Maruti Suzuki Brezza: new vs old

Maruti Suzuki has just launched the new Brezza compact SUV, with prices ranging from Rs 7.99 lakh-13.96 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The new Brezza is underpinned by the same platform as its predecessor and also carries over the same engine, albeit an updated one. However, it wears a completely new body shell and also gets an all-new interior with lots of new tech and features. We compare the two and highlight their differences.

• New Brezza gets head-up display, 360-degree cameras and 6 airbags
• Mild-hybrid system now standard on both manual and automatic variants
• Gets new accessories packages – Terrascape and Metroscape

Maruti Suzuki Brezza new vs old: exterior

In terms of styling, the most noticeable differences between the two models are on the front and rear. As before, the headlamp and grille assembly appear as a single entity, but there’s far more intricate detailing on the new car. The dual projector LED headlamps get a new two-part LED DRL, while the grille, which now protrudes onto the headlamp assembly, gets a new gunmetal finish instead of chrome. The nose is also flatter and more upright.

The front bumper on the new Brezza is a lot beefier and features thick black cladding, although the fog lamp housings have shrunken in size. On the sides, the body cladding over the wheel arches and doors are much thicker and more pronounced. The rear quarter glass is larger, there are new silver roof rails, and new design for the dual-tone 16-inch alloys.

At the rear, the Brezza gets a cleaner and far more sophisticated design. The large chrome trim above the license plate has been done away with, and the 'Brezza’ lettering is now directly spelt out on the surface of the tailgate. The rectangular, stubby tail-lamps of the outgoing model have made way for sleeker units with Y-shaped LED elements. The rear bumper also features a little more detailing.

Maruti is also offering two new accessories packages – Terrascape and Metroscape – that bring unique garnishes to the front and rear bumpers, wheel arches and side cladding. Where Terrascape has a rugged theme, Metroscape features more urban aesthetics.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza new vs old: dimensions

At 3,995mm in length and 1,790mm in width, the new Brezza remains unchanged from its predecessor. However, with a height of 1,685mm, primarily due to the addition of the new roof rails, the new Brezza is 45mm taller than the outgoing model. The wheelbase also remains unchanged, at 2,500mm.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza new vs old: interior and features

The interior of the new Brezza is all-new as well. Gone is the older model's predominantly black cabin theme with a rather plain design for the dashboard. Instead, the new Brezza features an all-new layered design for the dashboard, complete with dual-tone black and brown treatment, multiple textures, and silver accents around AC vents, centre console, infotainment screen and door pads.

The infotainment screen on the new Brezza is a free-standing unit and not a dashboard-integrated one like in its predecessor. While that should make it fall better in the line of sight, it actaully blocks the view of the road ahead as we had noticed with the new Baleno. The screen size itself has increased from 7.0-inches to 9.0-inches. It also gets new switchgear, a new steering wheel, and an updated instrument cluster, all of which are incidentally shared with the new Baleno.

On the features front, the new Brezza is a significant step above the outgoing SUV. Top-spec models now get Maruti’s new Smartplay Pro+ infotainment software, an Arkamys surround sound system, a head-up display (HUD), 360-degree cameras, wireless charging, connected car features, six airbags, and perhaps most importantly for Indian customers – a sunroof – a first for any Maruti model.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza new vs old: powertrain

For all the major upgrades to the skin, there are fewer underneath. The Brezza carries over the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine, albeit in an updated K15C guise that produces 103hp and 137Nm – 2hp and 1Nm less than before. And while the 5-speed manual gearbox remains the same, the Brezza now gets a new 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox with paddle shifters, replacing the dated 4-speed unit from the outgoing model.

Another point of difference is that, while the outgoing Brezza was offered with mild-hybrid tech only on the automatic variants, it is now standard on all versions of the Brezza. This has resulted in an improved claimed fuel economy – 20.15kpl (up from 17.03kpl) for the manual versions and 19.80kpl (up from 18.76kpl) for the automatic versions.

What do you think of the exterior and interior design of the new Brezza? Let us know in the comments below.