Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza launch on March 8, 2016

Maruti Suzuki is all set to launch its all new offering in the compact SUV segment, the Vitara Brezza on March 8, 2016. The compact SUV will be competing against the present market leader, the Ford EcoSport and recently launched Mahindra KUV100.

Powering the Brezza will be the same 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine that does duty in the Ciaz, Baleno and other Maruti offerings. It develops 88.5bhp of power and 200Nm of torque. Important bits revealed is 198mm of ground clearance, a 328 litre boot and large 16 inch wheels with wide 215 section tyres. The Brezza is 3995mm long, 1790mm wide and 1640mm tall with a 2500mm wheelbase.

Driver side airbag will be standard, front passenger airbag, ABS and EBD will be optional on the base variant. The SUV gets LED DRLs, projector headlamps, Maruti’s Smartplay infotainment system and ambient lighting in the cabin.

The Vitara Brezza has been developed at a total project cost of Rs 860 crores with 98 percent localisation. What Maruti plans to do with the compact SUV is offer high levels of customization across set themes, something you also get in the Kwid but not see otherwise among other manufacturers.

Maruti now has a 47 percent market share in the country. It is the largest by any carmaker in a major car producing nation, with the carmaker breaching the 1 million mark comfortably now. Maruti has set its sights at the 2 million mark now and to achieve this goal, the company is setting up new facilities, investing in product and tech and is also expanding its sales network.

The Gujarat plant will roll out its first car next year to share the burden of new launches planned by the company. And there are no less than 15 in the next five years. All products will feature the latest tech, in line with the best in the world says Maruti. As a large number of products planned will be in the premium Nexa range, Maruti aims to double its sales in the next few years.