There are so many compact SUVs to choose from these days, all of them with great looks, features, safety and performance and mostly in the same price range. So how does one choose THE one for you?
I have always regarded choosing a vehicle as very much similar to buying a house. When you see it and get inside, you just know this is home – this is where you feel good. Then you start looking at whether it has all the features you need and if you can live without those that it hasn’t got.
When I first saw the Suzuki Vitara when it landed in South Africa in 2015, I knew this was a car I would like to get to know better, and as their marketing slogan says, #ItJustGetsBrezza, when I first laid eyes on the new two-toned baby Vitara, the Vitara Brezza compact SUV, which was launched earlier this year in SA.
Being packed with features that one would have only dreamt of in a car in this segment a few years ago, such as (depending on the model you choose) rear camera and sensors, infotainment system, auto wipers and lights, as well as keyless entry and stop/start ignition, not to mention a cooler cubby, there are not many things you have to compromise on when choosing the Brezza.
The Brezza is available in GL and higher-spec GLX specification, with the choice of manual or automatic transmission in both specifications. All models are fitted with Suzuki’s 15-litre petrol (K15B) engine.
The vehicle test driven for this column was the higher spec GLX model.
Exterior
The two-tone look is very popular these days, and the Brezza doesn’t disappoint here. All models of the Vitara Brezza sport the floating roof design.
They have a darkened A-pillar and a black insert on the C-pillar to create a visual break between the body and the roof. Buyers of the GLX models can then add to this with any of the two-tone colour options available.
Add to this polycarbonate side mouldings above the door sill, wheel arch extensions (on all models), roof rails and colour-coded mirrors with LED indicators and you have a very striking compact SUV.
While the compact nature of the Brezza makes it a city slicker, it has the high ground clearance of a SUV.
The Vitara Brezza has the same wheelbase as the flagship Vitara at 2 500mm, but it is shorter, wider and rides higher off the ground than the Vitara.
Both the GL and GLX sport 16-inch wheels, but in the GLX, the wheel width grows from 205mm to 215mm.
The GL is fitted with steel wheels with silver wheel caps and the GLX is fitted with diamond-cut and polished alloy wheels as standard.
The front lights are finished with a chrome brow and LED daytime running lights, which are light guides on the GL with pure LEDs on the GLX to accompany the automatic projector main LED headlamps.
Features
So, when it comes to deciding on which compact SUV to buy, the Brezza’s impressive range of features will have you thinking. Standard across the range are automatic climate control, electric windows all-round, height-adjustable driver’s seat, rear parking sensors, remote central locking and a rear armrest with integrated cup holders.
Also standard across the range is the Vitara Brezza’s seven inch touch screen infotainment system which offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and will display the image from the reverse camera when engaged.
Bluetooth, an auxiliary input, and a USB port are also standard, while all models allow the driver hands-free control of the system and the phone interface from the steering wheel buttons or voice command system.
In the GLX-model, there are some extra features, such as the fact that the sporty steering wheel is leather clad and has additional buttons for the cruise control system.
The interior light package is part of the special GLX-trim, which includes silver highlights around the door handles, the touch screen and the steering wheel hub.
The GLX model also adds a centre armrest for the front occupants and a push-button starter that works in combination with this model’s standard keyless entry system.
In addition to these luxuries, the top of two glove boxes is air conditioned on the GLX specification level, allowing one to cool one’s snacks and drinks while driving.
Other GLX-only luxuries include height adjustable front seatbelts, an auto-dimming rear mirror, auto-folding side mirrors, automatic rain-sensing windscreen wipers, a 12V port in the luggage area and additional tweeters for more immersive sound from the infotainment system.
Also impressive is the roomy interior created by the roof height.
The look is classy yet trendy with its leather trim and subtle touches of metallic trim.
Comfort features for the rear occupants are headrests and a centre fold-away armrest.
I would have preferred the boot to be a bit bigger for longer holiday trips but, in this segment, the boot space is quite standard.
The boot also offers very functional pockets to keep smaller items or cooldrink bottles from rolling around in the back after a shopping trip.
Safety
In the Vitara Brezza, active safety systems include ABS brakes with emergency brake-force distribution and brake-assistance, airbags for the driver and front passenger, pre-tensioners and force limiters on all seatbelts and ISOFIX-mountings for child seats. Passive safety is taken care of by the award-winning Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) structure.
All models also have a high-mounted LED stop lamp, a rear window demister and a rear wiper with integrated washer as standard.
All models are fitted with an alarm system and immobiliser.
Ride
The Vitara Brezza is equipped with Suzuki’s K15B 15-litre petrol engine which delivers 77kW at 6 000rpm and 138Nm of torque at 4 400rpm.
I found the acceleration from a standstill to be quite acceptable although the engine is a bit noisy in the first two gears. But this improves as you speed up. The steering is very responsive, but the suspension felt a bit hard, giving a bumpy ride.
The high ground clearance, while being a benefit most of the time, can result in a bit of a floaty ride on the highways. But as said in the intro, if you feel at home in this compact SUV with all of those wonderful bells and whistles, the ride is definitely good enough not to be a deal breaker.
Not to mention the service plan and warranty that come with this vehicle. The Suzuki Vitara Brezza has a four-year/60 000km service plan and a five-year/200 000km promotional mechanical warranty.
PRICING
Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 GL R244 900
Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 GL A/T R264 900
Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 GLX R289 900
Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 GLX A/T R309 900
