Toyota's Version Of Maruti Vitara Brezza - What We Want

The Vitara Brezza is a competitively priced product and that leaves room for Toyota to add more equipment and price it at a slight premium

In November 2017, Suzuki and Toyota joined hands to develop EVs for the Indian passenger car market. A few months later, the two Japanese carmakers took a step further by announcing that they will be sharing car models and hybrid tech as well. As per the agreement, Suzuki will supply the Vitara Brezza and Baleno to Toyota, while the latter will be responsible for supplying the Corolla Altis to Maruti Suzuki. Here’s how we want Toyota’s version of the Vitara Brezza to be like.

Pictured: Toyota Brezza (Computer generated image)

Exterior 

The Vitara Brezza is easily one of the most well proportioned sub-4m SUV in India. It looks more like an SUV rather than an elevated hatchback thanks to its boxy silhouette and upright stance. We’d like to see Toyota retaining the strengths of the Brezza’s design while giving it a subtle makeover in the form of redesigned bumpers, front grille, headlamps and tail lamps to differentiate it from the Maruti SUV. Major design changes would be a lot to ask as modifying the sheet metal could result in higher costs.

Interior

*For representation purpose only

There is more room for a design overhaul on the inside and we think Toyota should offer a dual-tone beige-black cabin to make it feel a bit more airy. That said, we don’t expect the headroom, legroom, knee room, shoulder room and boot space to be very different when compared to the Maruti Brezza. We’d like to see Toyota add some of its own design bits on the inside like a different instrument cluster, gear knob, a flat-bottom steering wheel and, maybe, a slightly redesigned dashboard. 

*For representation purpose only

Features and Variants

The Maruti Vitara Brezza is available in four variants but we think Toyota should offer its own version of the SUV in three. That way, Toyota can pack more features even in the base variant just like it has done with the Yaris sedan. So features like more than two airbags, ABS, ESP, music system, electrically adjustable outside rearview mirrors (ORVMs), steering adjustment, seat adjustment, projector headlamps, TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system) and rear AC vents can be offered as standard on the Toyota SUV.

A lower variant focused on safety and basics means the top variants can be reserved for luxuries. These variants can then include features like automatic headlamps with LED daytime running lights (DRLs), rain-sensing wipers, a touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, cruise control, push-button start and electrically foldable ORVMs apart from a bigger set of alloy wheels, sunroof, leather upholstery, and ambient lighting. 

• Toyota Could Offer Automatic Transmission On All Yaris Variants

Engines

While the Maruti Suzuki Brezza doesn’t get a petrol engine, we would love to see one under the bonnet of the Toyota. And what better than the 108PS petrol engine from the Yaris sedan. Since we want Toyota’s compact SUV to don a premium avatar than the Brezza, we want the carmaker to focus less on sales numbers and more on buyer satisfaction. 

Toyota doesn’t have many options when it comes to a diesel powertrain. However, they could borrow Maruti Suzuki’s upcoming 1.5-litre diesel engine. We want Toyota to offer both engines with the option of an automatic transmission as well.

Launch And Price

 Priced from Rs 7.83 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza offers incredible value. If Toyota manages to plonk a 1.5-litre petrol engine under the bonnet of its version of the SUV, the most-affordable petrol variant is likely to retail at the same price point as Maruti’s 1.3-litre diesel-powered version. The top diesel variant of Toyota’s SUV is expected to breach the Rs 10 lakh mark owing to the additional equipment we want it to pack. At present, the top variant of the Ford EcoSport diesel retails at Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), and we think the top-end variant of the Toyota SUV can be priced close to it.

Related: Toyota Dealers Start Accepting Bookings For Yaris; Launch Expected In April 2018

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