then you have to get used to everything here. Box, tight gas pedal, unusual hood, rear engine - get ready for the unusual.
The ignition lock here is located near the gearshift lever, so you should not poke the key into the steering column when getting into the car, there is no hole there. The key here is the most common, not even folding. You will also have to adapt to the gear lever. There is no Parking mode here, so to park the car, you need to use neutral speed and the good old handbrake. To move, it is enough to move the selector to the Drive position, but even here it is not so simple. First, the manual control of the box will turn on, so do not rush and drive onto the road. To enable automatic gear shifting, you must press the button on the side of the gearshift lever. As you can see, not everything is simple here, but you can get used to it.
Another thing you'll have to adjust to is rear-wheel drive. This car goes into a drift easily, however, it is just as easy to get it out of a skid. However, I still would not recommend starting it abruptly, especially when there is ice on the roads, because with such a mass and size, you can roll over. However, the handling and maneuverability of the Brabus is good. On the road, the car behaves confidently, enters turns no worse than older brothers. The only discomfort that you feel when you sit behind the wheel of this miniature animal is that everyone wants to cut you. But this is rather a deceptive impression due to the fact that there is no long hood ahead and other drivers understand this and rebuild as usual. But forcing yourself to constantly remember this at first is quite difficult.
Radio in Smart Brabus
Now let's see what Smart Brabus has from the electronic filling. There is a multimedia system and 8 speakers that do their job pretty well. The screen of the device is touch-sensitive, but, unfortunately, resistive, and the quality of the display itself is not too high. To the left of the screen are buttons for quick access to menus, navigation, and volume control. With this equipment, you can listen to the radio, play CDs, and even play audio from your phone.
