2025 smart #3 Brabus – Sexy and Very Fast

Smart is a brand some might remember. The ForFour, ForTwo, Roadster, and Cabrio lived their best lives weaving through narrow European city streets for over 30 years—but they never really caught on outside the continent.

Now, smart is back with a lineup of pure electric models that couldn’t be more different from what came before. The smart #1, #3, and newly announced #5 are roomier, way more powerful, and—shock horror—they’ve done what the originals never could: gained acceptance.

Smart isn’t “weird” anymore. It doesn’t make people stifle a chuckle like the ForTwo did. The #3 isn’t offensive or awkward—it’s clean, slick, and actually appeals to buyers in the premium market.

Brabus takes that up a notch. Just like it does with Mercedes-Benz, Brabus takes the Mercedes-Geely-built smart and adds a spicy twist. At under 2 tonnes, the smart #3 is pretty light for a modern EV, and yet the Brabus version will hit 0–100 in a very cheeky 3.7 seconds.

smart #1 brochure#1 BRABUS

smart #3 brochure #3 BRABUS

The Exterior

It’s pretty low-key. I’ll admit, it wasn’t love at first sight.

The little hatch blends into the background with just the slightest hints of Brabus-ness. But it grows on you fast. The matrix headlights are smart (pun intended) and can be switched to regular hi/lo beam when you want something simpler. The tailgate has a button hidden in the middle of the “a” in the smart badge—nice touch.

You get a few “B” badges thrown around, and the Brabus name is spelled out in small lettering here and there. There’s a rear spoiler to help with airflow and red accents on the Brabus body kit.

Every Brabus model is the full Brabus experience. Unlike AMG, which got watered down with models that shouldn’t wear the badge, Brabus still means Brabus. The #1 and #5 both come in Brabus spec too—and, as always, it’s the version you want.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Review – 2025 Smart #3 Brabus 0 to 100 in 3.7 Seconds – REVIEW– Alan Zurvas

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ABOVE: 2025 smart #3 Brabus (plus #1 and #5)

The Cabin

Outside is chill, and the inside matches. And I love it.

The seats are heated, cooled, and wrapped in sporty fabric. “B” logos are stitched in for a bit of flex. You’ve got a 10” Head-Up Display, a 9.2” digital dash, and a 12.8” centre screen. The driver display is configurable so you can see the stuff you actually care about. The design is slim and a bit cheeky—almost retro-futuristic—and the centre screen handles most of the controls and menus.

Menus? Not the most intuitive. Takes some getting used to. You’ll be swiping around in all directions until it clicks. Sure, the dealer does a handover, but all most people hear is, “This is where you find—” followed by white noise.

TOP TIP: Save your preferred drive mode, alert settings, and steering feel under a single custom button. Saves a heap of fiddling every time.

Just like most new cars, you have to turn off overspeed alerts every single time you start it. Luckily, that can also be tied into your single-button shortcut.

The interior has a funky vibe with ambient lighting you can set to all kinds of colours and effects. It feels premium without being covered in carbon, leather, or polished steel. The centre console is vented to keep drinks cool (yes please), and the Qi wireless charger is mounted properly so your phone doesn’t go flying when you launch it.

The HVAC uses a heat pump (more efficient), and the heated steering wheel keeps your digits warm on frosty mornings.

The smart #3 Brabus is all about comfort, style, speed, and fun—and nothing in the cabin gets in the way of that.

That said, some menus make you sit through a countdown timer before you can confirm settings. Once is fine, but five years in? That’s gonna get old.

Charging and Battery

The 66kWh battery charges on AC at home or up to 150kW at DC fast chargers. Range is 415km—pretty average for an EV this size.

And yes, range anxiety is real. But just like we got used to filling up with fuel that took millions of years to form, we’ll get used to plugging in wherever we can. Charge to 80% for daily use to keep the battery healthy.

Honestly, 415km is plenty for most people. Everyone says they want 800km so they can do a road trip they’ll never actually take—so why lug around the extra weight if you don’t need to?

The Drive

Perfect 50/50 weight distribution, dialed-in steering, comfy suspension, and laser-sharp handling—it’s a total package. The smart #3 Brabus will leave Golf R drivers sweating in corners. Even the odd V8 owner might think twice before lining up next to one at the lights. 0 to 100kph feels fast, but looks even faster.

Cornering is fun. You point, it goes. No drama, no hesitation. It’s like it knows what you want before you do.

Out on the highway, you can let the driver-assist tech handle the boring bits. Once you’ve configured it how you like, smart cruise and lane-keeping do a solid job. We couldn’t quite figure out the automated lane change—it’s supposed to be as simple as indicating, but it’s fussier than it should be.

Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto keeps things connected, and voice control handles the rest. The Beats audio is fine—not amazing, but fine.

It’s quiet inside too. Hardly any wind or road noise, which makes longer trips super chill.

Regenerative braking is adjustable via S-Pedal settings, so you can go full one-pedal drive if that’s your thing.

Conclusion

The smart #3 Brabus is gonna fly under the radar—but it really shouldn’t. It’s sold through Mercedes-Benz dealers and aimed squarely at the premium market.

What doesn’t make sense? Service every 12 months. It’s an EV—two years should be standard. And the 4th service? Over $700 before consumables. What are they even doing for that kind of money? The brakes are barely going to get used.

Smart #3 Brabus: