Suzuki Auto SA joins the fast-growing sub-four-metre crowd with its Vitara Brezza.
Suzuki is a master at building small cars bursting with character.
The only engine on offer is the familiar K15B naturally aspirated 1,5-litre
A seven-inch touchscreen and automatic climate control are standard across the range.
Given the keen pricing, it’s no surprise Suzuki has been forced to employ plenty of hard plastics in the cabin.
NewsBy: CAR magazine
Despite the wallet-withering effects of both the global pandemic and the country’s concomitantly deepening economic recession, there’s one budding sub-segment in South Africa’s new-vehicle market that looks set to enjoy significant growth this year. There’s suddenly a swarm of baby crossovers descending on the local market, each measuring under four metres from snout to rump and produced in India.
Hyundai’s Venue and the Mahindra XUV300 have quietly established themselves since touching down in 2019, yet, they now face a flood of eager rivals. Honda introduced the WR-V at the end of 2020, Nissan has the box-fresh Magnite, Kia is itching to roll out its new Sonet, and Renault plans to launch the Kiger in the third quarter (we’ll touch on a certain Toyota later).
What’s the significance of the four-metre restriction? Well, there are appreciable tax benefits for vehicles falling into this bracket in India (should they satisfy engine displacement constraints, too), resulting in a stream of such models from the country’s vast car manufacturing industry.
Suzuki is a master at building small cars bursting with character.
Suzuki Auto SA has now thrown its hat into the ring with the Vitara Brezza. Unlike its fresher-faced rivals, the little Suzuki has been around for some time; it was launched in India in 2016 and received a facelift four years later (with murmurs of a next-generation model debuting in 2022). Locally, it slots in above the pint-sized Ignis but below the Hungarian-sourced Vitara, riding on a version of the Global C platform employed by the latter rather than the latest Heartect architecture of the former.
The only engine on offer is the Hamamatsu firm’s familiar K15B naturally aspirated 1,5-litre, four-cylinder petrol unit, which generates the same peak outputs as it does in the Ciaz and Ertiga. With a modest maximum torque figure of 138 N.m arriving only once the tachometer needle reaches 3 800 r/min, the front-driven Brezza lacks the sort of mid-range punch that defines the driving experience of turbocharged rivals. Still, the vehicle’s fairly low weight – it tipped our scales at 1 129 kg – mitigates this to some extent. As with many Suzuki engines, the 77 kW unit acquits itself best when revved enthusiastically.
The only engine on offer is the familiar K15B naturally aspirated 1,5-litre
Thankfully, the manual gearshift action is light and snappy and the clutch is easy to modulate. The transmission, though, could do with a sixth forward cog for more relaxed open-road cruising; the tachometer needle hovers on the wrong side of 3 500 r/min when cruising in fifth at the national speed limit.
The Vitara Brezza is a relatively nimble handler considering the 198 mm of ground clearance on offer, while the ride is generally composed and does a reasonable job of isolating the occupants from road imperfections.
A seven-inch touchscreen and automatic climate control are standard across the range.
Despite conceding 180 mm of length to its Vitara big brother, the Vitara Brezza inherits its 2 500 mm wheelbase resulting in a comparatively roomy cabin. Rear legroom borders on generous considering the vehicle’s compact footprint, partly thanks to the cleverly contoured hind sections of the front seats. Though the steering column lacks reach adjustment, the driver’s perch is height-adjustable, if a little narrow for occupants slightly broad across the beam.
Given the keen pricing, it’s no surprise Suzuki has been forced to employ plenty of hard plastics in the cabin, but the firm has at least afforded some of them an interesting patterned finish. Driving at midday with the sun directly overhead, we found the instrument cluster almost illegible as harsh sunlight reflected off the smooth plastic at the foot of the gauges.
Given the keen pricing, it’s no surprise Suzuki has been forced to employ plenty of hard plastics in the cabin.
A seven-inch touchscreen and automatic climate control are standard across the range, although, GLX models add items such as auto-folding side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, keyless entry and 16-inch alloys. Still, even GLX variants have to make do with just two airbags (plus ABS with EBD and Isofix child-seat anchors), while an electronic stability control system is absent. For the record, the pre-facelift model scored four stars for adult occupancy in its 2018 Global NCAP test, with the body shell rated as “stable” and “capable of withstanding further loadings”.
SPECIFICATIONS
SUZUKI VITARA BREZZA 1.5 GLX M/T
Price: R289 900
Engine: 1,5-litre, 4-cyl, naturally aspirated
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Power: 77 kW @ 6 000 r/min
Torque: 138 N.m @ 4 400 r/min
0-100 km/h: 12,06 seconds (tested April 2021)
Top speed: N/A
Claimed fuel consumption: 7,40 L/100 km*
CO2: 147 g/km*
Keyword: TESTED: Suzuki Vitara Brezza is likeable and affordable