Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza petrol could finally be launched in mid-2018 in India

When will the petrol version of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza drive into the country? This is a question auto enthusiasts have been asking for some time now. And rumor mills have been at it ever since the launch of the Vitara Brezza in India.

Despite the petrol version of the compact SUV being linked to several dates for launch, Maruti Suzuki has remained silent.

So it is little wonder that the auto world continues to mull over its possible new launch date. According to the latest report of MotorOctane, the Vitara Brezza petrol may finally be launched in India this year — mid-2018, to be precise.

The Vitara Brezza compact SUV became the bestselling SUV in no time after it was launched in India in March 2016. The overwhelming demand for the model was also said to have delayed the launch of its petrol version.

The Vitara Brezza is now powered by a 200 DDis 1248cc diesel engine, which is tuned to churn out 88.5bhp at 4,000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1,750rpm mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.

In the petrol avatar, the SUV is expected to get a 1.5-litre petrol mill under the hood, which would churn around 100bhp of power mated to five-speed manual transmission or an automatic gearbox.

Maruti is also rumored to be planning 1.0-litre BoosterJet engine for the Vitara Brezza. The Boosterjet engine, which powers the performance variant the Baleno RS, is tuned to churn out 100bhp at 5,500rpm and 150Nm of torque at 1,700-4,500rpm.

The petrol version of the Vitara Brezza, if launched, will be more affordable in its line-up. Expected to be priced about Rs 1 lakh cheaper than its diesel range, the compact SUV will not any other changes in its design and features.

Currently, the Vitara Brezza is available in LDi, LDi (O), VDi, VDi (O), ZDi, ZDi+ and ZDi+ dual-tone variants with six colour options, and comes with features like electrically foldable ORVMs with integrated turn indicators, a reverse parking camera, a smartplay infotainment system, cooled glove box, cruise control, projector headlamps and inbuilt navigation.

Priced in the range of Rs 7.28-9.73 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the under-four-meter SUV is pitted against Ford EcoSport and Tata Nexon.