Brezza Boosterjet First Drive: Turbo Fixes the Boring Bit, Finally
Maruti Suzuki has launched the facelifted Brezza with the 1.0L Boosterjet turbo petrol borrowed from the Fronx, priced from Rs 7.4 lakh ex-showroom. The compact SUV now qualifies for lower GST slabs thanks to sub-1200cc displacement. We drove the Boosterjet 6MT briefly at the Mumbai media drive.
What was announced
Maruti Suzuki has launched the Brezza facelift with the 1.0L Boosterjet turbo petrol engine already familiar from the Fronx, alongside the existing 1.5L K-series naturally aspirated petrol. The base ex-showroom price is Rs 7.4 lakh, with full variant pricing revealed a day after launch. Because the Boosterjet displaces under 1200cc, the Brezza now slots into the lower B-segment GST bracket for the first time, a tax break the 1.5L never enjoyed.
The Boosterjet finally gives the Brezza the one thing it always lacked: an engine you actually want to drive.
The Boosterjet is offered with a 6-speed manual, which is the unit we sampled on the Mumbai media drive. The test car wore the new Bluish Black shade with red exterior highlights, a sportier styling pack that sits above the standard trims. Cosmetic revisions include reworked bumpers, updated grille treatment and new alloy designs, though the silhouette carries over.
Feature additions across the range include a camera-based Level 2 ADAS suite covering adaptive cruise, lane-keep and autonomous emergency braking, connected car tech and refreshed infotainment. The 1.5L NA petrol continues with manual and AMT options and CNG on lower trims; the Boosterjet is petrol-only at launch. Maruti has not confirmed an automatic gearbox for the Boosterjet yet, though the Fronx offers the same engine with a 5-speed AMT.
The Car Jury verdict
The Brezza has sold on being safe, spacious and Maruti-easy, never on being interesting to drive. The Boosterjet finally fixes that half of the equation. In Mumbai traffic the turbo three-pot feels genuinely awake off the line where the old 1.5L NA needed a shove, and the GST reshuffle means Maruti can price it aggressively against the Nexon, Venue and Sonet turbos without losing margin. The 6MT is the one to have.
Caveats remain. Faisal Khan of FasBeam has flagged that Maruti's new ADAS is a camera-only Level 2 setup, which is fine for the price bracket but not class-leading. Biturbo Media has also, repeatedly, questioned Maruti small-car body strength. We are holding our Brezza verdict at WAIT until the full drive and safety picture is clear, but the Boosterjet is the variant to shortlist.
