Maruti Brezza 6500Km Long Term Review

A fantastic commuter!

All cars have their strength and weaknesses. And depending on what you are looking for, it makes a car the right or the wrong choice for you. Brezza sits at two extremes for which it can't be called an all-rounder. However, what it is -- is a fantastic commuter. 

Comfortable!

I have had the opportunity to take Cubone (the Long term Brezza) to many locations in and around Pune -- with fantastic to terrible roads. And at times, no roads at all. Throughout all of this, the one thing that shines is the ride comfort. Be it loaded with people or just me in the cabin, it remains smooth over surfaces. In fact, a friend of mine who visited me when I had the Celerio, and now recently when I have the Brezza, asked if the roads had been fixed recently. Your friends can have drinks (mostly tea in my case) in their hands, or be using their phones, Cubone keeps them comfy and I love this aspect of it. 

Power To Commute

The new Maruti 1.5-litre engine is a lacklustre one. The same is being used in the Ertiga, XL6, Ciaz and the non-hybrid Grand Vitara. And in all of these vehicles, we have complained about it feeling out of breath for overtakes. In the Brezza however, because of its weight, it works better. The pickups till about 40kmph and roll-ons till about 60kmph feel effortless. This gives you the freedom to look for a few gaps and overtakes traffic, but there is a trick. 

If you plant the acceleration to the floor, it downshifts and takes you high in the rev band where there is no power or pull. Accelerate gently and the limited torque does let you go for the overtake. It's a trick you master after having driven it for about thousand-odd kilometres. The engine still lacks power for highway overtakes and even quick overtakes in the city, but if you are a calm commuter -- Cubone will do just fine and deliver about 13-14kmpl too. 

Easy To Maintain Cabin

I do not like the brown interior theme of the Brezza. I still can understand how in a board room, someone suggested a black and dull brown colour theme for the interiors and they were not immediately asked to pack up their things and leave. But, very recently a friend spilled coffee on the passenger seat. While I was furious and it was cleaned immediately, the black seats did not stain. The rest of the cabin too is fairly easy to clean and maintain. Me likes. 

Looks

From the last iteration to this, Maruti has done a fantastic job to make the Brezza look more polished and upmarket. The LED DRLs, grille, and taillamps with the dual-tone roof make Cubone a good-looking SUV. Doesn't matter if you are attending a function or just out shopping, the Brezza looks posh and helps you fit in with any crowd. 

The more time I spend with the Brezza, the more I understand and like it. It started with me feeling bummed about its performance and the cabin but now drive it around with a sense of comfort and satisfaction. Cubone is still growing on me.

• Date when received: 5 Sept 2022
• Kilometre when received: 1500 km
• Kilometre till date: 6500km