The five-speed manual transmission equipped variants of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is expected to get SHVS treatment soon in India
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) conducted the premiere of the facelifted Vitara Brezza at the 2020 Auto Expo in early February. The compact SUV has been on sale since 2016 but it did not receive any major update for four years. The facelift comes as a response to the growing competition in the sub-four-metre segment as Hyundai Venue did test the Vitara Brezza’s mettle in sales charts.
Moreover, the Vitara Brezza regularly averaged more than 10,000 units every month but the unfavorable market scenario in 2019 and the dire 2020 did take the toll on the volume numbers of the five-seater SUV. The 2020 Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza comes equipped with a redesigned front grille and sleeker projector headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lights.
Up front, you could also find a revised bumper and fog lamp housing. Elsewhere, there are new alloy wheels and mildly tweaked rear while the traditional SUV silhouette with tall pillars and upright stance remain. The biggest update, however, was the new BSVI compliant petrol engine as the 1.3-litre DDiS 200 diesel unit had already been discontinued.
The 1.5-litre four-cylinder K15B petrol engine with SHVS mild-hybrid technology develops 104.7 PS at 6,000 rpm and 138 Nm of peak torque delivered at 4,400 rpm. Currently, only the optional four-speed automatic transmission-equipped variants get the SHVS treatment, which helps in improved efficiency. The manual version will also gain the mild-hybrid system soon.
The SHVS technology will also be employed in the upcoming 2020 Maruti Suzuki S-Cross as it will get the mild-hybrid treatment in both five-speed manual and four-speed torque converter AT equipped variants. The facelifted Vitara Brezza also features the latest touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Moreover, cloud-based functions are also part of the package. The 1,462 cc four-cylinder petrol engine with five-speed manual transmission developing 77 kW (104.7 PS) at 6,000 rpm and electric motor with 1.768 kW (2.37 hp) at 2,400 rpm work in tandem to assist torque boost and thereby bettering the fuel efficiency. It is expected to be offered in LXi, VXi, ZXi and ZXi+ grades.