Smart Forfour Brabus Xclusive 2017 first drive

Do you remember the first generation Smart Forfour Brabus? It was launched back in 2005 and was the fastest ever production Smart thanks to a 1.5-litre four pot that ran sufficient boost to generate 174bhp – enough for some rampant torque steer.

After a long hiatus, the Fourfour Brabus is back. Unlike its front-drive predecessor, this is rear engine and rear drive like every other Smart. Its 898cc three-pot kicks out 108bhp and drives exclusively through a six-speed dual clutch automatic ‘box.

If that sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same mechanical makeup that underpins the Renault Twingo GT. No surprise as the cars were developed together and are built in the same factory in Slovenia. Can the Brabus impress more than the underwhelming Renault?

The Fourfor Brabus may be a tiny car - it’s shorter than a VW Up - but it tips the scales at nearly 1100kg, a good chunk more than the Fortwo. That means performance that’s fairly tepid. The 0-62mph dash takes 10.5sec which is more than half a second longer than the turbocharged Up. That said, it’s enough for it to feel nippy around town, and it does make a fruity rasp from its twin tailpipes. Indeed, it’s well suited to city life thanks to the narrow body and hilariously small turning circle that allows you to pull u-turns in all but the tightest of streets.

That may sound great, but the chunky alloy wheels don’t do the ride any favours at all. Go down a typical potholed UK road and you’ll find yourself jostled this way and that, a sensation that’s amplified by the lofty driving position. The ride does calm down at higher speeds, but you then face another issue – crosswinds. With a gust, you’ll find yourself having to make plenty of minor corrections even with the ESC nipping brakes to try and keep you on the straight and narrow on the motorway. This becomes tiresome very quickly.

So what about cornering? There’s certainly a lot of mechanical grip, enough to surprise plenty of lower-slung machinery. It also feels a lot more stable than the Forfour while still diving into turns thanks to quick steering. You don’t have to push too hard to find the ESC cutting in aggressively to stop it getting too out of shape, though.