Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza To Get Petrol Power By December

• Suspects for the petrol engine include the 1.2 litre dualjet (Baleno engine), 1.0 litre Boosterjet (Baleno RS engine) or the 1.5 K15B (Ertiga/Ciaz engine).
• The Vitara Brezza was launched in March 2016 as a diesel-only model. 
• It is one of the highest selling models in the sub-compact SUV segment. 
• Diesel Vitara Brezza's future remains uncertain.

The deadline for the BS6 emission norms is just around the corner and manufacturers are busy revamping their diesel models. Some carmakers like Maruti are discontinuing diesels from their lineup fearing lack of demand due to the high costs of upgrading. And one of Maruti’s hot selling models that’ll be affected is the Vitara Brezza, which is offered only with a diesel engine. So is it time to say goodbye to the Vitara Brezza? 

Well, not yet. Maruti Suzuki has just confirmed to ZigWheels that the Vitara Brezza will be available with a petrol engine by December 2019. Now the question is, which petrol powertrain will Maruti Suzuki plonk in the Vitara Brezza?

All sub-four metre cars that use an engine displacement less than 1200cc (Petrol) and 1500cc (Diesel) fall under a lower tax bracket and this allows the manufacturer to price it aggressively. And Maruti might offer the Vitara Brezza with the 1.2-litre DualJet petrol engine from the Baleno. It develops 90PS of power and 113Nm of torque and also comes with Suzuki’s Smart-hybrid system for additional torque boost. 

And in a bid to provide a sportier driving experience, Maruti might provide the Vitara Brezza with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit from the Baleno RS. The 1.0-litre unit develops 102PS of power and 150Nm of torque from as low as 1500rpm. Incidentally, Ford and Hyundai also provide a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit variant in the Ecosport and Venue respectively. Expect this engine to be offered in the top-spec variants only. Here’s how the Maruti’s 1.0-litre engine fares against the Venue’s and Ford’s engine. 

*Expected

Maruti Suzuki might also opt to use the 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine that’s found in the Ertiga, XL6 and the Ciaz. It develops 105PS of power and 138Nm of torque and could be the right fit for the sub-compact SUV. It also comes mated with Suzuki’s Smart-hybrid system. But using this engine means Maruti will have to face problems with the Indian tax structure. Using the 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine means the Vitara Brezza is not eligible for tax benefits.

Also Read: No Plan To Ban Petrol And Diesel Vehicles In India: Gadkari

Here’s how Suzuki’s 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre unit fares against the petrol subcompact SUVs. 

What’s more? The carmaker has also confirmed that the sub-compact SUV may get a CNG option for those of you looking for a fuel efficient option. The 1.2-litre engine or the 1.5-litre engine that will come with the Vitara Brezza might get a CNG option. Maruti Suzuki has sold 5.65 lakh CNG vehicles till July 31. This figure proves that there is healthy demand for CNG-powered vehicles.

Will the Vitara Brezza be as successful with no diesel engine under its hood? That is something only time will tell. But with the introduction of the petrol variant, the Brezza range could get more accessible now. It will also keep the Vitara Brezza brand chugging post BS6-emission norms as Maruti can't afford to discontinue a product in the ever growing sub-compact SUV segment. If Maruti introduces the 1.0-litre BoosterJet petrol you might also get a Brezza that is much more fun to drive than before.