Suzuki Vitara Brezza
TUMELO MAKETEKETE
I grew up in a time when the green Sunlight bar soap was a household brand name. There was no task either too big or too small for this multi-talented soap.
And, just when you thought that the green bar was finished, my mother would reach for a new bar in the kitchen cupboard, melt and fuse the two, and life carried on seamlessly.
While some people will not relate to what I am talking about, those born way before 1988 will find themselves chuckling at fond memories of growing up. It was also in 1988 that the Suzuki Vitara was introduced to the world.
Suzuki became the pioneer of the compact SUV segment – making history and changing the game forever. With the launch of the legendary Suzuki Vitara dawned a new era of 4WD vehicles.
The Suzuki Brezza was first launched in India in the year 2016, and to date more than 500 000 units have already been sold worldwide in just 47 months.
Styling (Exterior and Interior):
The new Suzuki Vitara Brezza has a modern retro exterior design and the front-end bears a near solid chrome grill. Add to that are efficient automatic LED headlights, LED fog lights and automatic DRL (daytime running lights). Six single tone colours are available on offer, and dual tones on the GLX models.
The side-view mirrors do fold inwards and outwards when either starting or stopping the engine. These also house LED turn signals.
If you live in an area with a lot of gravel roads the Brezza will accommodate these with ease, thanks to a decent ride height and ground clearance.
The rear cluster park and brake lights are also LED, with the turn signals and reverse lights being halogen. Stepping inside the cabin (keyless entry) one is immediately made to feel confident and comfortable, by the quality materials employed.
I like the idea of a black interior that will not expose dirt marks so easily, because this a car built for someone with some level of an active lifestyle. The interior is spacious enough to carry five adults comfortably and I do not for once believe that boot space could ever be a topic for discussion.
Whilst it has become a norm to have a floating infortainment screen, Suzuki has opted for the traditional in-dash version for their 7-inch. The GLX version also comes with a cooled upper glove box. What I loved with the Brezza is the idea of it growing so easily on me, with everything within a comfortable and easy reach.
Other features on the GLX include:
- Colour changing meter illumination
- 12v accessory socket in the luggage compartment
- Front centre armrest
- Cruise control
- Automatic windscreen wipers
Performance:
A naturally aspirated 1.5-litre engine is standard across the Vitara Brezza range. This unit will either be mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic box, my test unit was a manual. While the Brezza will not propel you forward like a jet, but it is sure-footed on tarmac just as it is on gravel roads.
I did not have to try very hard to achieve a fuel economy of 6.2 litres/km, for combined driving in the country and on the highway. This I find comforting especially in a time when petrol is now costing an arm and a leg.
As alluded earlier the Brezza is also just as happy on gravel.
Pricing:
1.5 GL – M244 900 to M264 900
1.5 GLX – M289 900 to M309 900
My final thoughts:
Just like the green Sunlight bar soap which we have come to know and trust, the Vitara Brezza is just a car version of it. It does what it needs to do for the whole family and will continue to perform in years to come.
It is that peace of mind element it brings to the table that seals the deal for me.
It is natural to want to compare the Brezza to the Toyota Urban Cruiser, but the downside for me of the latter is the higher level of hijackings and theft one should expect from a Toyota, though essentially, they are from the same factory. You will therefore have more peace of mind in the Brezza, and a longer service plan of 4-yrs/60 000km, which is a lot in these difficult times.
In all honesty, life should just be a breeze, and it is in the Brezza.
