2020 Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is expected to get the 1.5-litre SHVS petrol engine with BSVI compliance and premium features like Sunroof, 4 Airbags
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is expected to launch the petrol version of the Vitara Brezza SUV in November this year taking advantage of the festive season rush. The compact SUV has been leading the segment since its inception back in 2016 and its lead had never been under threat for long. However, the arrival of the Mahindra XUV300 in February and Hyundai Venue in May 2019 has put a lot of pressure.
While the XUV300 was posting good numbers for the second position in the market, the Venue’s timely debut in May deposed it to third. The Venue, on the other hand, has taken the fight straight to Vitara Brezza as it finished May with over 7,000 units and nearly caught the segment leader last month.
The gap between them was only 108 units as the aggressive pricing and wide range of offering are certainly helping its cause. The Vitara Brezza has remained with a single engine option for more than three years but its rivals Venue, XUV300, Nexon and EcoSport have the advantage of being retailed with petrol motors.
It is high time for Maruti Suzuki to give the Vitara Brezza a notable mid-life update due to tougher competition and it appears that the brand is responding. The facelifted version will likely be responsible for upping the premium quotient of the five-seater SUV.
Besides cosmetic updates, it is believed to get curtain airbags and sunroof. It is worth noting that the Maruti Vitara Brezza scored four stars in Global NCAP crash tests and the availability of four airbags in top-end variants will certainly be a highlight.
The existing 1.3-litre DDiS 200 four-cylinder diesel engine kicks out 90 PS and 200 Nm and is mated to either a five-speed manual or an AMT. The petrol unit, in question, is expected to be the new 1.5-litre K15B powertrain with smart hybrid technology producing 104.7 PS and 138 Nm. It debuted in Ciaz last August before expanded into the Ertiga and it could be the favourite choice waiting to be added to the Vitara Brezza’s range with BSVI compliance.