India's largest automaker Maruti's Vitara Brezza suffered a setback recently when it was dethroned from the top spot in the sub-4 metre SUV segment by the Hyundai Venue. However, the Vitara Brezza itself is gearing up for a period of flux as the company is not only planning a facelift for their bestselling SUV but it will also soon come with the petrol engine option, right before the onset of BS-VI emission norms. As of now, the Vitara Brezza is only offered with the option of a single diesel option in the market. Maruti Suzuki plans to move out of the diesel cars segment in the BS-VI emission regime, at least initially. Therefore, in order to do so it will have to bring out the petrol version of Vitara Brezza in the market. Now there are reports doing rounds on the internet that the maker is gearing up to bring put the petrol engine Vitara Brezza in the Indian market in February 2020.
There are hopes that the upcoming petrol version of Vitara Brezza will come with the same engines seen on company's Ertiga MPV and Ciaz sedan. This engine is a 1.5L 4-pot unit rated to deliver 104 Bhp and 138 Nm. The same engine also comes with the company's very own SHVS mild-hybrid system as well. So there are hopes that the Brezza also will soon wear the mild-hybrid badge in the Indian market. As of now, the maker offers a 5 speed manual and a 4 speed torque converter automatic gearbox with the engine in the Indian market. If the same configuration is offered on the Vitara Brezza, it would be a major upgrade for the Brezza not only in the engine department but in the transmission arena as well because the SUV currently only comes with an AMT gearbox in the automatic option. The torque converter unit is far more refined than the AMT unit currently offered with the Brezza.
Apart from the engine update, Maruti Suzuki is also working on a facelift of the Vitara Brezza in the Indian market, and a much needed facelift at that. The advent of new rivals in the segment like the Mahindra XUV300 and Hyundai Venue makes the Vitara Brezza looks quite outdated as the Maruti SUV has not received a major update ever since it was launched in the Indian market.
Apart from the facelift, another thing that one ought to know about the upcoming petrol version of Vitara Brezza is that the petrol model may not be a lot cheaper than the diesel version sold currently. This is because the 1.5L petrol engine that the Vitara Brezza is expected to come with will effectively rule it out of the sub-4 metre car tax benefit scheme. A criteria for the tax break is that the car must come with a 1.2 litre or smaller engine to qualify for the same. While Maruti Suzuki has other options to equip the Vitara Brezza with an engine smaller than the aforementioned 1.5L engine, the company seems to be going ahead with the 1.5L petrol engine for now.