Vitara Brezza updated

Diesel goes out, petrol comes in along with styling tweaks

AS WIDELY EXPECTED, MARUTI Suzuki showcased an updated Vitara Brezza with its tried and tested 1.5-litre petrol engine. No diesel option will be available with the Vitara Brezza anymore. The 1462cc, 4-cylinder petrol motor makes 103bhp and 138Nm and Brezza buyers will get to choose between a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. Maruti Suzuki has taken the ‘why fix it, if it ain’t broke’ approach and the facelift has received subtle updates. The Brezza gets a new, double horizontal slat grille, new DRLs and LED headlamps. The bumper has seen an overhaul with a large skid plate, finished in silver with fog lamp bezels on each side. You also get diamondcut 16-inch alloys. At the rear, the only change is the new LED taillights.

The Brezza has been swamped by competitors over the past year, particularly the Hyundai Venue and now the Kia Sonet is imminent. It will be interesting to see if it can continue to hold on to the segment leader tag.

evo India: Is there a market for electric vehicles?

Shashank Srivastava: "There are various projections made for the demands of EV and we cannot make a comment on the actual demand of EVs till we find out the actual constraints. In India we believe there are three major constraints holding back the customers. The first is the vehicle cost. Currently the cost of the battery is 40 to 45 per cent of the vehicle, which is very high. Second is the charging infrastructure, which in India is in nascent stage and is not convenient at all. The third is the range anxiety which, unless the charging infrastructure is built, is an issue.

We have three guiding principles. First, we have to be customer centric. Second is mass adoption. It has to be the responsibility of all manufacturers that there has to be a vehicle that is fuel efficient, that is cleaner when it comes to emission and we feel that can be achieved with various technologies. We clearly spelt four different technologies - CNG, smarthybrid, strong hybrid and electric. This is our overall plan."

EI: How much do you think CNG vehicles will contribute to the sales number?

SS: "This year we are aiming in the 105,000 to 110,000 range, we are projecting a 155,000 to 160,000 range next year, which is a 50 per cent growth in CNG vehicles. But over a period of time the CNG network will expand, we are looking at doubling the outlets in the next one year. From the 160 cities currently, CNG will be expanding to 393 cities and 10,000 outlets by 2029."

EI: You showcased the first strong hybrid here. Has it been completely developed in India or is it the same hybrid Swift available in Japan?

C V Raman: "The Swift Hybrid you see here is Suzuki’s Hybrid sytem and the other hybrid system which we can access is Toyota’s Hybrid system. So there are two possibilities for us and we can choose depending on the segment."

SC: Is the market ready to pay for hybrids? CVR: "At this point of time, the cost equation is similar to EVs, and since we have the ICE, the battery and the motor, it is expensive. The only thing is it can give you 30 to 35 per cent more efficiency. Since it is self-charging, it doesn’t require charging infrastructure.

SC: Tell us more about the Futuro-e concept

CVR: "Futuro-e is a design concept and design intervention which our in-house team has conceptualised and is for the progressive and aspirational Indian as well as for a young customer. We want to transform the design language and change direction from what we have been showcasing till now. The point for the Futuro-e is the stance and the way in which it is built. And third is the coupe style because SUV is the growing market, you need to have different types of SUVs, instead of the traditional square shape."

SC: Another two months you will not have a diesel in your lineup. Will that affect your volumes?

CVR: "Actually we have already stopped production of the diesel. The last production was on January 31. In the last few months we were doing about 17 to 20 per cent of volumes from diesel. Interestingly the diesel market which was around 60 per cent six years back has declined to less than 30 per cent."

“DIESEL HAS DECLINED FROM 60 PER CENT SIX YEARS BACK, TO LESS THAN 30 PER CENT”