Aside from the more overt sporting cues (clock the Alcantara steering wheel, microfibre seats and lashings of red), the Brabus interior is identical to that of the standard #3.
It’s a spacious and airy environment, with plenty of room to stretch out in each row and rear head room not unduly impacted by the sloping roofline, plus a 370-litre boot that’s agreeably capacious, if not astoundingly so.
The minimalist cockpit is dominated by a 12.8in touchscreen which plays host to darn near every function bar the demister and door handles, supported on the move by a 9.2in driver display screen and a 10in head-up display.
Physical switchgear is limited to a smattering of buttons on the steering wheel and a row of touch-sensitive icons below the touchscreen, but unlike the Volvo EX30 with which it shares its SEA platform, the #3 does at least get window switches on both sides of the cabin.
The #3 is commendably equipped as standard, and the different trim levels pertain mainly to battery capacity and power output, but the Brabus does add a dusting of extra kit over the base car – namely its ventilated front seats, retractable boot cover, illuminated tread plates and heated steering wheel.
Of note is that only the entry-level #3 Pro, with the smaller 49kWh battery, comes with a sliding rear bench – useful for boosting boot capacity.
Overall, it’s a comfortable and decently equipped cabin, although the Brabus’s more sporty-looking seats are on the firmer side and the overly wide centre console – an unnecessary concession to convention on this EV-only architecture – impinges on knee room for the front occupants.
But the real fly in the soup is the #3’s sub-par ergonomics: there aren’t enough buttons for key functions and the touchscreen interface feels poorly judged and outdated. The menus are illogically arranged and the icons can be tricky to decipher, making it difficult to find your way between climate control and Apple CarPlay or even to adjust the wing mirrors at 70mph, for example.
Meanwhile, the #3’s cartoon cheetah mascot stands idly – almost mockingly – to the side. The fact that it’s sometimes wearing a parachute for comedic effect is no massive consolation, it has to be said.
