Maruti launched the Vitara Brezza compact SUV today, March 8. See Launch report. This compact SUV obviously competes directly with the Ford EcoSport and the Mahindra TUV300, but more importantly, it just might swing buyers away from two of the Brezza's own siblings - the Maruti Baleno and the Maruti Dzire. Sure, one is a premium hatchback and the other is a compact sedan, but given the price point - the Brezza is likely to fall in the consideration set of people looking to buy these cars. If I had between Rs. 7 lakh and Rs. 10 lakh to spare, I would definitely be making these comparisons, if I was out car shopping.
So would the Maruti Vitara Brezza be a better alternative to the Maruti Baleno, the Maruti Dzire, the Mahindra TUV300 and the Ford EcoSport. I'm just going to put down some tech specs to make it easy for you to compare them. Here is the full road test review of the all-new Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.
Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Maruti Baleno
Advantages of the Maruti Vitara Brezza over Maruti Baleno
The Maruti Vitara Brezza clearly has an advantage if you were looking for a vehicle with great ground clearance and the butch looks of an SUV. The Vitara comes with 198 mm - 225 mm of ground clearance depending on the variant you were picking. The Baleno only has 170 mm of clearance. The Baleno and Brezza both use the same diesel engine - 1.3 litre, four cylinder, multijet - but in different states of tune. The Brezza puts out 90PS of power while the Baleno puts out only 75PS of power. However, thanks to the weight savings in the Baleno, it's not that underpowered. The Brezza only just manages to pip the Baleno on power-to-weight ratio (78 bhp / ton vs 77 bhp / ton). The Baleno and Brezza are almost equally loaded with features ranging from push button ignition, CarPlay infotainment system, GPS navigation to powered mirrors, reverse camera etc on the top-end variants of both - ZDI+ and Alpha. Brezza also gets cruise control!
Advantages of the Maruti Baleno over Maruti Vitara Brezza
The Maruti Baleno still has a lot of things going for it, and will continue to sell on its USPs. Look at the claimed fuel efficiency. The Baleno has a claimed efficiency of 27.39 kmpl, while the Brezza's claimed fuel efficiency is 24.3 kmpl. Those who are looking for mileage above anything else will still go for the Baleno. Look at the space inside the vehicle - the rear seat space in the Baleno is better than the Brezza from our initial impressions at least. Wheelbase in the Baleno is slightly more than the Brezza and that probably is the reason for this. In terms of boot space the Baleno can swallow 339 litres compared to 328 for the Brezza, but that's just a very marginal difference - won't make much difference in real world conditions. Both have 60:40 split folding rear seats on the top-end variants to increase that luggage space if needed. The Baleno also probably has a slight handling advantage over the Brezza, being a hatchback - but we'll not really call that just yet, until we've driven the Brezza.
What I think: The Maruti Baleno and the Maruti Brezza will appeal to two different kinds of buyers. The Baleno will appeal to a slightly older buyer, looking for comfort, space and efficiency, while the Brezza would appeal to a younger buyer looking for a sense of adventure. Both cars offer the same level of safety kit of 2 airbags and ABS, while also offering similar convenience features.
Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Maruti Dzire
Advantage of the Maruti Vitara Brezza over the Maruti Dzire
When you compare the Brezza and the Dzire, both are exactly the same length - ducking in under 4 metres. Both use the same engine, again with the Dzire using the lower state of tune in the diesel. The Brezza clearly has a power-to-weight ratio advantage over the Maruti Dzire (which puts out only 69 bhp / ton). Again, the Dzire and Brezza share the platform and components. In terms of features, although the Dzire has been recently updated with push-button ignition, electric folding rear-view mirrors etc, so there's not really much that the Brezza has that the Dzire does not, except for perhaps the CarPlay infotainment system. The key advantage here again, would be the ground clearance, performance and space in the Brezza compared to the Dzire. The Dzire gets a tiny boot at 316 litres and it's not flexible.
