[itsmeparvathy9]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

I am deciding between 2022 Brezza AT Vxi and 2020 Urban Cruiser (UC) Premium AT. Cost is currently comparable between these two, given the discounts on the latter. And after doing a comparison between their features, I found some of the important things that the new Brezza has include:

a) A 6 speed TC vs a 4 speed one on UC
b) ESP vs ABS/EBD on UC
c) Kb15C vs KB15B on UC

Other things including LEDs/Sound etc. can be managed I think.

So I wanted to ask what will be a good pick of these 2 cars if one were to buy today?

To add to the differences, Urban Cruiser Premium AT gets alloy wheels whereas Brezza Vxi AT gets steel rims. Reverse Camera, Cruise control, Push button start, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, Driver armrest with cup holders, 60:40 split seats, rear cup holders, cooled glove box, rear wiper, rain sensing wipers and a 3-year warranty are the features you get in the Urban Cruiser Premium AT over the Brezza Vxi AT.

If these features matter to you and you don't mind buying a rebadged Vitara Brezza, the Urban Cruiser would be the better choice, else if you want the latest product, go for the Brezza.

[JKBKS]

Originally Posted by itsmeparvathy9

To add to the differences, Urban Cruiser Premium AT gets alloy wheels whereas Brezza Vxi AT gets steel rims. Reverse Camera, Cruise control, Push button start, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, Driver armrest with cup holders, 60:40 split seats, rear cup holders, cooled glove box, rear wiper, rain sensing wipers and a 3-year warranty are the features you get in the Urban Cruiser Premium AT over the Brezza Vxi AT.

If these features matter to you and you don't mind buying a rebadged Vitara Brezza, the Urban Cruiser would be the better choice, else if you want the latest product, go for the Brezza.

Thank you for pointing out more differences. I am aware of these but dont think of them as a must have although they are good to have for sure...

Although I am tilting towards the Urban Cruiser but am in 2 minds regarding the importance of ESP, 6 speed TC and a newer engine and need experts' opinion on their importance if I am looking to keep the car for next 10 years at the very least

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

Although I am tilting towards the Urban Cruiser but am in 2 minds regarding the importance of ESP, 6 speed TC and a newer engine and need experts' opinion on their importance if I am looking to keep the car for next 10 years at the very least

Is the newer engine good at relaxed highway cruising? The newer 6 speed will give you good in-city FE in comparison for sure.

The combo of the old engine and the 4 speed AT is my personal pick actually - given its tall 4th gear. It totally suits my relaxed highway driving style and given the super low RPMs the engine will spin at, when doing 100 kmph+. Yes, this is bound to give me poor in-city FE, if I were to actually buy it (no immediate plans, might buy it used later), but this is a known devil for me. I like this devil, having lived with it on my (now sold) A Star AT which had the same gearbox in it.

There's also the old cynical me at play here - the 4 speed Jattco automatic transmission costs only Rs.80,000 on Boodmo, even if the rarest of rare occurs and the transmission fails. New age 6 speed transmissions will cost in the range of multiples of lakhs out of warranty, I expect.

The new engine's manual transmission version seems to be high on RPMs at highway speeds. The 6 speed automatic version with the same new engine seems to be better at relaxed cruising compared to its manual transmission counterpart, going by the official review on Team-BHP. Please do take a proper test drive of the new car in AT guise and decide.

[sammysossa]

Hi All,

Soooo, I had booked the ZXI AT on the day the bookings opened (21st June) and about a week back (27th-28th July) got a call from my dealer that the car has reached the dealership.

All along, I had been researching and came to conclusion that its better to buy the ZXI+ AT mainly due to 6 airbags (and hoping that this version too gets 4+ star safety rating). I am ready to absorb the small increase in my EMI payments. So, yesterday, I've gone ahead and cancelled my booking for ZXI AT.

