Last year, the government gave a big relief to Indian car buyers by cutting down the taxes. Buyers and several automakers enjoyed this, but Maruti faced trouble. While the other compact SUVs saw a sharp decrease in price, the Brezza instead became an expensive SUV in its segment. Sales-wise, the numbers were consistent, but Maruti wanted more. The answer was simple: the updated Brezza. Here’s a deep analysis of how the new Brezza could be Maruti’s hit on its compact SUV rivals.Attention Readers! Join us on the WhatsApp Community for daily auto news updates.
New Maruti Brezza: Best Compact SUV?
When we look at the new Brezza, we can see how Maruti has made only minimal changes on the outside. This is because the old formula was already working. Even after not getting the maximum benefit of the new GST rates, the Brezza was consistently registering sales of 15,000 – 16,000 units per month. So, if it’s working, then why change? Well, even if it was working, Maruti wanted to bring in something fresh. So the Brezza facelift was launched with a new moustache – a bit sportier moustache for the turbo engine.
Design was already there, but what was needed was to fit it into the updated tax rate to fetch more benefits. How to do that? Equip a new engine. There comes the 1.0-litre turbo petrol mill, same from the Fronx, but with a change in tune. Now, it fits in the tax bracket, and Maruti can price it more competitively. But will a single change drive the volume? Might not, so a new gearbox might be better – it now gets a new 6-speed MT ditching the 5-speed unit, and retains the 6-speed AT from the outgoing model.
Is it done? Not yet! Maruti started to tame down the complaints – lesser storage in CNG; now Brezza gets an underbody CNG cylinder unit. Interiors feel dated; a fresh interior layout with a bigger screen. Rivals get better equipment; the new Brezza includes ventilated seats, an upgraded 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, and a wireless charger with a cooling pad. In a snap, Maruti’s rival to the Tata Nexon and other compact SUVs is ready.
Also Read: New Maruti Brezza On-Road Prices In Top 7 Cities
New Maruti Brezza Price: More Affordable Now
When we say that an SUV will get updated, we usually say that the prices might be increased. But in the Brezza’s case, it happened differently. The prices were actually lowered. The new Brezza saw a price cut of nearly Rs 95,000 compared to the base trim of the outgoing model. It is now priced between Rs 8.60 lakh – Rs 16.35 lakh (on-road, Mumbai).
Also Read: New Maruti Brezza Finally Launched In India