Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger car manufacturer, has launched its first compact urban Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Vitara Brezza, with prices starting at ₹7.36 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). With the launch, the New Delhi-based company now has its presence across all segments of the passenger vehicle market.

“We were aware that we didn’t have a product in the popular compact SUV segment, and with Vitara Brezza we have marked our entry into this segment. It was designed and developed in India, with support from Suzuki," said Maruti Suzuki Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kenichi Ayukawa.

The vehicle has been launched in seven variants with an introductory pricing ranging between ₹6.99 lakh and ₹9.68 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), and between ₹7.36 lakh and ₹10.14 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The vehicles are available in manual transmission mode only.

The company has also opened the bookings across its 1,799 dealers, with deliveries expected by March-end.

Vitara Brezza is powered by a 1.3-litre diesel engine (DDiS 200) mated to a five-speed manual transmission and delivers a fuel efficiency of 24.3 km per litre. The vehicle is also certified for offset and side impact crash tests, which will be enforced in India in 2017, Ayukawa said, adding a petrol version of the vehicle is expected soon.

Bull horn-shaped LED light guide in headlamps and rear combination lamps, projector headlamps with auto function on-off function, cockpit style instrument cluster with mood lights and large tyres are the other features.

The vehicle comes with a height of 1,640 mm, offering ample headroom, a 328-litre boot that can be extended by folding the rear seats. It also has rain sensing wipers, auto headlight, cruise control, air-cooled upper box and card holder in glove box. “We have developed the SUV over a period of 3.5 years," CV Raman, said Executive Director (Engineering), Maruti Suzuki India.

Introductory Pricing: Delhi

Introductory Pricing: Mumbai

rajesh.kurup@thehindu.co.in

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