I stick to my stand – I would pick the Vitara Brezza any day for city use and my Kia for highways.
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7 months and 2800 kms update
This was my second meeting with the Brezza when I went home for a few days. The run-in period was over and, the first as well as second service were already done.
The odo was at 2100 kms when I was handed over the keys. Over the next 10 days, I drove the car for 750 kms, including a trip to Bargarh and a few short errands.
I will add to my previous observations as well as compare this car with my Seltos.
- The engine fumbles when driven pedal to metal clearly showing the economy-tuned engine doesn’t like to be hurried. The mantra seems to be to go gentle on the throttle and move through the gears to make quick progress. Short gearing means I seldom have to downshift and the car chugged along happily without any struggle or knocking. Use of 1st gear felt like an overkill most of the time. But I missed a sixth gear all through the drive.
- Power seems to taper between 2-3k and then regains some momentum beyond 3k. I did go beyond 4.5k a few times but didn’t find much progress even though the engine sounds smooth and sweet! My turbo diesel has been a point-and-shoot machine, something which I keep missing on the petrols.
- The suspension is very pliant for bad roads. A lot of roads have been damaged due to recent rains in OD. I could march through a lot of broken sections and even a few potholes without slowing down. Brezza is slightly better than the Seltos (which is running higher profile tyres).
- The Brezza doesn’t feel as planted on the road as the Kia. I guess it is the lighter car (and lighter engine over the wheels), narrower track and shorter wheelbase which contribute to the experience. The over sensitive steering doesn’t help too. That said, body roll is in control. On the plus side, the car feels very agile in tight areas (provided one can master the steering).
- Seltos is running at 110-120 before I know it, takes little time to reach those speeds and feels confident at that range. Brezza is comfortable at 90-100 and takes time to gain speeds beyond that.
- Twitchy steering is very light but doesn’t inspire confidence as the speed builds up. I struggled with the non-retuning steering for a long time. This was the single biggest disappointment for me in the car.
- Brakes do a very good job and feel more than adequate for the car’s weight. Never struggled even under sudden braking or bad roads (unlike Seltos ABS which is its Achilles heel).
- AC is very good but due to the large glass area, it does take time to chill it. It keeps the cabin cool at all times.
- Never got a chance to push the tyres but I wonder if a better set can improve the handling. And I missed the rear wipers as the slightest of rains covered the rear hatch glass with muck.
- Tall stance and good seating posture from the driver’s seat ensure a comfortable ride. But the seats are hard and not comfortable beyond 4-5 hrs. I never felt this issue on the Seltos.
- Large cabin with a large glass area makes it very airy while also offering very good visibility all around. Has that extra headroom like our ex-WagonR. I could tilt and drink water comfortably from a 1L bottle while in the driver seat. On the Seltos, I can’t drink the last 100ml as the bottle hits the roof. Neither car has a sunroof and the driver seat is raised to the max height.
- I got 14.5kmpl after driving for 400kms. But the car idled at a few spots when we were waiting, AC on at all times. Also, 150 kms were undivided roads, 20 kms were village roads and 230 kms were 4 lane roads. I haven’t refueled after the return leg but looking at the remaining fuel, the FE would be slightly higher this time.
- Headlights are inadequate for undivided roads. Will think of some LED bulbs the next time I go home.
I noticed some fogging in the rear taillights when I washed the car. It went away on it’s own after a few hours. Didn’t see this when I washed the car again after a few days.
Road conditions:
The Bhubaneswar – Badkera – Sambalpur/Gosala – Bargarh is in decent shape now. Badkera – Sambalpur is 80% complete and whatever is left(WIP), is in decent driveable condition. Bbsr – Badkera stretch has some broken patches due to continuous rains. It took me an hour extra for this route back in 2022 even though I could maintain higher speeds on my Seltos.
I stick to my stand – I would pick the Maruti any day for city use, Kia for highways.
Now some more pictures of my time with the car
City was getting ready for the Puja
Had an early lunch at Hotel Tapoban. Veg meals were ready good. Clean washrooms too.
Noticed these plastics for the first time. They are bio-degradable!
After covering 286 kms, we had a little more than half tank fuel. 550-600 km range is possible
Visited Samalei mandir
It was bright hot sunny throughout the trip except for the last half of the return leg where we kept getting intermittent rains.
From this
to this
Half the roads were concrete 4L roads. Other half was undivided busy roads going via several villages
Most of the irrigated lands were blooming through the 300km stretch we travelled and so it was soothing green everywhere
Some stretches were deserted
Saw a rainbow too
FE on the MID for last 290 kms. I had reset it after refueling near Attabira
Google Maps had played a dirty joke on us and we were fooled into taking a shortcut. It was a narrow canal road with 1-2 feet deep slush-filled craters with occasional nasty drop. I might have scraped the Seltos on that stretch but not the Brezza. Unlike the Seltos where the front wind deflector is prone, Brezza has very good clearance and sailed through fine.
Good part of this bright silver color is the camouflage. It hides dust and dirt very well. Look from the front and the car looks very clean unless one has a keen eye on the splashes on the lower bumper.
Rear tells the true story
Too many side panels spoil the look. And they look further ugly when the muck “leaks” through those panel gaps
The gap between the wheel and the arches are so big that I could easily access the wheel wells while cleaning. Must be very easy for puncture repair without removing the wheels
Misaligned panels mean the muck splatter is uneven too
Before returning, gave the yellow eyed Buoi a nice wash
When I got back to Bangalore and started my Seltos, everything felt heavy – clutch, steering, brakes and even the doors! Seltos clutch felt as if it was stuck or resisting movement. And that diesel clatter. Took me a good few kms to settle down to the old normal. I was telling my experience to my father, how refined his car is and he chuckled that he has the better ride.
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