We had the very dependable Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza as part of our long term fleet for close to six months and here’s a report on things we liked and some that we didn’t.
Whenever we let go of one of our long-term cars, there are certain emotions attached to it. The nitty-gritty might not be mentioned in the monthly reports but is often read between the lines. First long drive with the girlfriend could be concealed within official words like “scouting for new photo shoot location” and “travelling with four grown-ups and luggage” could indicate chauffeuring the best friend on the latter’s wedding, while a mundane “airport run” may be the proud moment of parents visiting the author’s new home for the first time.
Yes, these cars don’t belong to us and eventually go away, but in due course play a pivotal role in creating memories to cherish. I’ve had my share of adventures with the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, and pretty much each one of them has been a memorable one. For me, a vital thing about cars is the emotion they give rise to. Plenty of positives, when it comes to our long-term Brezza. I’ll try to list the longer ‘good’ and the comparatively smaller ‘not so good’ bits in this final report on the Brezza.
The biggest attraction about the Brezza is its compact sub-four metre proportion which makes it perfect for urban use. The all-black cabin is easy to maintain and I like the layout and the fact that Maruti have upped their quality and design game. Ample features include touchscreen, Apply CarPlay, rear camera and push button start, auto-folding and electrically adjustable wing mirrors along with an informative driver’s instrument console. Some might find the ride to be firm, but this gives the soft-roader sportier handling; a trade-off which I don’t mind at all.
There’s just one engine option: the very popular 1.3-litre DDiS which is pretty efficient. Having said that, the Brezza deserves a slightly larger and more powerful engine since most of its competitors offer peppier 1.5-litre diesel ones. Another let-down is that it neither has a petrol engine option nor does it offer AMT or automatic version that’s fast becoming a necessity for city-dwellers.
There are a few other bits that could have been better, such as the Apple CarPlay on our test car which sometimes refused to connect to my iPhone. Also, with different sizes of smartphones, there could have been a dedicated place on the centre console to keep them safely. There are smaller niggles, like the central locking doesn’t unlock all doors once the car is switched off, a feature which is offered in Marutis which don’t have Push Button Start. And, finally, there are some nagging rattles and creaks from the plastic panels and the front passenger seat.
Last month, before a road trip to Goa, I had the car serviced along with oil and filter change, brake cleaning, plus front- and rear-wiper blade replacement. The bill for this was not even Rs 3,500. Maruti’s widespread service network and affordable maintenance make their cars so popular in India.
Now that we’re back from the road trip, our memorable journey with and in the Brezza comes to an end. Or is it just the beginning?
