'Vitara' - will Another Failed Brand Name Succeed for Maruti after the Baleno?

The Grand ‘Vitara’ isn’t really a failed product in India, but neither was the older Baleno. The ‘non-performer’ tag is saved for the discontinued Kizashi. The Japanese automaker revived the ‘Baleno’ nameplate, with an all-new hatchback and it turned out to be a runaway hit. Their debutant sub-4 SUV, the Vitara Brezza, is trying to cash out from the global lineage of the Vitara. The compact SUV was launched earlier this month and deliveries have started merely a few days ago. Can it thrive with the ‘Vitara’ nameplate? Let us try and find out!

What made the Baleno successful? It’s probably by the courtesy of numerous features and an appreciable design. The Baleno shares its powertrain with the Swift, and the new platform makes it nearly 100 kilos lighter than the Swift. The Brezza, on the other hand, is also relying on similar tactics, which can result in its success. The initial response is good, as the Brezza has received well over 20,000 bookings in a short span.

The Brezza, like similarly as the Baleno,  packs several segment- first features as well as a tried-and-tested oil burner and offers all this in an unquestionable design. The segment falls short in terms of competition: there are only two rivals – the Ford EcoSport and the Mahindra TUV300. It will be easy for a brand such as Maruti, to excel in this uninhabited space.

The diesel option, as mentioned before, is a tried- and- tested powertrain. On the brighter side, this sub-4m compact SUV will get a turbocharged petrol engine, later this year. It is the same engine which will make its Indian debut during the festive season along with the Baleno RS. The 1.0-litre turbocharged motor puts out a healthy 110 horses and a max torque of 170 Nm. In terms of performance, this engine will certainly put the Brezza on a par with the EcoSport’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost.

Speaking of the monetary aspect, Maruti has managed to undercut the pricing of its rivals. This, in turn, has forced Ford to slash the EcoSport’s price  by as much as INR 1.12 lakh! In a nutshell, the Brezza has all the right ingredients to be successful and to make the ‘Vitara’ brand name popular. What will help its case is the fact that the company is retailing the vehicle from its regular dealerships, which have the widest network in the country.

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