2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza Review: Breezing With The Tides

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has been one of the most popular sub-4 metre compact SUVs ever since its debut in 2016. It's a handsome vehicle with strong lines and the striking stance is adopted. Its silhouette was more in line with a crossover than SUV and despite the ‘tall' claims Maruti Suzuki made during its launch, the car resembled a large hatchback. But, in 2022, with the growing competition in this space, especially from the Tata Nexon and the recently updated 2022 Hyundai Venue, the segment leader was in a dire need of an updated, and simple facelift wouldn't have made the cut. So, in comes the 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza, minus the Vitara prefix, in a brand-new avatar, which according to Maruti, was in the works since 2019, about the same time as its last refresh. This time, it has received a comprehensive makeover to make it even more appealing than before, along with a bunch of updates to the technical and mechanical essentials of the car. Scroll down to read our detailed first drive review of the 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza, tested in both its manual and automatic versions.

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza loses the Vitara prefix in a brand-new avatar, which according to Maruti, was in the works since 2019, about the same time as its last refresh.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Exterior Design

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza's exterior design is much more urbane and progressive than before. It is still rugged no doubt but adds a tinge of class to it now. Let's start with the face of the car, the grille is now wider than before and the gunmetal finish makes the front look very imposing. There's also a decent amount of chrome around it and the flat but wide bonnet gives a chunky but upright stance, all giveaways of an SUV. The bumpers look sportier now and body claddings are very prominent, generously spread all around the car. The dual LED projector lamps are neatly stacked, and the LED DRLs to take a prominent place, but you get these only with the higher trims while the LED fog lamps are nicely nestled down below. Moving to the side, the wheel arches are still squarish, but the cladding occupies a large chunk of the area to continue that rugged appeal. The wheels are the same 16-inches, but the alloy design is new and gets a dual-tone treatment. Nevertheless, looks sporty. Lower trims get 15-inch wheels. The roof rails are functional and add to the overall dimension of the car.

1. The grille is now wider than before and the gunmetal finish makes the front look very imposing. 2. The dual LED projector lamps are neatly stacked. 3. The Brezza badge runs across the tailgate and gets a different font for it, a nice touch to be honest. 4. The tail lamps get a nice, clean look to them stacked vertically with LED treatment.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Looks are subjective no doubt, but I've started to like the way the rear of the car looks now, as a lot of the manufacturers are going for a trendy, quirky design, especially beyond the C-pillar. The tail lamps get a nice, clean look to them stacked vertically with LED treatment, well finished with a gloss black treatment at the edges, but again this is offered only with the top trims. With the dual-tone versions, this looks even more attractive. The Brezza badge runs across the tailgate and gets a different font for it, a nice touch to be honest. Lower down, you get a camera for the 360-degree view, but this too is only for higher trims. The smart hybrid badge denotes its part petrol and part electric credentials. The rear bumpers and the skid plates are identical to the front, adding to the rugged look of the car.

Moving to the side, the wheel arches are still squarish, but the cladding occupies a large chunk of the area to continue that rugged appeal.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

There are 9 colours on offer, six single tones, and three dual tones, but the latter is optional on ZXi and ZXi+ variants. Maruti is also offering special exterior design packages, namely ‘Terrascape' and ‘Metroscape', adding design elements that give a whole new character to the car. Overall, the design is distinct, looks contemporary, and certainly stands out in a crowd of SUVs.

1. The dual-tone treatment and new design for the alloys look sporty. 2. Shark fin antenna is a new addition. 3. Smart hybrid badge at the rear separates it from the non-hybrid versions. 4. The camera for the 360-degree view is only for higher trims.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Tech & Interior

Much like the recently updated 2022 Maruti Suzuki Baleno and even the 2022 Maruti Suzuki XL6, a lot more work has gone into modernising the cabin of the Brezza compared to its predecessor. The dashboard design is completely new, and the SUV now comes with a dual-tone black-brown scheme. Lower trims get an all-black theme.

The dashboard design is completely new, and the SUV now comes with a dual-tone black-brown scheme.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

The steering wheel, instrument cluster, and a 9-inch SmartPlay Pro+ touchscreen infotainment system are new and remind you of the Baleno's cabin. It is pretty much the same in functionality. The car is also now more tech-laden than before. The top-spec variants get Suzuki-connected car tech with more than 40 features while music is now handled by Arkamys surround system. The electric sunroof is a welcome addition, a little too late maybe. A 360-degree camera, wireless charging, and a heads-up display are all part of the top-spec trims.

