Mercedes-Benz likes to advertise its reinvented smart brand as the world’s first car company to make the complete switch from internal combustion engines to electric power. And that was easy to do, considering the very limited number of models wearing the smart logo.
In September 2019, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, smart revealed the new face of the EQ, complete with a few visual changes and now a more distinct separation of the front ends between the fortwo and forfour.
The changes didn’t go unnoticed over at Brabus, the biggest Mercedes-Benz tuner out there and smart's official tuner. The company, which already had a souped up version of the EQ called Ultimate E (shown for the first time In 2019, at the same German event) in its stables, decided to update the facelift as well.
Perched atop massive 18-inch wheels, the new Ultimate E sports the usual Brabus changes meant to make it a meaner-looking machine: new front apron, black all over the Widestar body, Brabus lettering here and there to attest to its origins, and leather interior. Other technical enhancements include the addition of a special suspension system, and ultra-fat tires.
The biggest changes can be perceived when it comes to the way the car drives. The EQ’s electric motor has been boosted from 82 to 91 hp, decreasing the time needed to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) from 11.6 seconds to 10.9. Torque has been given a push as well, to 180 Nm (a gain of 20 Nm), and the top speed is limited at 130 kph (80 mph), the same as the stock variant.
The battery on the electric smart facelift is capable of holding enough electricity to keep it going for 125 km (77 miles).
The smart EQ Ultimate E is already on sale, and the sticker price reads $54,000, which is very close to the starting price for a brand new Corvette.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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