Could 2022 Suzuki Brezza replace the axed Vitara in PH?
All-new Suzuki Brezza set for launch in India
The Suzuki Vitara may be riding off into the sunset, but it looks like a replacement is coming to take its place very soon in the Philippines.
The Maruti Suzuki factory in India has supplied us with the Celerio, Dzire, and Jimny. Could the Breeza be the next model bound for PH?
Suzuki has locally established the Vitara model line since the 90s. At the time, car enthusiasts would choose the Vitara, otherwise known as the Escudo, over the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Despite its size, it came with a 4WD system which was the standard back then and made the other two Japanese brands work on improving theirs.
As the years passed, the popularity of the Vitara waned. The RAV4, CR-V, and other SUVs have improved and this made the Vitara take a back seat. Suzuki tried to compete in the compact crossover segment with the slightly bigger Grand Vitara, but it wasn't as popular as the original mini 4x4.
Suzuki decided to go smaller again for the fourth generation and dropped the 'Grand' from the Vitara name. At the same time, Maruti Suzuki also started building their own version of the Vitara called the Vitara Brezza. It's smaller than the Vitara we used to get from Hungary but competes in the same B-segment crossover market.
And now, an all-new model is set to be revealed soon for the Indian market. The video teased by Maruti Suzuki shows us a new LED lighting theme that looks very modern and makes the SUV look wider. We also see a new grille and elongated taillights. There is also an optional electric sunroof which may be found on the higher-end trim models. More importantly, it's rumored that the 'Vitara' name will be dropped and it will be simply called 'Brezza'.
Maruti Suzuki has not yet released any information about the new model. But with the Maruti factory pumping out the Jimny, Dzire, and Celerio, it is not such a far-fetched idea. The 2WD Breeza is rumored to have a 1.5-liter engine, that may feature a mild-hybrid system, and will be mated to a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
Could Suzuki take it and replace the recently axed Vitara that was originally sourced from Hungary? The Brezza is set to make its debut in India soon and plans to take on the Hyundai Venue, among others. That is going to be one good fight in the B-segment crossover, one that we want to see happen in the Philippines too.
