We have already reported last month, that the news has been around that Maruti Suzuki is planning to bring back its diesel engine. The largest car manufacturer in India has axed the Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre diesel engine from its lineup entirely after the implementation of BS6 emission norms in India. The reason was simply that it was too expensive to bring technology into this engine to make it BS6 compliant. For smaller cars it would have resulted in huge price increases and the affordability quotient would have suffered. But after having seen the market post-BS6 regulations, Maruti decided to bring back its diesel. They had announced that they will bring back the diesel if customers demanded.
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Well, market share is a pretty relevant parameter to judge the sentiments of the customers. Maruti sales have not been affected too much after the removal of the diesel engine, but the share of the competitors has increased. The reason is simple, that they have a diesel engine for almost all their models. People looking for diesel engines in any segment have to opt-out of buying a Maruti. So, Maruti is planning to bring back the 1.5-litre diesel engine which they developed in-house and came in the Ciaz and Ertiga. They will make it BS6 compliant and may directly start by putting it in next-gen Vitara Brezza.
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza – Expected Design and Specs
The new Vitara Brezza is slated for launch later in the year with an updated cosmetic appearance and probably the new diesel engine. If reports are to be believed, the new Brezza will have an updated front end with a new grille and headlamp housing. The bumpers will be redesigned to give it a more SUV-ish stance. There will be minor changes all over the exterior.
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On the interior, however, is where we expect it to get some significant upgrade. The interiors will include a large Touchscreen Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and connected tech, Digital Instrument Cluster, Steering-mounted Controls, Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel, Auto AC among other features. Brezza has a 4-star safety rating and hence will continue to get the regular safety equipment including multiple Airbags, ABS, EBD, Cruise Control, Reverse Parking Camera and Hill-Hold Function.
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Engine options will include the same 1.5-litre petrol engine making 105hp and 138Nm. The transmission options will be a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. It will be interesting to know if it comes with Maruti Suzuki’s in-house 1.5-litre diesel engine as well.
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza – Competition
The Brezza sits in the most competitive segment in the Indian automobile industry at the moment, the compact SUV segment. Brezza has been one of the popular choices in this segment. But recently, the launches of Sonet and Magnite, along with the already highest-selling compact SUV, Venue, will cause many problems to the Brezza. To combat that, a diesel engine is necessary to not allow market share to slip. The new products are offering a ton of features and engine and gearbox options. Resultantly, Maruti has to keep up with the competition to stay at the top.
