Admittedly, I did expect more from the Suzuki Vitara Brezza S-Edition released a few weeks ago. Even though I knew most of the changes were in interior and exterior additions, my mind immediately associated ‘S’ with sport and this is definitely not what it was. All the engine, power and torque specifications remain the same.
The Vitara Brezza and Toyota’s Urban Cruiser are very closely related in that the manufacturers build certain parts for each other. Thus, are you driving the same car whether you are in the Suzuki or the Toyota? Our writer for Driving Expressions, Eugene Herbert, says he is more inclined toward the Urban Cruiser as it seems more intuitive with the driver.
The Vitara Brezza was released to celebrate the compact SUVs first birthday in South Africa. All the additional styling features come standard but there is still plenty of personalisation you can add. It is believed the new derivative of the Vitara Brezza will be released at the end of the year so perhaps some of these upgrades might be an inkling of what is to come.
The drive
Even though the Brezza did not have massive amounts of torque or power, I never found that it struggled. It always
had enough power to do what you want, whether that was climbing a hill, overtaking another car or driving along a straight road. You did need to think in advance when faced with one of these driving conditions and would likely struggle a lot more if you did not.
Its handling and sturdiness on the road also feels confident and capable. In particular, on the highway it was a great car to drive. It cruised decently and it would not be uncomfortable or terrible for a long trip.
One thing that I didn’t like about the drive was the clutch and the tendency to not make a smooth change from first to second. With a bit of adjustment to your driving you can avoid this but it did happen very easily. My current car tends to do the same just not as easily as the Brezza so it wasn’t a huge bother to me but I could see that being quite an irritation to another driver.
Drivers can expect 77 kW of power from the Suzuki Vitara Brezza with the torque at 137 Nm. It makes use of a K15B engine that also serves in models such as the Jimny, Ertiga and Ciaz. It comes in both manual (5-speed) and automatic (4-speed) gearboxes.
Fuel consumption is about 7 litres per 100km, this is decidedly impressive for a compact SUV. When we tested the GLX model we even managed to get 6.8L/100 km, so fuel consumption could easily be improved, especially on a long-distance trip.
Design
The S-Edition is the GL trim level with a few extras. The biggest defining feature from the rest of the range is what
Suzuki calls its visual signature. One of the changes is in the grille which has been changed from bright chrome to patterned cubic chrome. The dark skid plate on both front and back is replaced with a front extender garnish with silver on a dark background. Likewise, the silver and black skid plates are also seen along the side of the S-Edition. It now has 16-inch alloy wheels, previously only available in the GLX model, also featuring the silver and black finish.
Wind deflectors are another addition the new design for the S-Edition but not something I was that fond of. It seemed slightly reminiscent of older cars. I preferred the design of the GL and GLX models that neglected this feature.
The interior
The silver styling is brought into the interior as well. The S-Edition features stainless steel door sill guards engraved with the Vitara Brezza logo.
It is definitely a decent sized car with more than enough room for a small family. I liked the removable mat in the back perfect for a group commonly seen driving this car, which is parents. The Suzuki Vitara Brezza comes with a fair-sized boot. Definitely big enough for a small family even for those longer trips. The rear seats can also be folded completely down to make a larger cargo area should you be transporting something bigger than usual. This is something that is very handy to have in a car that’s not quite as big as a full SUV or a bakkie but which you still need to move stuff around in irrespective of its size.
The Vitara still has a key start, and when you consider their target audience, it is likely due for a push-start upgrade
and perhaps some extra tech. It does have a reverse cam but it is a tad sensitive.
A common complaint I have of many of the Suzuki’s, is that you need to look away from the road to adjust sound on the touch screen. In some of the cars that did not have steering controls I found this to be very distracting. The Vitara Brezza does, however, have steering wheel controls which makes it less of an issue than the other Suzukis.
Something else that was impressive is the standard spec that you can get with whichever model you choose. There is a touchscreen infotainment system in both options which you can connect with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. There is also automatic climate control, rear park assist and rear cameras.
The Suzuki Vitara Brezza would definitely be at the top of my possible selections if I was in the market for a compact SUV. Would I, however, go for the S-Edition over the GL or GLX? On that, I remain undecided.
Good to know
The specs
Engine: 1.5 litre, 4-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic
Power: 77 kW
Torque: 137 Nm
Fuel consumption: 6.2 litres/100km (claimed)
Price: from R244 900
Warranty: 4-year/60 000 km service plan and a 5-year or 200 000 km promotional mechanical warranty.
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