Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza road test review

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is the car that everyone has been waiting for eagerly, ever since it was shown in the concept form, way back in 2012. And now the car is finally here - in the flesh - for the full details of how it looks, feels and performs out on the road. Is it indeed worth the wait and the buzz?

First things first. Despite being a sub 4-meter SUV, the Brezza actually looks a lot bigger in the flesh. The front is well-designed and aggressive with that large chrome grille, and the headlamps are detailed with LED daytime running lights and a projector setup. The front bumper is sporty and the fog lamps and indicators are set within their own matte black panel.

Around the rear, the wide stance of the Brezza continues with the horizontally stacked tail lamps and the large embossed Vitara Brezza badged chrome garnish piece atop the number plate area. But it is the side profile with the floating roof design that we think is the highlight of this vehicle.

The new Brezza can be bought in three two-tone setups, which include a blue and yellow with a white roof and a red car with a black roof. The Vitara Brezza also gets 16-inch steel or alloy wheels as standard depending on the variant of your choice.

On the interior front, the Brezza is gracious and subtle, while still feeling well appointed. For starters, the whole interior is offered only in a shade of black and also gets a gloss black centre console with silver brushed accent pieces.

The large infotainment screen is the same that is on offer on the Baleno, and comes equipped with Apple CarPlay and an inbuilt navigation system. Even though the Brezza is well-equipped, we are disappointed with the overall plastic quality that does seem to be a little underwhelming and rough to the touch in certain places.

When it comes to space though, the rear is particularly well placed with lots of legroom and headroom. There is also enough space for three people to sit next to each other due to the carved-out door panels that offer a bit more knee room. The seats, both up front and at the rear, offer good back and under-thigh support and are on the firmer side. The 328-litre boot is quite spacious and you can fold the rear seats flat if need be, which would give you even more space.

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is powered by a 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine. The tried and tested engine makes 90PS of peak power and 200Nm of peak torque which is identical to the Ciaz. Power delivery is smooth and seamless, and although there is a little bit of turbo lag in some gears, the overall driving feel is quite acceptable. The 5-speed gearbox too is the same old unit that you get in most Maruti products, but has been tuned specifically for the Brezza, making it easier and less notchy to use. The clutch too is light and makes driving this compact SUV easy in start-stop traffic.

Now although the Brezza is a compact SUV and has some body roll, it does handle really well on the whole and offers a good balance between a firm and yet comfortable ride. The ride quality on the whole is actually really good (especially when the car is fully loaded) and offers a level of comfort to the rear passengers, which is way more than its direct competition.

In terms of handling too, the Brezza takes being chucked hard into a corner in good stride and does have that ever persistent hint of sportiness that all Maruti cars seem to have. The Vitara Brezza gets disc brakes up front and drum brakes at the rear. All variants, from the cheapest to the most expensive get an ABS option, which is something you must choose when buying your car.

The Vitara Brezza is a sure-shot winner from Maruti to the extent that one can expect this to eventually outsell everything that the Indo-Japanese manufacturer makes in the next few years. There are certain negatives like slightly high NVH levels and the mediocre plastic quality; but on the whole, considering the great price that it comes at, will get perspective buyers to consider it strongly.