Maruti’s new small SUV-esque Vitara Brezza is yet another good looking car from the country’s largest carmaker, writes Kushan Mitra
Maruti is not known as a carmaker whose media fleet of test vehicles has bright colours. In fact, for years Maruti’s fleet, much like the cars that the carmaker made, was dull and grey.
But something seemed to change when the S-Cross came along last year. While that car did not set the sales charts on fire, primarily due to poor pricing and competition from Hyundai Creta, the subsequent Baleno was the car that really showcased the new Maruti. A modern design language that actually made the Baleno look desirable rather than the simple practicality that defined Maruti design.
And the new Vitara Brezza is on the same lines as the Baleno, there is a ‘look at me’ quality in the Brezza that has not been there in Maruti vehicles in the past, with the exception of the Swift when it was launched.
Of course, the fact that the car that was being driven was painted blue and white — and in very high-quality paint (one really notices the paint job on this car) — did add to its visual appeal. And there is the noticeable width on this car, again this makes this car quite appealing.
Inside also, there is the traditional Maruti practicality with lots of storage space and comfortable seating and enough storage space. The ZDi+ variant we were driving had the same Apple Car Play equipped infotainment system that does duty on most modern top-end Maruti cars.
The interiors are still a bit too dark and despite a few touches of chrome here and there, there could be a spot more colour. The large rear pillars do make rearward visibility from the rear-view a bit limited, but using the side mirrors and the equipped reversing camera, this is less of an issue that one would think.
So the big question is how does the Vitara Brezza driveIJ
Sadly, the Brezza and the Baleno before it need new power plants. The ZDi+ variant that we were driving still has the DDiS engine sourced from Fiat that started doing duty on the Swift over 11 years ago. The 75 horsepower engine feels a bit flat when you compare this car to its primary competitor — the Ford EcoSport’s 100 horsepower TDCi unit.
That said, the unit is powerful enough for urban driving. Brezza is, quite unlike the Baleno, not a car that really likes to push aggressively into corners. This is not a car that likes to be driven too hard but that sort of goes with the segment it competes in, a car for young families with young children.
While the Brezza is definitely better looking than its primary competitor, the EcoSport, the latter does possibly shade the Brezza in terms of drivability. Although, the Brezza is a better bet than the Ford car in terms of space. Yet, Ford did cut prices on their car a few hours after Maruti launched the Brezza.
The prices on the Maruti car start at Rs7 lakh, although the ZDi+ variant with all the toys that we drove costs Rs9.5 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. like the S-Cross, Maruti is not offering a petrol engine on the Brezza just yet.
Given the success that the carmaker has seen from the CVT automatic variant of the Baleno, it might be a good idea for the carmaker to do the same on the Brezza soon.
There is another aspect on the Brezza that is the biggest positive on this car. This is a ‘Made In India’ car in the fullest sense of the word. This car was designed and developed by a team led by CV Raman in Maruti’s R&D centre in India. A first for a global product from Suzuki. Now let’s wait for some better engines as well.