There is perfection only in progress and with the new Brezza, Maruti Suzuki have elected to go down that road.
Story: Joshua Varghese
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
In its latest iteration, the popular sub-four-metre compact SUV from Maruti Suzuki has shed the “Vitara” from its name. It is just Brezza now but refreshed, reworked, and reinvigorated. A semblance of the previous model is evident in this car as well, like sugar in a well-made cup of coffee; just enough to sweeten things up without overwhelming the base flavour.
The Brezza continues to feature a boxy design but, this time, the edges are curvier than before and easier on the eyes. The butch stance has been retained but the car looks more contemporary and urban-centred than its predecessor. Elements such as the new light signatures, roof-rails, and 16-inch wheels contribute to this look. Personally, the only complaint I have is that when viewed from the rear, the wheels appear skinny in spite of being shod with 215/60 R16 tyres. This contrast in proportion did not go well with the Brezza’s new styling.
The cabin is familiar and generously equipped with the long-lasting plastic that we have come to appreciate about Maruti Suzuki cars. Black and brown are the base colours and they complement the blue lighting and aluminium trim, placing this car’s interior a step above the outgoing model’s. Plus, there is a head-up display unit just behind the steering wheel, but yours truly found it to be more distracting than helpful. So, after using it for a while, I folded it away into the dashboard.
The nine-inch touchscreen handles the infotainment needs and that is a welcome upgrade. It has a crisp display and it worked without lag during our road test, even while using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The top variant elevates the experience further by banking on the prowess of a top-notch Arkamys sound system.
Other useful features in the cabin include an electric sunroof, wireless charging, cruise control, and fast charging for the rear-seat occupants. The cooled glovebox is a thoughtful addition and a personal favourite. It does a great job of keeping snacks cool, an invaluable feature during long-distance drives across our tropical country. There is enough seating room to accommodate five adults in comfort (four for long journeys) and a reasonable 328-litre boot. Should more room be required, the rear seats can be folded away easily.
Maruti Suzuki’s K-series engine has earned a reputation for itself in terms of refinement and efficiency but further development has resulted in welcome improvements. The 1.5-litre, in-line, four-cylinder engine develops 103 hp and a peak torque of 137 Nm. The mild-hybrid system features an integrated starter-generator and its own battery to handle the automatic start/stop, energy recuperation, and even acceleration when needed. Maruti Suzuki have managed to calibrate the automatic start/stop function to a level where it is barely noticeable; something I was particularly grateful for when stuck in stop-and-go traffic. In this variant, the engine is mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission and it also gets paddle shifters just behind the sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel. Even so, the Brezza did not strike me as a sporty car. The throttle and steering response felt like they were optimized for relaxed city driving and cruising and in that regard the Brezza shines.
The nearly flat bonnet offers an uninterrupted sight-line that allowed me to guide the car through the tightest of spaces without hesitation and the illumination from the headlamps ensured that such ease in driving was available at night as well. The Brezza also impressed with its ride quality, which, we believe, is due to the admirable damping of the suspension set-up. The car glides over small bumps, manhole covers, and patchwork on the road unfazed, allowing very little discomfort to filter into the cabin, which is ideal for a city car. Spirited driving is something the Brezza can manage but it is clear that it is not something it wants to do. This is a properly sedate and sensible family car. Its safety features include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, and ESP (Electronic Stability Program), all standard kit. In the ZXi+ model that you see in these pictures, as many as six airbags are available.
The outgoing Brezza was a car with very few faults and Maruti Suzuki have fixed most of them in this latest iteration. Now the Brezza is a more sophisticated package that has been developed around the requirements of the urban user and it scores well on numerous counts that a consumer is likely to gauge it by. During my time with this car, what I liked best about it was that it was easy to drive and just as convenient to live with. No time was spent in getting used to it. Even if one were to drive this for the first time, one would feel like one had known it forever.
This particular model is priced at Rs 13.80 lakh (ex-showroom) and that places the Brezza among the most value-for-money cars in this segment.
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