Few brands evolve as fast as Smart. When it was in the exclusive hands of Mercedes, to be viable it had to cede production to Renault, who was also in charge of designing and supplying the bases for the electric versions, the only ones still on sale. But now there is a new Smart, shared equally between Mercedes, which provides the brand and design, and the Chinese Geely, which is not only the largest individual investor in the German group in the person of Li Shufu, but also assumes the design and production of the future range, in China, where more electric models will come out in addition to #1.
The interior of the Brabus, with a sportier look
The differences between Geely and Mercedes’ approach to electric vehicles begin to become apparent at the point of conception, as the German giant does not yet produce any platform-specific trams, opting instead to adapt platforms designed to install combustion engines, to avoid further investment. . Geely, for its part, in search of maximum efficiency in terms of weight, exploration of interior space, consumption and autonomy, provided the first electric model of the brand’s new era, the Smart #1, with a specific platform.
As of September, the Smart #1 can be reserved, so the first units will begin to arrive in our country in March 2023. But before that, we still see the most affordable version, with the dimensions of a C-segment car (VW type ID.3) and a 272 hp engine, Smart has already presented photos of the Brabus, which will be its most powerful version.
According to the Chinese press, the Smart #1 Brabus will mount two engines, one per axle to enjoy all-wheel drive, totaling more than 400 hp. This is because if there are those who point to 406 hp, others go further and refer to a value close to 434 hp. Be that as it may, a much more respectable value than the 82 CV offered by the Smart Fortwo at this time led exclusively by Mercedes.
Smart didn’t reveal much information about the new #1 Brabus, but the websites The Chinese believe that it will continue to use the battery with 66 kWh. Definitive information should be released on August 26.
Source: Observadora