Would anyone happen to know the following:

1. The 6 Airbag rule from MORTH; that every car manufactured after 1st October 2022 should have 6 airbags; Is this going to happen? I am hoping it does but there's a big chance that the auto industry pushes it to next year. If this comes through, I would want to buy the ZXI rather than the ZXI+ and save me some money.

2. What happens to the cars that delivered to the dealer but the bookings get cancelled, like mine. I am thinking of booking the ZXI+ AT now and see what comes of the 6 airbag rule. Lets assume that it comes through and I again cancel my booking, this time for ZXI+ AT, will the dealer penalise for it (should they?) in terms of quality of service (not too bothered about the cancellation fee). I have already been guilt tripped a bit for this cancellation. :(

Thank you.

[Tygerman]

Originally Posted by msingh

Hello Bhpians

Have been lurking for a while now, finally my first post!!

I had booked a Brezza ZXI plus MT but wifey wants to cancel it and go for Grand Vitara Alpha ( without AWD). Cos of the panaromic sunroof ��. For me safety is top priority and we'll be driving it mostly in city around 500 km per month. Kindly suggest if I should go ahead and cancel Brezza or not?

Of course Grand Vitara is a better car. You will get a more premium experience. The price also seems justified for the product in the segment. However, definitely costlier by at least 2 or 2.5 lakhs than ZXI+ MT. I was in the same dilemma just after booking Brezza ZXI+ MT. But then, I settled for Brezza as I preferred Brezza's butch stance and real world usability. Also, Sunroof was not a deciding factor for me.

Grand Vitara is a long car and I don't think the ground clearance is better than that of Brezza's. Even if the ground clearance is about 200mm, on broken roads with deep crevices, it can still scrape the underbelly as the car is longer. So definitely it's not a car to be seriously considered for off-roading. However, The Sunroof is insane. I love that too. I think even the powertrain is the same as in Brezza and gets a mild-hybrid. So, it's up to you . Even if you go for Vitara, you wouldn't be making a wrong choice. It's a well put together global product. Let us know of your feedback once you take a test drive.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by sammysossa

2. What happens to the cars that delivered to the dealer but the bookings get cancelled, like mine. I am thinking of booking the ZXI+ AT now and see what comes of the 6 airbag rule. Lets assume that it comes through and I again cancel my booking, this time for ZXI+ AT, will the dealer penalise for it (should they?) in terms of quality of service (not too bothered about the cancellation fee).

I didn't quite understand this point. Are you saying you'll book ZXI+ now for 6 airbags, then wait till delivery. Meanwhile if the 6 airbag mandate comes through, you'll cancel the ZXI+ and book ZXI again?

If so - trust me - even if that rule actually rolls out - Maruti Suzuki India will be smart enough to do a good price bump across all trims for the airbags + additional increase citing usual input cost increase. Net - you won't save much by downgrading to ZXI at that time - and you'll also be without your wished car for even longer than booking now & taking delivery when available.

Apologies if I completely misunderstood your point. Ignore the post in that case.

[sammysossa]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

I didn't quite understand this point. Are you saying you'll book ZXI+ now for 6 airbags, then wait till delivery. Meanwhile if the 6 airbag mandate comes through, you'll cancel the ZXI+ and book ZXI again?

If so - trust me - even if that rule actually rolls out - the MSIL will be smart enough to do a good price bump across all trims for the airbags + additional increase citing usual input cost increase. Net - you won't save much by downgrading to ZXI at that time - and you'll also be without your wished car for even longer than booking now & taking delivery when available.

Apologies if I completely misunderstood your point. Ignore the post in that case.

No apologies needed brother. You understood my point. Thank you for the reply. I too had the price increase thing in mind but its good to hear it (confirm it) from knowledgeable persons too. Kia has already done it with Seltos, right?

[msingh]

Originally Posted by Tygerman

Of course Grand Vitara is a better car. You will get a more premium experience. The price also seems justified for the product in the segment. However, definitely costlier by at least 2 or 2.5 lakhs than ZXI+ MT. I was in the same dilemma just after booking Brezza ZXI+ MT. But then, I settled for Brezza as I preferred Brezza's butch stance and real world usability. Also, Sunroof was not a deciding factor for me.

