On the move, despite being powered by the same engine as the Swift, the Vitara Brezza’s extra weight (Vitara Brezza kerb weight of 1,195 kg compared to the equivalent Swift’s 1,060 kg) works against the car. It doesn’t feel as peppy as the Swift and the turbo lag raises its head as a bigger demon than it did in the Swift. Nonetheless, the DDiS 200 does the job of getting you from here to there without fuss.
On the handling front, the Vitara Brezza is decently capable and holds its line when you throw it into corner. There is enough body roll going around a tight bend at some speed to keep you aware of the car’s tall SUV-ish stance but nothing alarming. The steering, though light to use, could do with some more feedback. Where the Vitara Brezza excels is in the ride quality department. The suspension is well tuned to soak in everything that its adversary, the road, will throw its way. Hit the brakes and the car comes to a halt without drama. There is sufficient bite to help you shed speed and just enough feel of progression to keep you informed about how much more pressure you can apply on the pedal without ABS having to intrude.
Overall, Maruti Suzuki have a decent product with lots of things going for it. The Vitara Brezza looks good and catches the eye. The interiors are spacious and comfortable and that is without sacrificing boot space in this sub-4m platform. The engine is a tried and tested one, which may not be the most exciting but we know it will efficient. It has excellent ride quality too. Handling characteristics could definitely improve but then the issue isn’t big enough to deter customers. Now, when you put all of this into one neat package and add things like the Maruti Suzuki brand name, the ease of access to service (the Vitara Brezza will be sold through regular Maruti showrooms and not Nexa), etc, the Vitara Brezza does seem like a winning proposition at less than Rs 9.87 lakh, ex-showroom in Pune.
| Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza ZDI+ | |
| Price (Ex-Showroom, Pune) | Rs 9,86,885 |
| Engine Type | 1,248 cc, four cylinder, turbocharged, common rail diesel injected |
| Maximum Power | 90 PS @ 4,000 RPM |
| Maximum Torque | 200 Nm @ 1,750 RPM |
| Transmission | Five-speed Manual |
| Kerb Weight | 1,195 kg |
