2020 Maruti Vitara Brezza Facelift Review
Car Tested: 2020 Maruti Vitara Brezza Facelift Petrol; Road Test No. 1175; Test Location: Goa
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 8.59 – 13.51 lakhs
India’s top-selling UV drops the diesel but in turn gets a punchy petrol engine along with more features & cosmetic changes
The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has ruled the charts and the hearts of Indian buyers for around 4 years now. It is in 2020 that the brand had said goodbye to the diesel variant and introduced for the first time, this beloved compact SUV with a petrol engine.
The boxy & macho design of the Brezza has been one of its strong points
Exteriors – There has never been anything uncanny or objectionable about the way the Vitara Brezza looks. It has always been sporty and pleasing to the eyes. However, in this avatar, the 2020 Vitara Brezza gets a bolder stance and a slightly more rugged look. It retains the boxy silhouette and squared proportions and the dimensions remain the same as well. What’s fresh is that it gets a new grille with bolder chrome slats flanked by new double-barrel projector-beam headlamps with sleek LED DRLS. Other styling updates include chunkier silver skid plates both at the front and rear, bigger side curtains and new 16-inch dual-tone diamond-cut alloy wheels.
The facelifted Brezza gets 16-inch alloy wheels and three new colours
A new grille, projector headlamps with LED DRLs & other rugged elements give the Brezza an athletic and sporty look
While the rear largely remains the same, it now gets LED taillights. The new Vitara Brezza also gets 3 new colour options: Red, blue and a dual-tone shade of orange and grey.
The all-black cabin feels sporty and has plenty of cubby holes
Interiors – The cabin of the new Vitara Brezza Facelift remains identical to its predecessor in terms of layout and fit and finish. It’s still an all-black cabin with a mesh pattern of the dash, piano black inserts around the air-con vents and silver highlights on the around the central console. Having said that, the major change is that the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the Vitara Brezza has been updated with the latest Smartplay Studio 2.0 infotainment interface with a reverse parking camera, voice recognition, live traffic updates, vehicle alerts, Apple CarPlay and Android Connectivity. All in all, the in-car entertainment is slick to operate and more intuitive.
The new infotainment system gets voice controls and live traffic updates
Apart from the updated infotainment system with new features, there are no major changes inside the cabin
Not to forget, the compact SUV also gets an auto-dimming and anti-glare inside rearview mirror, a multifunction leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control and automatic rain-sensing wipers.
The rear seats offer great comfort and have good legroom and headroom
The seats are quite supportive and well padded for long trips. There is a good sense of space at the rear too and you have ample amount of legroom for average height adults but tall passengers might find the legroom limited to some extent. Shoulder room is decent too for three passengers at the rear. Headroom is excellent, even for tall people.
The petrol engine performs well but lacks the thrill of the old diesels
Performance – Since the BS6 norms are coming into play, Maruti Suzuki is offering the new Vitara Brezza with a single BS6-compliant 1.5-litre K-series petrol engine that produces 104.6 PS of power at 6000 RPM and max torque of 138 Nm at 4400 RPM. It picks up well, eyebrow-raising well, complemented by a little engine roar and that sort of makes you hungry and hopeful for more. However, it tapers off pretty soon. No doubt that the mid-range is punchy as this is the same powertrain that is offered with the brilliant XL6, but that’s pretty much all. No, the response is not underwhelming, but that initial get-go just makes you root for this car and you keep on waiting for that ‘kick in the pants’ feel. The 5-speed gearbox is slick and smooth along with a light clutch. The gears are quite small and you’ll feel the constant need to upshift and downshift for an engaging drive. Also on offer is a 4-speed torque converter AT which offers the convenience of two-pedal driving. It’s a boon while driving in the city and the shifts are smooth and quite seamless. It’s just when you wish to overtake or need a splash of energy, it takes a second to deliver.
Though slow to shift the automatic transmission is very convenient
The petrol engine has a superb low-end punch but the power starts to taper off the closer you get to the redline
Maruti claims a fuel efficiency of 17.03 km/l on the manual and 18.76 km/l on the AT with the smart hybrid. Real-time mileage figures are around 13-14 for the former and 15-16 for the latter.
Ride quality is excellent and the brakes have great stopping power
Driving Dynamics – Despite being a petrol engine, there is a significant amount of noise that seeps into the cabin. What started out as music, begins to be a little hard to ignore once you go up the rev band. Since we are driving it in Goa, I find it very engaging to drive on the ghats and on the straights. The steering is light, offers decent feedback and weighs up just enough for highway cruising. The ride quality is a big USP of the Brezza as it glides over potholes and bumps without rattling the cabin. Braking is very effective too, we stood on the brakes and it came to a halt without any fuss.
Maruti’s great service network ensures a worry-free ownership experience
Safety and After Sales Service – In terms of safety, the new Vitara Brezza offers dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, seat-belt reminder, high-speed warning alert and reverse parking sensors as standard across variants. Coupled with Maruti’s widespread service centres, owning a Vitara Brezza, has never been much of a hassle.
Lack of a diesel engine should not hurt the Brezza much
Verdict – Maruti Suzuki never had a problem selling the Vitara Brezza, maybe because it offered the coveted diesel engine with an automatic transmission combination. Since that is out of the park, now on offer is a peppy, fun to drive variant, offered with bright new colours and at a starting price of Rs. 8.67 lakhs, on-road, Delhi. As if people needed more reasons to buy over the competition.
At 328-litres, the boot is also decent in size
What’s Cool
* Rugged and handsome design
* Feature loaded interior with a good amount of space
* Punchy and frugal petrol engine
* Impressive ride quality and brakes
* Maruti’s strong service network
What’s Not So Cool
* Cabin does not feel very premium
* NVH levels could have been better
* No diesel engine
Alternatives: – Hyundai Venue, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Honda WR-V
Leather wrapped steering wheel feels premium and light to operate
2020 Maruti Vitara Brezza Facelift Specifications
* Engine: 1462cc, 4-Cyl, Petrol
* Power: 104.6 PS @ 6000 RPM
* Torque: 138 Nm @ 4400 RPM
* Transmission: 5-Speed MT | 4-Speed AT
* Fuel Consumption: 13-14 km/l | 15-16 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol
* Tyre Size: 215/60/16 (Front & Rear)
* Suspension: McPherson Strut (Front), Torsion Beam (Rear)
* Brakes: Ventilated Disc (Front), Drum (Rear)
* Safety: 2 Airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP
2020 Maruti Vitara Brezza Facelift Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 3995 mm X 1790 mm X 1640 mm
* Wheelbase: 2500 mm
* Boot Space: 328-litres
* Turning Radius: 5.2-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 48-litres
* Kerb Weight: 1140 kgs
Do you think Maruti did the right thing by dropping all diesels?
Further Reading –
2016 Maruti Vitara Brezza Review
2016 Maruti Vitara Brezza Video Review
Maruti Vitara Brezza Pros & Cons [Video]
Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Ford EcoSport vs Tata Nexon – Shootout
Maruti Vitara Brezza Long Term Review – First Report
Maruti Vitara Brezza Long Term Review – Second Report
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