Grand Vitara is a long car and I don't think the ground clearance is better than that of Brezza's. Even if the ground clearance is about 200mm, on broken roads with deep crevices, it can still scrape the underbelly as the car is longer. So definitely it's not a car to be seriously considered for off-roading. However, The Sunroof is insane. I love that too. I think even the powertrain is the same as in Brezza and gets a mild-hybrid. So, it's up to you . Even if you go for Vitara, you wouldn't be making a wrong choice. It's a well put together global product. Let us know of your feedback once you take a test drive.

Checked out the Grand Vitara at a nearby Nexa showroom. Didn't like the second row much, there's not enough headroom. I'll go ahead with Brezza, not really interested in paying extra for just the panaromic sunroof and leatherette seats.

[Tygerman]

Originally Posted by msingh

Checked out the Grand Vitara at a nearby Nexa showroom. Didn't like the second row much, there's not enough headroom. I'll go ahead with Brezza, not really interested in paying extra for just the panaromic sunroof and leatherette seats.

Agree! Brezza is the sensible choice .

[ashwin.terminat]

Originally Posted by msingh

Checked out the Grand Vitara at a nearby Nexa showroom. Didn't like the second row much, there's not enough headroom. I'll go ahead with Brezza, not really interested in paying extra for just the panaromic sunroof and leatherette seats.

Same boat. Exactly the same boat!

Shocked at how limited the headroom is in the Grand Vitara - especially since it will be used by 3 people between 5'11" and 6'2". The rear especially leaves hardly any headroom. And stretching for the Grand Vitara just because of FE does not make sense.

Took a test drive of the new Brezza on Sunday. The ZXi+ Automatic.

- The 360 camera works quite well
- Head Unit is nice and responsive
- 6'2" driver and 5'11" me could behind with reasonable legroom
- The steering did return to center
- 16" wheels look a little undersized with all the cladding
- Engine noise does reach the cabin even at low RPMs
- The TC box is decent enough. Tried the manual mode and the paddle shifters but speeds were too low to notice any real difference
- Steering is light and the bonnet is visible which some drivers might like
- Sunroof seems small(ish)
- Waiting time of 45 days
- Alloys look overdone (to me)
- Reasonable boot space

[headbanger]

Just came back from test drive of Brezza AT. Here are the key points I could figure out in 20 odd kms on expressway as well as a little bit in traffic.

PROS:

• Work done on exterior by Maruti. This is not a typical lightweight tin can Maruti. Just try to close the boot and it is far more European as compared to any other car in Maruti's catalogue. The doors and other panels definitely exude confidence.

• The car looks handsome from outside. Flat bonnet, great looking headlamps upfront, squat stance and the excellent rear gives the car a personality. The huge claddings may be a miss or a hit among folks though. But there is no denying the fact that this is a good looking contemporary car and can stand on its own amongst the competition from exterior looks perspective.

• The visibility from driver's car in the car is top-notch. I absolutely loved this attribute of the car. For a newbie, this is confidence inspiring. The car is roomy on the inside and there is no claustrophobic feeling. In fact, the car feels bigger on the inside as compared to the likes of Sonet/Venue/Magnite/Kiger.

• The engine is silent and superbly refined. Maruti continues to take the cake when it comes to refinement of their petrol engines. And this engine with automatic gearbox is designed to give superlative mileage. With the kind of moving traffic within city limits we have in Gurgaon, my understanding is that this combination can easily give 13kmpl. Out on highways, 19kmpl should be achievable.

• The engine performance from 0kmph to 50kmph is brilliant. If this car is to be driven in city, I doubt the Hyundai DCTs can keep up with it. The closest contemporary I could think of with similar behavior is Magnite/Kiger. Extremely linear and quick off the hook.
  The engine performance from 50kmph to 80kmph is good as well. From 80kmph to 100kmph, it takes a little effort. But post 100kmph, it's a different story. More on this in CONS section.

