Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza 2020-2022

The interior of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is a clear reflection of the exterior. Even the cabin panels have a simple design that follows form over function. The dashboard has got a rather conventional look with the biggest highlight being the 7-inch touchscreen SmartPlay Studio infotainment unit that is sourced from Harman. The steering wheel comes from the Maruti parts bin while the instrument cluster has been updated with new graphics and red backlighting for the facelift. The only other update here is the fresh fabric upholstery.

The material quality is nothing to write home about as most of the cabin features hard plastics but the seats, in typical Maruti Suzuki fashion, are extremely comfortable. The driver’s seat offers height adjustment to help you quickly find a position of your liking while the steering offers tilt adjustment. The front seats are well bolstered and offer great under-thigh support to keep you comfortable over long journeys.

Even the rear seat is as comfortable. A highlight here is having three occupants at the rear is very well possible as there’s enough shoulder room on offer. In an absence of a middle passenger, though, the rear occupant(s) can use the wide centre armrest that even offers cup-holders. The rear backrest even offers a 60:40 split to maximize the boot space. Speaking of the car’s luggage-carrying capacity, the boot can hold up to 328-litre of luggage.

For the cabin, the only additions brought in by the facelift are auto-folding ORVMs and the auto-dimming IRVM – two important features that were missing on the pre-facelift. However, both the additions are available only on the top-spec ZXI+ trim. Other highlights of the car’s equipment list include automatic aircon, push-button start-stop, 6-speaker audio unit, leather-wrapped steering wheel, SmartPlay Studio touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers. Unlike many of the rivals, there’s no sunroof on offer even on the top-spec version, while Maruti’s optional Suzuki Connect can be bought for benefitting from features like Geo-fencing and live location status. Another such optional accessory that many might want to opt for is the wireless smartphone charger.

At the time of launch, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza was available only with a Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre D13A oil-burner that produces a maximum power of 90 PS and a peak torque of 200 Nm. With the roll-out of the mid-life facelift, however, the tried-and-tested oil-burner made way for the 1.5-litre K-Series petrol engine from the Ciaz. This unit outputs a maximum power of 105 PS and a peak torque of 138 Nm. Akin to the diesel counterpart, it comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, but there’s no AMT and instead, there’s an optional 4-speed torque-converter automatic unit. The automatic version even benefits from SHVS mild hybrid tech.

Compared to the diesel version, the Brezza now feels many times smoother. In fact, the new motor has even led to a huge improvement in the NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness). Other than being smooth in nature, the motor has good torque spread, which, combined with the well-defined ratios of the 5-speed manual transmission, allows you to potter around the down with minimal gear shifts. The car even pulls cleanly to speeds of around 140 kmph but beyond that, the progress gets a bit slow.

While primitive in front of DCTs offered by some of the rivals, the 4-speed AT is smooth and the tall ratios allow you to use the car in the same gear at a wide range of speeds, which, in turn, leads to fewer gearshifts and brisk acceleration. However, it needs to be mentioned here that there’s no Sports or Manual mode to let you take matters in your own hands and you’ll be often left waiting for a downshift when requiring a strong burst of acceleration.

Compared to the diesel version, the steering of the petrol model is a tad lighter, which means it takes a bit less effort to make quick directional changes in heavy traffic. Also, the low-speed ride quality has also improved a fair bit and the occupants experience less jerk on small undulations and speed humps.

The handling has suffered a bit as the steering doesn’t feel as direct as before. Also, the body roll has gone up a bit, which, combined with the lighter steering, inspires less confidence in the corners. The change in the ride and handling characteristics of the vehicle are owing to the change in the suspension settings and tyres. While this has made the Brezza all the more comfortable in day-to-day driving, it is no longer as nice in the corners as it used to be. This is pretty much in line with the change in performance in the engine.

So, basically, it won’t be wrong to say here that compared to the earlier version, the Brezza has got better in the urban environment but no longer feels as sporty when going fast, especially on a winding road.

With a score of 4 out of 5 stars, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is one of the very few models from its carmaker to have received a good score at Global NCAP crash tests. The facelifted model gets dual front airbags, front seatbelt reminder (SBR) , high speed alert, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child seat mounts standard across the trim range. Plus, the automatic variants even get Hill Hold Assist. Of course, an option of having side and curtain airbags would have made things even better but that would have made the top-end version even costlier.