Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara vs Brezza: Which SUV To Buy?

Just how much of an upgrade is the Grand Vitara compared to the Brezza?

In its latest generation, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza has become the most expensive offering in its segment. At roughly Rs 16.5 lakh on-road in Mumbai, it costs about the same as a mid-range Grand Vitara, an upgrade many would happily opt for. Perhaps, you’d adjust your down payment or EMI and go for a fully loaded Grand Vitara to get a proper upgrade outright.

Today, we’ll see where the Grand Vitara feels like an upgrade over the Brezza and more importantly, where it doesn’t.

• Maruti Suzuki Brezza on-road price and EMI calculator

• Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara on-road price and EMI calculator

Looks

• The Brezza is a smaller car but even so, it does offer strong road presence. What it’s limited by in length as a sub-4 metre SUV, it makes up for in width (just 5mm less than the Grand Vitara). And it’s 40mm taller than its big brother. 

• Where the Grand Vitara has an edge, besides its length and wheelbase, is in its design. It looks better proportioned and more sophisticated.

• Both get halogen projector headlights as standard, with LED headlights in their higher variants. The Brezza rides on 16-inch wheels compared to the Grand Vitara’s 17-inch wheels

Boot Space

• Both cars will fit a medium sized and small trolley bag, along with two duffle bags. 

• Only the Grand Vitara will fit a full sized suitcase along with a small trolley bag and a duffle bag.

• However, the Grand Vitara hybrid’s battery pack sits in the boot, which compromises the usable space for this particular version. You’re better off packing multiple small bags than one or two large bags.

Interior Space, Quality and Amenities

• The Grand Vitara puts its larger wheelbase to good use, offering more knee room and legroom.

• It also offers firmer and more supportive seat cushioning than the Brezza, and its seat contouring holds you in place better.

• However, the Brezza has a significant edge when it comes to headroom. Even users over 6ft tall have headroom to spare while they may find their hair brushing against the roof liner in the Grand Vitara, especially in the panoramic sunroof-equipped variants.

• While there are some buttons and controls in common, the Grand Vitara feels significantly more premium than the Brezza, with superior quality plastics and leatherette padding on the centre console, doors and dashboard.

• Common rear seat amenities: Seatback pockets, rear armrest with cupholders, USB type-A and type-C charge ports and rear AC vents.

• Only the Grand Vitara offers a middle-row headrest and a 3-point seatbelt for the middle passenger. 

• The Grand Vitara’s rear seat is also recline adjustable, though most will find the default setting more comfortable and relaxed.

Features

• Both cars get a heads-up display and wireless phone charger, but the Grand Vitara only offers these features in the strong-hybrid variants: Zeta+ and Alpha+. A strange omission for mild-hybrid Grand Vitara buyers.

• The Grand Vitara strong-hybrid also gets exclusive features like ventilated front seats, a digital instrument cluster, tyre pressure monitoring and a premium sound system.

• The Brezza gets a sunroof while the Grand Vitara offers a panoramic sunroof.

• Only the Grand Vitara gets leatherette seats and leatherette interior trim.

Drive Options And Experience

• The mild-hybrid petrol engine and transmissions are shared between the two cars.

• This engine is well-suited to city commutes and highway cruising but you’ll feel the lack of punch when it comes to overtakes.

• The mild-hybrid’s average performance is more noticeable in the Grand Vitara as it’s a bigger and heavier car.

• The strong-hybrid offers not only a significant boost in efficiency but also in performance. With the electric motor’s assist, overtakes are quick and effortless.

• The Grand Vitara’s steering is heavier than the Brezza’s. This makes the latter slightly easier to maneuver in the city but this steering calibration helps the Grand Vitara offer better handling at high-speeds.

• The Brezza’s ride quality is softer, delivering a more comfortable ride at low speeds. However, it does feel a little bouncy at 80-100kmph in the rear seat and the ride comfort quotient drops noticeably as you seat more people. 

• Contrarily, the Grand Vitara is stiffer at low speeds but still brushes off potholes with ease. It feels more planted at high speeds and delivers a better experience when fully loaded.

Verdict

If you choose to upgrade to the Grand Vitara, you get the bragging rights of owning a larger car, more sophisticated styling, significantly better interior quality, more comfortable and supportive seats, better overall ride quality, a few more features and more rear seat space.

It does, however, lose out on headroom compared to the Brezza and if you choose the mild-hybrid versions, there is no improvement in performance. If you opt for the strong-hybrid, the Grand Vitara offers better performance and significantly better fuel efficiency as well but you will have to compromise with boot space.

For a big car with a small car’s budget, you can always explore CarDekho’s expansive list of quality used cars.

Read More on : Maruti Grand Vitara on road price