• The paddle shifters are a joy to operate on this car. Slot it in Manual Mode and use paddles to push engine and K15C doesn't disappoint. It is not a scorcher by any means, but it does elevate the dampen responses that mar the Drive mode.

• The suspension tune on Brezza is surprising. It is very mature. All three passengers in the car during test drive were very comfortable with how this car was tackling the potholes or suspension joints in the flyover. Mighty impressed!!!

• The spare tyre is a full sized one. Although it's with steel rim, but full points to Maruti for giving the full size tyre.

• The boot layout is good and the fact that the rear seats fall flat at the boot level makes the boot very usable.

CONS:

• Maruti wants 16.3L OTR for ZXi+ Auto version from me. But the choice of plastics that it uses screams cheap and outdated. The plastics are of at least 3 notches below that should have been used in a car costing this much. Yes, the dashboard layout has changed for good and there is brown color breaking the monotony in dashboard. But, this is still an extremely cheap and drab interior. You touch anything- dashboard, doors, vanity mirror, cabin light, toggle stick, that glossy frame outside infotainment system; everything is cheap. PERIOD!!!
  The fact that I have experienced Sonet and Seltos in my family, this negative gets accentuated to a much higher degree.

• That HUD thing sucks. I am at a loss of adjectives that can be attributed to someone calling this thing as a feature. It has zero aesthetic and doesn't add anything from a functional aspect. The only thing it does is glare your eyes. I felt it absolutely cringy and had to close this so called feature within couple of minutes in the drive.

• Who provides a toggle stick to navigate various options on MID? Maruti does it and they are not done with one, but two toggle sticks- one for MID and another one for trip meters. The story doesn't end here. These are not just some highly crafted quality sticks, instead these are some very long ones which constantly invite the user to flex it and try not break it.

• The quality fiasco continues to the gear lever. Could you design it just a little worse to break your own records? The gear lever is bad to hold, the leather or whatever material covering is ultra-cheap. The gear lever panel is not backlit and the sequence P R N D M meant I always ended up in M and then got back to D. The absence of backlit panel means you always look in MID to see which mode you are in. Even the slotting of gears is not that precise that your subconscious mind can ascertain which mode you are in.

• The seats, both front and rear, offer okish under thigh support. I am 5'10" and felt that the seat should have been at least 4-5 cm longer.

• Maruti missed TPMS and ventilated seats on Brezza. At asking price of more than 15L OTR, this is bad.

• I didn't like the horn either on this car. Just look at what Hyundai gives to i20 for starters.

• This engine gearbox combo is meant to be driven within 0-100kmph. Stand on the accelerator with both feet if you want to climb to 120kmph. Thankfully, the manual mode with paddle shifters are there for getting over this issue a little bit. Maruti has not provided any sports mode to alter the tuning to get a bit more power.

VERDICT:
Maruti Brezza is a mixed bag. While the exteriors are smashing, the interiors take a beating. The fundamentals of this car are very sorted but Maruti has altered the engine tune in such a way that it gasps for power above 100kmph in drive mode.
Personally, this is car which appeals to head than heart for me. It has reasonably good engine, gearbox, suspension tune, super exterior looks and even a good mileage. Where it fails big time is the vibe of the car - be it on power front or the interior aesthetics. The fact that it crosses 15L mark for top trim doesn't help its case either. Seltos HTX IVT is cheaper than Brezza ZXi+ Auto.

If I were to purchase Brezza only, my pick will be ZXi auto instead of ZXi+ auto.

My hunt for the new car continues and post this experience, I am strongly inclined to experience strong hybrid on GV/Hyryder combo.

[darkfantasy]

Originally Posted by headbanger

Just came back from test drive of Brezza AT. Here are the key points I could figure out in 20 odd kms on expressway as well as a little bit in traffic.

