The Smart #5 Brabus was hilariously quick, but this electric SUV has way more power than I need
The Brabus edition has beefiness to spare, but is arguably overkill. More sensible buyers should head for the Smart #5 with less oomph and extended range.
Pros Looks the part if you like quirkiness
Well put together and super comfy
Lots of room inside and quite practical
Cons Feels big and heavy – because it is
If there's such a thing as too much power, this Brabus edition found it
Not particularly efficient to drive
Introduction
I rather liked the Smart #1 and #3 EV's with their quirky styling and decent performance. Both were quite roomy too, but anyone in need of more space should head in the direction of the new Smart #5. This is a sizeable electric SUV that offers up lots more space, although that also means more bulk thanks to a chunky design. I've just driven it on a lot of country lanes though and, boy, it was a bit of a tight fit in places.
The Smart #5 will be available for the UK market in six different model variants. While pricing is yet to be firmed up, top of the pile will definitely be the Brabus edition. It packs in more performance – a lot more – along with lots of cosmetic embellishments. A 94kW battery pack makes it good for up to 338 miles or 366 miles in the Pro+ and Premium editions.
The Smart #5 marks a slight departure from the styling of the Smart #1 and #3 but, thanks to a very distinctive front and rear end, it oozes lots of personality. When it comes to kit, this car arrives full loaded. Sumptuous leather seats plus a 20-speaker Sennheiser sound system and an imposing duo of 13in OLED centre and passenger screens are highlights, but all trim levels are impressive.
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Every electric car reviewed on Stuff is tested on a range of road surfaces and, where possible, in varying weather conditions. We use our years of experience to compare with rivals and assess ergonomics, technology features and general usability. Manufacturers have no visibility on reviews before they appear online, and we never accept payment to feature products.
Find out more about how we test and rate products.
The styling
I quite liked the slightly quirky styling lines of the earlier Smart hashtag models, but the Smart #5 takes things in a slightly different direction. This D-segment whopper is loosely a mid-to-large size SUV, with more of a leaning towards the large end. As a result, I realised I was going to have a bit of a task on my hands persuading this minor monster to get through countryside lanes that were barely any wider than the 1.9-metre width of the #5.
Some of the Brabus edition's styling tweaks are a bit too lairy for my taste; I actually prefer the trim levels below this car, which start out (curiously) with the Pro edition. That's also got a smaller 75kWh battery delivering 288 miles. Those without the need for attention might be better off going in that direction. In the middle are the rear-wheel drive Pro+ and Premium trims, which offer better range from a bigger battery. It's a slightly confusing trim line-up, I think.
What all the variants do have though is dramatic looks, which rely on smoothed-off boxy edges, especially around the rear pillar and back end. That quite enclosed rear section, plus a length of 4.7-metres can make the Smart #5 feel a little intimidating to drive, but anyone who's driven a Mercedes EQB or Kia EV6 shouldn't feel too put off as it's got that kind of stature. The high roof delivers lots of space inside and all cars have a premium finish, both inside and out. However, the Brabus trim is much more ostentatious and, well, most of it works if you like that sort of thing.
The drive
Anyone wanting to show off will be more than happy with the Brabus edition. It's got all the get up and go anyone could ever wish for, with silly acceleration and an impressive top end. Better still, it's built on 800 volt architecture, which means it's quick to charge when the time comes around. Right up to a mental 426kWh is possible, but you'll more likely be enjoying up to 150kW around the UK.
Of course, being a Brabus derivative, that performance is a little over the top when the car is pushed. Sure, it drives nicely enough if things are taken easily, but if the red mist descends this car turns into a rocket ship. This is boosted further by the dual motor, four-wheel drive powertrain, which is much more gnarly than the lower trim models. There are 21in wheels though, and a sporty suspension setup that can feel quite brutal on, for example, cobbled surfaces or when heading over speed bumps. It's like lighting on the motorway, mind.
I tried the Smart #5 in all its various drive modes, with Comfort being the obvious choice for everyday motoring. However, it was hard not to select the Brabus drive mode for a good chunk of my experience. The downside of having fun in this edition is the way the efficiency isn't much to write home about. Nevertheless, I spent a long time behind the wheel of my car, doing a lot of miles into the bargain, and still returned home with 30-odd percent. That'll make it a hit with show-off day trippers.
The technology
Smart always packs in plenty of tech with any new model and the #5 comes with everything we've seen in the Smart #1 and #3, only dialled up another notched or two. Even more so in the Brabus trim. The dashboard layout might not be for everybody though. Aside from the driver's dials, it's dominated by a pair of landscape screens next to each other. The one closest to the driver has all the core controls, while the other is aimed at entertaining passengers.
