First Look Review

The Vitara Brezza is the sub-four metre SUV from Maruti Suzuki. Unveiled at the Auto Expo 2016, the compact SUV will take on the Ford EcoSport and the Mahindra TUV300.

Maruti Suzuki has designed the Vitara Brezza to give it a proper SUV form. There is a relatively long bonnet at the front and overall tall cabin, which despite its under four metre length gives it a proper SUVish appeal. Maruti has also put in lot of efforts to make it look stylish. At the front, the Vitara Brezza has projector headlamps, LED DRLs and large chrome grille. It appears sporty with the dual-tone exterior colour – the roof in the top-spec version has contrasting colour, reminding us of the premium Range Rover Evoque. Though the rear section is relatively simple, it has silver bash plate, spoiler and light guides. The Vitara Brezza rides on the 215/60 R16 tyres. This is definitely a good looking car and will get lot of attention on the roads.

There is lot of component sharing in cabin, with rest of the Maruti Suzuki cars. The top-screen music system is from the Baleno, the steering wheel is common in many of their cars, the AC dials seem familiar and even the vents at the front aren’t new. The interior is black, with inserts in exterior colour on the top-end version. The Vitara Brezza has a decently large boot of 328litres.

As per new Maruti Suzuki policy, the ABS-EBD and dual airbags at the front will be offered as option even with base variant. The top-spec car will have features like steering mounted audio controls, engine start/stop button and music system with Apple CarPlay.

The Japanese carmaker will be offering only one engine option with this compact SUV – the 1.3-litre turbocharged diesel engine using the VGT turbo producing 89bhp and 200Nm of torque. It will be coupled with the five-speed manual transmission, powering the front wheels. Although, there is no confirmation from Maruti, the Vitara Brezza might also get the SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) technology.

The Vitara Brezza is mainly a soft roader with tall riding position. It has a decent ground clearance of 198mm, which should be enough to go over majority of the hurdles on the paved roads.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza will be launched in India on March 8. Since it will be available only in the diesel guise, the starting price of the compact SUV will be higher than its main rival, the Ford EcoSport. The Brezza prices are expected to start at around Rs 7.8 lakh and the top-spec ZDi + should be around Rs 10 lakh (ex-Delhi).