Interior and tech
Smart has certainly moved the game on with a refreshed look to the Fortwo’s interior compared to the previous generation. The centre console and dash design look much more appropriate for the 21st century, although cheap, hard-touch plastic trim is still present - fine at the Fortwo’s entry point, but harder to reconcile with at the higher price of the Brabus.
The pod-like rev counter is a nod to the similarly alienesque instruments in previous generations of the car, and given the equivalent Twingo doesn’t even offer one as an option, it’s a useful addition. The floating seven-inch sat nav come infotainment screen is easy to use via the touch interface too, and while it’s not cutting-edge technologically, it’s useful enough.
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Despite its diminutive size there’s plenty of space for two occupants inside the Brabus Fortwo, with unencumbered ingress and and egress thanks to the wide doors. A relatively lofty driving position results, and makes you feel considerably less vulnerable than you’d expect - at least until you catch a glance of how close the rear window is to the back of your head. Even so, the Brabus feels chunkier and more grown-up than its predecessor.
The 260-litre is adequate for shopping trips and weekends away but might struggle for a full two-up holiday, and in such a short car the carrying capacity can be affected depending on how tall you or your passenger happen to be.