This seems like a great idea, but I found the colourful graphics displaying movie posters glowing there on the other side of the dash a bit of a distraction. The other issue I encountered was dealing with control settings in the screen menus that didn't feel very intuitive or easy to tackle on the move. Smart has made quick routes into these with more condensed menus along the bottom but, even then, it didn't feel that easy. I also struggled with the sat-nav when I missed some waypoints, which turned a seemingly straightforward journey into something way more complicated.
Smart #5 verdict
Overall, the Smart #5 feels like a strong proposition and, in the Brabus guise, feels like overkill in the power department. The novelty value of the rapid acceleration is fun for about five minutes, but if you've got kids on board, it could be a recipe for triggering motion sickness.
However, anyone with a family will love the copious amounts of space on offer within the Smart #5. This is a surprisingly practical car underneath the loutish trim. I'd look at the lower tier models as they're just as good and pack in extra range too.
Stuff Says…
Category A: 4/5
The Brabus edition has beefiness to spare, but is arguably overkill. More sensible buyers should head for the Smart #5 with less oomph and extended range.
Pros
Looks the part if you like quirkiness
Well put together and super comfy
Lots of room inside and quite practical
Cons
Feels big and heavy – because it is
If there's such a thing as too much power, this Brabus edition found it
Not particularly efficient to drive
Smart #5 Brabus technical specifications
Powertrain Permanent magnet synchronous motor Battery 94kWh Power 637bhp Torque 524lb-ft 0-62mph 3.8sec Top speed 130mph Range 335 miles Charge rate 426kW Cargo volume 630 litres
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Performance & battery life: keep it casual The MediaTek Helio G100 chipset at the heart of the OnePlus Pad Lite is the biggest giveaway this is an affordable tablet. It might have eight CPU cores, but none of 'em have an awful lot of oomph – whether paired with 8GB of RAM, as per my LTE-equipped review unit, or 6GB with the Wi-Fi only version. It churns through synthetic benchmarks at quite a sluggish pace, and while affordable rivals aren't exactly any better, it still means this tablet performs best when tasked with one thing at a time. In split-screen mode and with a third floating window, you're really not getting the snappiest response or smoothest scrolling. That doesn't entirely defeat the purpose of Open Canvas, but it's something to think about if you're after a pure productivity machine. That said, single app responsiveness is more than good enough for the price, and I didn't at any point feel hobbled by the hardware for things like web browsing, email or social media scrolling. OnePlus Pad Lite benchmark scores Geekbench 6 single-core 713 Geekbench 6 multi-core 1887 Geekbench AI 902 PCMark Work 3.0 8357 Gaming in particular can be a struggle, with more demanding titles defaulting to their lowest settings and not always delivering smooth frame rates. Asphalt Legends, not the most taxing game but still quite the looker at maximum settings, felt stuttery even with all the details dropped. My usual 3D benchmarks wouldn't even run. Stick to casual games, though, and it'll get the job done. On the plus side, the modest chipset doesn't demand a huge amount of juice. When paired with a sizeable 9340mAh battery, the OnePlus Pad is able to go the distance with a full day of video streaming and web browsing. I had no trouble starting in the morning with a full charge, and with pretty much constant use I was still comfortably out of Battery Saver range at bedtime. Even better, standby time on this tablet is excellent. OnePlus reckons it'll last 54 days in isolation before finally croaking, and in real-world use that means only needing to plug in once every week if you're an occasional user. 30W wired charging isn't the fastest, especially as you'll need to supply your own power brick – and one that's compatible with OnePlus' SuperVOOC tech at that. OnePlus Pad Lite verdict The Pad Lite makes a strong case for itself with excellent battery life and build that feels anything but basic. While you don't have to spend a huge amount more to get a tablet with a more powerful processor or higher pixel count screen, few of 'em have software as stripped back as OnePlus's. I think it's the ideal first tablet, with no bloatware for mum and dad to strip out, a parental control mode for younger kids, just enough grunt for casual games and multitasking abilities that could come in handy when doing homework. For everyone else, getting a decent long-term update commitment and LTE connectivity for sensible money carries its own appeal. If you're trying to keep costs down, this is a great starting point. Stuff Says… Score: 4/5 Performance might be modest, but the OnePlus Pad Lite is otherwise a well-rounded tablet at a very appealing price. Pros Big screen with smooth scrolling Long-lasting battery, particularly on standby Clean take on Android with useful multitasking Cons Lacks the oomph of pricier tabs Not the sharpest or brightest budget tablet display A little on the heavy side, funnily enough OnePlus Pad Lite technical specifications Screen 11in, 1920×1200 LCD w/ 90Hz CPU MediaTek Helio G100 Memory 6/8GB RAM Cameras 5MP rear 5MP front Storage 128GB on-board Operating system Android 15 Battery 9340mAh w/ 33W wired charging Dimensions 255x167x7.4mm, 530g