Advantage of the Maruti Dzire over the Maruti Vitara Brezza
The prime advantage the Dzire has over the Brezza is on price - sure there is an overlap, but you get slightly better value with the Dzire. You also get a clear fuel economy advantage - the diesel Dzire has a claimed fuel efficiency of 26.59 kmpl. And of course, for many buyers it will be about body style - the more traditional buyer would still look at a three-box sedan as being more 'elite' compared to a compact SUV.
What I think: The Dzire isn't going to be that badly affected by the launch of the Brezza. In fact, they would happily thrive in their own separate markets. The Dzire is currently among the top-three selling cars in India, and will likely continue to stay there. This comparison with the Dzire holds true for those buyers looking at a Honda Amaze vs the Maruti Vitara Brezza too.
Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Mahindra TUV300
Advantage of the Maruti Vitara Brezza over the Mahindra TUV300
The only thing that the Mahindra TUV300 and the Maruti Vitara Brezza hold in common is that they are both classified as "compact SUVs". In reality, they are as different as chalk and cheese. The Maruti Vitara Brezza has a huge power-to-weight advantage over the TUV300, as the latter is based on a much heavier ladder-frame chassis, which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of a measly 53 bhp per ton. The Vitara Brezza also trumps in out features - push-button start, power folding mirrors, a superior infotainment system etc. There's no contest on fuel efficiency either, with the Brezza claiming 24.3 kmpl to the TUV300's 18.49 kmpl.
Advantage of the Mahindra TUV300 over the Maruti Vitara Brezza
The Mahindra TUV300 will appeal to a buyer who wants something really rugged and for those looking for more space. The rear-wheel drive compact SUV can seat seven passengers at a pinch with two jump seats in the boot. It also has more luggage space than the Brezza. It is also more spacious than the Brezza in the first two rows at least, with good shoulder room (it is wider than the Mahindra Scorpio), legroom and headroom. It also looks much, much more aggressive - it has that road presence.
What I think: The Mahindra TUV300 is all about stance and road presence. The practical side to it would be the space advantage it offers over the Brezza. But for everything else, it's the Brezza that has an advantage here.
Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Ford EcoSport
Advantage of the Maruti Vitara Brezza over the Ford EcoSport
One of the vehicles that the Maruti Vitara Brezza is likely to hit hard is the Ford EcoSport. The EcoSport, I think, has had its day in the sun, and the Brezza will definitely eat into its market share - that is if Maruti can keep its production on track. (I know a couple of folks who dropped Baleno bookings in favour of the Figo / Aspire, just because of the easy availability - so just saying). The Brezza and EcoSport, although with different engine capacities - the EcoSport has a 100PS 1.5 litre diesel - have very similar power-to-weight ratios. The EcoSport diesel has a power to weight ratio of 77 bhp per ton, almost as much as the Brezza. The Brezza has a slight advantage in ground clearance on the top-end variant, but otherwise they are evenly matched. The Brezza also has a slight advantage in terms of claimed fuel efficiency. The Brezza also can seat three abreast, slightly more comfortably than the narrower Ford EcoSport.
Advantage of the Ford EcoSport over the Maruti Vitara Brezza
Don't rule the Ford EcoSport out just yet. It's still got plenty going for it. It has a slight advantage in terms of boot space - 346 litres compared to the Brezza's 328 litres. It has a slightly larger fuel tank, which would give it just that little extra range. In terms of features, the EcoSport matches the Brezza on most counts - push-button ignition, power folding mirrors, keyless entry, daytime running lamps etc. Ford's SYNC infotainment system is pretty comprehensive to use, just like the CarPlay system that the top-end Brezza comes with. Ford also offers six air bags on the top-end EcoSport. And then there's the petrol variants also to pick from including the 1 litre Ecoboost. Brezza is available only in diesel for now.
UPDATE: Ford has just slashed prices on the EcoSport by up to Rs. 1.12 lakh across variants. Here's an update to the ECOSPORT PRICES
This makes the Ford EcoSport good value for money now, as the top-end EcoSport comes with six airbags and a lot of goodies, priced very similar to the Brezza.
What I think: It would all boil down to the availability and how the Brezza handles. Features and performance are almost similar. This is a pretty well-matched battle.