• The quality fiasco continues to the gear lever. Could you design it just a little worse to break your own records? The gear lever is bad to hold, the leather or whatever material covering is ultra-cheap. The gear lever panel is not backlit and the sequence P R N D M meant I always ended up in M and then got back to D. The absence of backlit panel means you always look in MID to see which mode you are in. Even the slotting of gears is not that precise that your subconscious mind can ascertain which mode you are in.

• Maruti missed TPMS and ventilated seats on Brezza. At asking price of more than 15L OTR, this is bad.

If I were to purchase Brezza only, my pick will be ZXi auto instead of ZXi+ auto.

My hunt for the new car continues and post this experience, I am strongly inclined to experience strong hybrid on GV/Hyryder combo.

The S-Presso gets a backlit gear level panel. And yes, it makes things easier at night. But I think we will get used to it once we regularly use the car and this shouldn't be a big deal in the long run.
However, the miss of TPMS, ventilated seats and UV cut glass are not excusable at this price.
I don't understand why Maruti has to always add some fly in the ointment.

I have been eagerly waiting for this new Brezza for quite some time but was disappointed when it was released and reached the same conclusion as you. I am also still waiting to buy a new car in this segment.

[headbanger]

Originally Posted by darkfantasy

The S-Presso gets a backlit gear level panel. And yes, it makes things easier at night. But I think we will get used to it once we regularly use the car and this shouldn't be a big deal in the long run.
However, the miss of TPMS, ventilated seats and UV cut glass are not excusable at this price.

I missed UV glass in my post. Thanks for adding that. I echo your disappointment.

As far as getting used to is concerned with the gear lever, one doesn't expect to learn to getting used to when you are paying more than 15L. And in all fairness, it's not a luxurious feature that is being demanded. How much does it take to backlit a panel?
If S-Presso gets backlit gear panel, it's like adding insult to the injury for Brezza.

The fact that my wife is going to be the primary driver of this car and with two Kia cars in family as the benchmark, I will be crucified for suggesting Brezza to her with misses like this. The fairer sex has a stronger sense around aesthetics generally and smaller misses like this get amplified in their perspective.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, much of my resentment for MS also stems from the experience of the existing Kia cars in the family. I am not expecting them to match Kia on interiors, that's not their forte and I understand that. But if they had applied the same effort on interior as they did on exterior for Brezza, things would have been much better. The interior is downright cheap in Brezza.
The more worrying part is that the same gear lever with its monstrosity is present in Hyryder as well.

[darkfantasy]

Originally Posted by headbanger

I missed UV glass in my post. Thanks for adding that. I echo your disappointment.

As far as getting used to is concerned with the gear lever, one doesn't expect to learn to getting used to when you are paying more than 15L. And in all fairness, it's not a luxurious feature that is being demanded. How much does it take to backlit a panel?
If S-Presso gets backlit gear panel, it's like adding insult to the injury for Brezza.

I guess this is a problem for anyone trying to upgrade within Maruti. Part sharing for their premium offerings with their entry-level offerings just spoils the premium experience. The last gen Brezza had a lot of parts shared with S-Presso including the smart play entertainment system. That is one of the main reasons why I didn't buy the older gen Brezza.
Interiors of even basic Hyundai or Tata cars look better to me - maybe it's just because they are different and refreshing in comparison to my current S-Presso while the Marutis more or less give the same feeling.

And those stalks for MID are just ewww. The exterior like you said is appealing for a Maruti, but the interiors are just drab. And yes, women would certainly prefer a Kia/Hyundai any day. IMHO, the Tata Punch which we were considering before had a better and uncluttered dashboard.

The car is perfect for me in a lot of ways that really matter and I am willing to let the uninspiring interior quality slide. I prefer the NA engine over turbos and the TC automatic over DSGs. I was waiting for the YTB, but it looks like it's just beefed up Baleno with extra cladding. I might still buy the Brezza, but not right now. It's just not that compelling to me anymore especially at the current price point.

[ACMerchant]

Yesterday just got my new Brezza Zxi+ AT