Maruti Brezza Base LXI Vs Top ZXI Plus Variants Compared: Which One Is For You?

The Maruti Brezza recently received a facelift which gave it minor design and feature tweaks, a brand-new turbo-petrol engine and even an underbody CNG setup to keep it competitive amongst newer rivals. 

The updated SUV is now available in four variants called LXI, VXI, ZXI and ZXI Plus, and in this article we are comparing the base LXI and top-spec ZXI Plus variants to see how they stack up against each other, and if it's really worth it to pay the premium for the top-end variant. Let’s see which side of its variant spectrum wins:

Price

All prices ex-showroom, pan-India

*Dual-tone paint scheme available for Rs 15,000 extra

• As seen above, the Brezza’s prices range from Rs 8.30 lakh to Rs 13.55 lakh, which is a difference of Rs 5.25 lakh.

• The top-spec Brezza also gets an optional dual-tone paint scheme, which will cost you Rs 15,000 over the corresponding single-tone colour option.

• For the Brezza’s detailed variant-wise pricing, check out this story.

Exterior

With this facelift, the Brezza continues with its boxy and conservative styling package that is not too flashy, but keeps it looking smart and contemporary. However, there are some major differences between the design of the base and top variants:

Front

From the front, both variants of the SUV see updates like a new sculpted bumper, triangular fog lamp surrounds, and a silver insert on the lower air dam. However, the LXI trim gets a black-coloured grille, halogen headlamps and dummy inserts for fog lamps. 

On the other hand, the ZXI Plus variant looks a lot nicer with its chrome-finished grille, LED fog lamps, dual LED projector headlamps with DRLs and even a silver skid plate that gives it stronger road presence.

Side

In profile, both the variants carry over the same boxy silhouette, body-coloured door handles and blacked-out B-, C- and D-pillars for a ‘floating roof’ effect. However, where the base LXI variant looks fairly basic with its 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, body-coloured ORVMs and grey door cladding insert, the ZXI Plus takes it up a notch with a blacked-out A-pillar, gloss-black ORVMs, silver door cladding insert and premium-looking 16-inch machined alloy wheels. 

Furthermore, a sharkfin antenna and ORVM-mounted LED indicators come as standard, but the silver roof rails in the ZXI Plus also play a role in livening up its personality.

Rear

The rear-end of both variants looks upmarket with elements like LED taillamps, bumper cladding and a ‘smart-hybrid’ badge being standard. The turbo-petrol powered versions also get a ‘Turbo’ badge on the bottom edge of the tailgate and a rear defogger as well. Over and above these, the ZXI Plus adds a silver skid plate and a rear wiper with washer. Do note that the Brezza does not get any variant badging.

Interior

Inside is where the differences are a lot more noticeable, and where the ZXI Plus starts feeling a fair bit nicer. The base LXI trim comes with a brown and black cabin theme, with fabric upholstery, while this gets upgraded to a leatherette upholstery in the top specification.

The LXI variant also misses out on an infotainment system, which makes the dashboard look spartan, and it also gets a simple monochrome MID (instead of the coloured TFT display on ZXI Plus). Other standard touches include rear AC vents, toggle-like climate controls and a three-spoke steering wheel. We have also compiled a detailed explainer of the LXI trim here.

Compared to the base variant, the ZXI Plus further adds a copper-coloured insert on the dashboard, a front centre armrest with storage, a better climate control panel, a touchscreen infotainment system and gloss-black inserts and audio controls on the steering wheel. Rear occupants in this variant also get winged headrests, while the LXI has to make do with simple ones (in Turbo version only, other versions get no headrests).  

Colour Options

*Also available in dual-tone scheme with black roof

In terms of its colour options, the LXI variant is restricted to just four shades, while the ZXI Plus gets the entire suite with the new Vivacious Orange and Lustrous Beige shades that have been added in this facelift. However, the Red shade is monotone-only in the LXI, while it can only be had with a black roof in the ZXI Plus. 

For a closer look at how these colours look, and the variant-wise split, check out this story.

Features

For its price, the base LXI trim does get all the necessary features and a few feel-good ones too, like a height-adjustable driver seat (Turbo only), all power windows, keyless entry, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, automatic climate control (Turbo only) and power-adjustable ORVMs.

That said, it's tough to ignore the additions of the ZXI Plus, which offers a lot more niceties such as a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, ventilated front seats, auto-dimming IRVM, 6-speaker ARKAMYS surround sound system, auto-folding ORVMs, wireless phone charger, connected car tech, 64-colour ambient lighting, cruise control, single-pane sunroof, auto headlamps and a PM 2.5 cabin filter with AQI display. You can check out this variant in detail by clicking here.

Safety

When it comes to safety on board, Maruti has not compromised in any major way with the base LXI variant, with standard equipment such as 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), hill hold assist (HHA), rear parking sensors, three-point seatbelts with reminders for all occupants and ISOFIX child seat anchors. 

In this department, the ZXI Plus adds some advanced features such as a 360-degree parking camera, front parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), height-adjustable front seatbelts, rear wiper and washer and even select Level 1 ADAS functions such as blind spot warning (BSW), rear cross traffic alert (RCTA) and safe exit warning (SEW). 

Powertrains

In terms of the powertrain options available, the base LXI can be had in an MT guise only, in NA petrol, turbo-petrol and bi-fuel CNG versions. However, the ZXI Plus is restricted to the turbo-petrol MT and NA Petrol AT powertrains only. Here are the detailed specifications of these powertrains:

MT- Manual Transmission, AT- Automatic Transmission (torque converter)

For a closer look at the powertrains and their variant-wise mix, click here.

Rivals

The Brezza goes up against subcompact SUVs like the Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV 3XO, Skoda Kylaq, Kia Syros, Maruti Fronx, Toyota Taisor, Kia Sonet, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.

CarDekho Says…

Choosing between the Brezza’s base and top-end versions should be fairly straightforward, given the gap in their pricing and feature list. Despite being the base trim, the LXI is a great value-for-money package for those looking for a no-nonsense and reliable option. With the turbo-petrol engine, it is a lot more affordable than before and more powerful at the same time. 

On the other hand, the ZXI Plus too comes across as a strong performer with all the added features and design elements making it not feel like a compromise, while still being significantly more affordable than top-spec variants of certain rivals.

Overall, it comes down to what you expect from your Brezza: affordability and practicality, or style and comfort.