And here's another comparison. If you want to choose between a compact SUV (Vitara Brezza), a crossover (Hyundai i20 Active) or a mid-size sedan (Honda City), take a look at this link: Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza vs Honda City vs Hyundai i20 Active
Thoughts on this anyone?
@NikilSJ's first impression of the Vitara Brezza, click here.
So would the Maruti Vitara Brezza be a better alternative to the Maruti Baleno, the Maruti Dzire, the Mahindra TUV300 and the Ford EcoSport. I'm just going to put down some tech specs to make it easy for you to compare them. Here is the full road test review of the all-new Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.
Advantages of the Maruti Vitara Brezza over Maruti Baleno
The Maruti Vitara Brezza clearly has an advantage if you were looking for a vehicle with great ground clearance and the butch looks of an SUV. The Vitara comes with 198 mm - 225 mm of ground clearance depending on the variant you were picking. The Baleno only has 170 mm of clearance. The Baleno and Brezza both use the same diesel engine - 1.3 litre, four cylinder, multijet - but in different states of tune. The Brezza puts out 90PS of power while the Baleno puts out only 75PS of power. However, thanks to the weight savings in the Baleno, it's not that underpowered. The Brezza only just manages to pip the Baleno on power-to-weight ratio (78 bhp / ton vs 77 bhp / ton). The Baleno and Brezza are almost equally loaded with features ranging from push button ignition, CarPlay infotainment system, GPS navigation to powered mirrors, reverse camera etc on the top-end variants of both - ZDI+ and Alpha. Brezza also gets cruise control!
Advantages of the Maruti Baleno over Maruti Vitara Brezza
The Maruti Baleno still has a lot of things going for it, and will continue to sell on its USPs. Look at the claimed fuel efficiency. The Baleno has a claimed efficiency of 27.39 kmpl, while the Brezza's claimed fuel efficiency is 24.3 kmpl. Those who are looking for mileage above anything else will still go for the Baleno. Look at the space inside the vehicle - the rear seat space in the Baleno is better than the Brezza from our initial impressions at least. Wheelbase in the Baleno is slightly more than the Brezza and that probably is the reason for this. In terms of boot space the Baleno can swallow 339 litres compared to 328 for the Brezza, but that's just a very marginal difference - won't make much difference in real world conditions. Both have 60:40 split folding rear seats on the top-end variants to increase that luggage space if needed. The Baleno also probably has a slight handling advantage over the Brezza, being a hatchback - but we'll not really call that just yet, until we've driven the Brezza.
What I think: The Maruti Baleno and the Maruti Brezza will appeal to two different kinds of buyers. The Baleno will appeal to a slightly older buyer, looking for comfort, space and efficiency, while the Brezza would appeal to a younger buyer looking for a sense of adventure. Both cars offer the same level of safety kit of 2 airbags and ABS, while also offering similar convenience features.
Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Maruti Dzire
Advantage of the Maruti Vitara Brezza over the Maruti Dzire
When you compare the Brezza and the Dzire, both are exactly the same length - ducking in under 4 metres. Both use the same engine, again with the Dzire using the lower state of tune in the diesel. The Brezza clearly has a power-to-weight ratio advantage over the Maruti Dzire (which puts out only 69 bhp / ton). Again, the Dzire and Brezza share the platform and components. In terms of features, although the Dzire has been recently updated with push-button ignition, electric folding rear-view mirrors etc, so there's not really much that the Brezza has that the Dzire does not, except for perhaps the CarPlay infotainment system. The key advantage here again, would be the ground clearance, performance and space in the Brezza compared to the Dzire. The Dzire gets a tiny boot at 316 litres and it's not flexible.
Advantage of the Maruti Dzire over the Maruti Vitara Brezza
The prime advantage the Dzire has over the Brezza is on price - sure there is an overlap, but you get slightly better value with the Dzire. You also get a clear fuel economy advantage - the diesel Dzire has a claimed fuel efficiency of 26.59 kmpl. And of course, for many buyers it will be about body style - the more traditional buyer would still look at a three-box sedan as being more 'elite' compared to a compact SUV.
