Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza petrol version still in the pipeline?

It has been an awesome journey for the first compact SUV of Maruti Suzuki -- Vitara Brezza. The product of the Indian R&D led by CV Raman had entered the market in March 2016 and sales always showed a positive trend. Despite being offered only with the diesel mill, Vitara Brezza went on to become the leader of the segment in no time.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki new Vitara, replacement for Kizashi may come via Nexa line

Soon after the launch, CV Raman also confirmed the development of Vitara Brezza's petrol version. However, there was no news regarding the version for the past couple of months. This led many to believe that Maruti Suzuki may have dropped the launch plan.

A report in Financial Express also claims that the project is still active and launch can be expected this year itself. Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch Vitara Brezza petrol during the festive season. In that case, the launch will coincide with the launch of the new rival from Tata Motors -- Nexon.

The Vitara Brezza petrol version is expected to draw power either from a 1.4-litre petrol engine or a 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine. The former will belt out 91 hp of power and 134 Nm of torque, while the later will churn out 99 hp of power and 150 Nm of torque. The engine will be mated to 5-speed manual as standard, while an AMT option has also been rumoured.

Petrol variants will not feature any exterior updates. The SUV will be packed with Smart Play infotainment system compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, push button start, reverse parking camera, keyless entry and steering mounted controls just as the diesel versions.

The good news is that the petrol version will be more affordable than the diesel counterparts. Vitara Brezza diesel is currently priced at Rs 7.23 lakh to Rs 9.91 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. Petrol version's prices may start at around Rs 7 lakh. Since GST has reduced the tax on SUVs, Maruti Suzuki may able to price the petrol version even cheaper.