The all-new Vitara Brezza: Improving on a winning formula

The Suzuki Vitara Brezza was a success for the company from Day One, and much of it was due to the perfect formula that went into the making of this car. The Suzuki Vitara Brezza was a vehicle that dipped a toe into the SUV territory while creeping under the 4-meter mark, provided decent ground clearance to tackle road undulations, had enough space for a weekend family trip, plus a decent engine under the hood. It was the first car that the company conceived, designed, and developed in their home country of India. Therefore, they played the nationality card well and the car kissed success.

Over the years, the Suzuki Vitara Brezza has had consistent market success, and the company had no reason to fiddle with a working formula. However, with the introduction of BS6 emission norms, Suzuki’s diesel burners got the axe, leaving the company with an all-petrol roster. This paved way for a much deserved facelift for the Suzuki Vitara Brezza.

Upgrading from the tried and tested Fiat-sourced 1.3L DDiS Diesel engine is the all-new Suzuki Vitara Brezza which now has the K Series 1.5L petrol engine. Here is what you need to know about the car.

What’s new with the styling?

The new Suzuki Vitara Brezza does not get many drastic cosmetic changes. In terms of exterior, the Brezza retains the boxy silhouette that has defined the model.

The first place you will notice the changes are up front. The chrome grille has an update and a lot more going on than before. Flanking the new grille are reworked LED projector headlamps that get auto levelling and dual function LED DRLs (which double as turn indicators). The bumpers also get LED fog lamps, and the LXi variant has halogen projector headlamps with LED light guides.

Move on to the profile and there aren’t too many changes here either. The silhouette remains the same but is fitted with new 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. You also get the option of dual-tone paint shade to liven up the styling. On the rear, the only changes are the reworked faux skid plate and new LED tail-lamps.

On the inside too, the changes aren’t many. The Vitara Brezza continues with the simple, user-friendly interiors finished fully in black. We liked the leather wrapping that came with the ZXi+ variant’s steering wheel. Now the IRVMs also come with auto-dimming functionality.

Comfort and space remain unchanged. The driving seat is comfortable and we could definitely see ourselves taking the Vitara Brezza on a long road trip. God knows, with the pandemic and lockdowns, we definitely need one (nudge-nudge wink-wink CG Motocorp). The rear seat can accommodate three passengers with ease. Do note that the ISOFIX now comes standard in all variants.

The Vitara Brezza facelift now gets the 7" capacitive touchscreen head-unit, dubbed 'SmartPlay Studio'. On the ZXi+ variant that we drove, the infotainment screen doubled as a reversing camera.

Let’s talk about the new engine

Why don’t we get the numbers out of the way? The Vitara Brezza finally receives a petrol engine: a 4-cylinder K15 14622cc engine that churns out a maximum power of 103BHP @ 6,000 RPM and maximum torque of 138 Nm @ 4,400 rpm. This is the engine that is shared with the Ciaz and the Ertiga.

The new petrol engine out-powers the outgoing diesel mill’s 89BHP. However, we felt the new engine didn’t quite provide the mid-range punch that the 1.3L engine did.

Nevertheless, the performance is still decent. The facelifted Vitara Brezza sheds 40kgs and weighs in at 1,110 kgs, resulting in a better power to weight ratio for a better driving experience from the get go. The engine is spirited and provides quick acceleration. It might not inspire you to make quick overtakes, but it certainly provides a linear power output you need on the highways. It isn’t a particularly noisy engine, and the vibrations fail to bother the drivers and passengers. But get past the 3,500 rpm and the noise gets noticeable.

City driving is relaxing with the Suzuki Vitara Brezza. The clutch is light and the gear shifts smooth. Low-speed driveability is good and in the lower gears, the car can pull reasonably well at anything over 1,200 rpm.

On the highways you will find adequate grunt. You aren’t left begging for more power. That said, the Brezza prefers to take a more mature approach to driving and will not urge you into the racing spirit. It is most comfortable cruising at a decent speed on open roads.

There is body roll when you take on corners, but the Vitara Brezza manages to keep its composure. Once again, it will interest normal drivers but lack the oomph to tantalize driving enthusiasts. 

In terms of safety the Vitara Brezza starts off strong with a 4-star crash test rating by the Global NCAP (the only car from the manufacturer to achieve this rating). Safety features such as the Suzuki TECT body structure, dual airbags, ABS + EBD, seatbelt pre-tensioners with load limiters, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and reverse parking sensors are standard across the range.

Our say

The Suzuki Vitara Brezza was a successful product. Not exceptional, but it made sense. It was not a car for driving enthusiasts, but for the rest it had everything to make it to the buyer’s shortlist.

The facelifted Vitara Brezza does not come with many cosmetic changes. To be honest there isn’t a lot of drama going on. Is it class leading in terms of power and performance? No, it isn’t. There are other competing options that outperform the 1.5 L engine (on paper).

Yet the Vitara Brezza did not find success in drama and frills but rather in practicality for an average buyer. It is a car you could live with, thanks to the comparatively cheaper and easier accessibility of aftersales services and spares. It’s a car that provided a good resale value when you finally decided to upgrade. And that is the winning formula the New Suzuki Vitara Brezza sticks to.