What I think: The Dzire isn't going to be that badly affected by the launch of the Brezza. In fact, they would happily thrive in their own separate markets. The Dzire is currently among the top-three selling cars in India, and will likely continue to stay there. This comparison with the Dzire holds true for those buyers looking at a Honda Amaze vs the Maruti Vitara Brezza too.
Advantage of the Maruti Vitara Brezza over the Mahindra TUV300
The only thing that the Mahindra TUV300 and the Maruti Vitara Brezza hold in common is that they are both classified as "compact SUVs". In reality, they are as different as chalk and cheese. The Maruti Vitara Brezza has a huge power-to-weight advantage over the TUV300, as the latter is based on a much heavier ladder-frame chassis, which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of a measly 53 bhp per ton. The Vitara Brezza also trumps in out features - push-button start, power folding mirrors, a superior infotainment system etc. There's no contest on fuel efficiency either, with the Brezza claiming 24.3 kmpl to the TUV300's 18.49 kmpl.
Advantage of the Mahindra TUV300 over the Maruti Vitara Brezza
The Mahindra TUV300 will appeal to a buyer who wants something really rugged and for those looking for more space. The rear-wheel drive compact SUV can seat seven passengers at a pinch with two jump seats in the boot. It also has more luggage space than the Brezza. It is also more spacious than the Brezza in the first two rows at least, with good shoulder room (it is wider than the Mahindra Scorpio), legroom and headroom. It also looks much, much more aggressive - it has that road presence.
What I think: The Mahindra TUV300 is all about stance and road presence. The practical side to it would be the space advantage it offers over the Brezza. But for everything else, it's the Brezza that has an advantage here.
Advantage of the Maruti Vitara Brezza over the Ford EcoSport
One of the vehicles that the Maruti Vitara Brezza is likely to hit hard is the Ford EcoSport. The EcoSport, I think, has had its day in the sun, and the Brezza will definitely eat into its market share - that is if Maruti can keep its production on track. (I know a couple of folks who dropped Baleno bookings in favour of the Figo / Aspire, just because of the easy availability - so just saying). The Brezza and EcoSport, although with different engine capacities - the EcoSport has a 100PS 1.5 litre diesel - have very similar power-to-weight ratios. The EcoSport diesel has a power to weight ratio of 77 bhp per ton, almost as much as the Brezza. The Brezza has a slight advantage in ground clearance on the top-end variant, but otherwise they are evenly matched. The Brezza also has a slight advantage in terms of claimed fuel efficiency. The Brezza also can seat three abreast, slightly more comfortably than the narrower Ford EcoSport.
Advantage of the Ford EcoSport over the Maruti Vitara Brezza
Don't rule the Ford EcoSport out just yet. It's still got plenty going for it. It has a slight advantage in terms of boot space - 346 litres compared to the Brezza's 328 litres. It has a slightly larger fuel tank, which would give it just that little extra range. In terms of features, the EcoSport matches the Brezza on most counts - push-button ignition, power folding mirrors, keyless entry, daytime running lamps etc. Ford's SYNC infotainment system is pretty comprehensive to use, just like the CarPlay system that the top-end Brezza comes with. Ford also offers six air bags on the top-end EcoSport. And then there's the petrol variants also to pick from including the 1 litre Ecoboost. Brezza is available only in diesel for now.
UPDATE: Ford has just slashed prices on the EcoSport by up to Rs. 1.12 lakh across variants. Here's an update to the ECOSPORT PRICES
This makes the Ford EcoSport good value for money now, as the top-end EcoSport comes with six airbags and a lot of goodies, priced very similar to the Brezza.
What I think: It would all boil down to the availability and how the Brezza handles. Features and performance are almost similar. This is a pretty well-matched battle.
And here's another comparison. If you want to choose between a compact SUV (Vitara Brezza), a crossover (Hyundai i20 Active) or a mid-size sedan (Honda City), take a look at this link: Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza vs Honda City vs Hyundai i20 Active
Thoughts on this anyone?
@NikilSJ's first impression of the Vitara Brezza, click here.
Comment