1. The 9-inch SmartPlay Pro+ touchscreen infotainment system is only for the higher-spec trims. 2. The black & brown combination looks premium. 3. Head-Up-Display is a new addition. 4. Maruti finally introduces an electric sunroof. 
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

The car always struggled with space for rear passengers, so Maruti went back to the drawing board for a solution. In terms of size, the Brezza is the same as before. There are no changes to the proportions, but Maruti says there's more space for the passengers now and how they've achieved this is by making the dashboard compact to liberate space for both front and rear passengers. So there's more leg room, more shoulder room, and isn't as compact as before. There's ample knee room and adequate headroom. In terms of features, the rear passengers now get AC vents here along with Type A and Type C charge ports.

1. A coat hook is limited to the ZXi+ trim. 2. Rear seats finally receive AC vents. 3. Two charging ports- Type A and Type C are also offered. 4. The boot space remains unchanged at 328 litres.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Engine & Gearbox

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza is now powered by an improved version of the 1.5-litre K-Series Dual Jet petrol engine coupled with a smart hybrid motor. This unit generates 103 bhp @ 6,000 rpm and 137 Nm at 4,400 rpm, paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox and a new 6-speed torque converter. We had both the versions on test with us, but it was the automatic that I had my eyes on. The biggest issue with the older 4-speed torque converter in the Brezza was the absence of punch at initial revs, the gearbox wasn't exactly quick to respond and slow shifts made the drive that much dull.

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza is now powered by an improved version of the 1.5-litre K-Series Dual Jet petrol engine coupled with a smart hybrid motor.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

But that is now sort of resolved thanks to the 6-speed torque converter paired to paddle shifters. I say sort of because it is still unwilling to respond to aggressive throttle response but is quite comfortable to drive in the city. The steering is well balanced now and weighs up aptly. The leather wrap gives a nice & firm grip.

This engine is mated to either a new 6-speed torque converter or a standard 5-speed manual unit. 
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Ride & Handling

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza still aces on the city front. It rides smoothly and offers a nice and comfortable experience for the passengers. The low-end torque is ample to navigate in the city. But things are slightly different on open roads. The gear ratios are nicely spread out but still on open straight roads, it lacks the refinement, the finesse. Paddle shifters help negate most of that, but the linear power delivery makes it slightly difficult to overtake. It's still not exciting to drive because like most Maruti cars, this too is tuned for a comfortable drive rather than a sporty one. I then switched to the manual version. Power delivery is linear and quite free-flowing beyond the 2,200-rpm mark.

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza still aces on the city front. It rides smoothly and offers a nice and comfortable experience for the passengers.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Gear shifts aren't exactly crisp but maintain a nice refinement. I was mighty impressed with the suspension set-up on both the cars actually. The car managed to gobble down broken roads with ease at speeds between 60-90 kmph quite comfortably. Body roll is still there, but not as much as before. Overall, the driving dynamics have improved not substantially though, but won't upset you on the daily commute or even on long journeys.

Gear shifts on the 5-speed manual version aren't exactly crisp but maintain a nice refinement.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Fuel Efficiency

The car now gets support from its smart hybrid motor and start-stop functionality. However, the figures of close to 20 kmpl on both versions and could have been better since Maruti pitched the car for its high returns.

Overall, the driving dynamics have improved not substantially though, but won't upset you on the daily commute or even on long journeys.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Features

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza is now smarter than before thanks to more than 40 connected car features. There's no wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay but is instead wired and you would be pleased to know that charging can now be done without a cable. But then again, these features are limited to only the higher-spec models. Six airbags, reverse parking sensors, and ISOFIX child anchorage are all part of the ZXi+ trim only, and so are tilt and telescopic steering.

I was mighty impressed with the suspension set-up on both the cars actually.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

Verdict

The 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza is now more expensive than before. Its starting price of Rs. 7.99 lakh is at a premium over its closest rivals, both the Hyundai Venue and the Tata Nexon by almost Rs. 50,000, while the latter offer diesel options as well. But, the Brezza has its own fan following, and more than 7 lakh units sold since its debut is a testimony to this.

With the 2022 update, Maruti has managed to do away with plenty of issues in the car.
Photo Credit: Prashant Chaudhary and Arvind Salhan

With the 2022 update, Maruti has managed to do away with plenty of issues in the car. It is feature-rich now, gets a whole bunch of connected car tech, a sunroof, HUD, and of course, the new engine & gearbox combo seems like it could be an instant hit. The design is trendy but would be interesting to see its presence on the road once the sales get going. Overall, the 2022 Maruti Suzuki Brezza has all the right tools in its arsenal to take on the Koreans and anyone in between.