There’s a Bit of Ducktail in Suzuki’s Brezza S. As Our Road Test Explains
Suzuki saw the need to add a little meat to its year-old Vitara Brezza range. And it seems it leaned on a little 1970s inspiration as it conjeurd up this new S-Edition. Its merely a cosmetic package that adds a bit visual appeal, but the new S slots in above GL and below the GLX in the line-up. It’s also available in both this manual and automatic. So it takes all the GL’s creature comforts and adds a few styling accessories based on customer and dealers feedback.
S-Edition Tarts Up Chunky Brezza
You should be used to the Brezza and its more common Toyota stepsister Uban Cruiser’s look by now. A dynamic and well-equipped addition to the South African line-up that’s apparently a top seller in India, this Suzuki retains a meaner expression as it gains a few gapped front teeth on its lower grille. Shorter than four meters long and riding on a 2.5-metre wheelbase with shorter overhangs, its chunky.
Roof rails contribute to the squared-off effect and body-coloured door handles add a touch of class. The extra S bits include a pattered cubic chrome grille finish and side spats to match those toothy new-look silver highlighted front and rear splitters. We also noticed that this one has new-style fog lamps to the GLX we last had, while the silver-and-black theme continues onto the unique ‘rimless’ 15-spoke 16” polished black alloys.
Best of all… The S look is rounded off by a full set of 1970s style wind deflectors on the door windows. You will know them if you’re old enough. Those accessory ones you’d put on your jam at the same time you’d fit a louvre to the back window. Remember? The S get-up spreads further to a so-called Uber Life Silver highlighted dash and door trim and extends to a set of engraved stainless steel door sill guards. To ‘marry’ the outside bits to the cabin. All rather ’seventies cool.
Did the Spec Escape a ‘70s Catalogue?
You can also add a comprehensive selection of of other accessories and optional extras that may or may not have escaped from a 1974 Tiger Wheels catalogue. From wheel arch cladding to carbon fibre-look caps for Brezza’s power folding wing mirror caps. And black and red carbon fibre style side cladding. The carbon fibre bits sound new but those techniques come straight out of history. It just shorts and aerial for that orange!
Step aboard and you’re greeted by easy-to-read twin-hooded elliptical gauges and a five colour mood lit digital central Multi-Information Display. A bright, colourful and cheerful 7” CarPlay and Auto touchscreen infotainment system has Bluetooth and USB port too. Graphics are simple and it can mostly be run via the simple multifunction steering and voice command. Seats are comfy and the dark hard-wearing cabin and boot are well lit. Large door pockets and abundant binnacles will stow all your goodies.
Spec is actually quite impressive and stretches to automatic climate control, power windows all-round, a height-adjustable driver’s seat and height adjustable front seatbelts. Other S-Edition options ar hard-wearing black rubber mats and a grooved luggage compartment rug. Standard bits include 12V jack in the handy 328 litre boot that grows by folding down the 60:40 split rear seats, which come complete with a cup holder armrest. A 1100 kg braked towing capacity adds even more utility.
K15B Engine Does the Job for Brezza S
Slip behind the sporty tilt-adjustable 3-spoke multifunction steering wheel and twist Suzuki’s old school 77 kW 138 Nm multi-point fuel injected 16-valve four cylinder K15B engine to life via a good old key. It may be old fashioned and a bit thrashy compared to some new millennium kit, but the engine does the job well enough. It makes up and then some in perkiness and lights up the perhaps surprisingly derestricted front end at ease. In fact, Brezza seems to think that it’s on the hot hatch side of the cusp.
Brezza S turns its front axle via an easy-shifting five-speed manual gearbox. There are ABS brakes with force distribution and assistance, dual airbags, force limit seat belt pre-tensioners and ISOFIX child seat mooring, Add an alarm system immobiliser. Brezza S drives and rides well, although it could do with a sixth cog in that box. Still, we easily met the 6.2 litres per 100 km.
Oh, yes — all Vitara Brezza models now get a 5-year or 200,000 km mechanical warranty, a 4-year or 60 000 km service plan and an unlimited distance 3-year roadside assistance plan as part of the deal.
Brezza S is a Bit Seventies Cool
So there you have it. It could well be that whoever specced the Suzuki Brezza S-Edition has ducktail tendencies. For a fair proportion of the unique kit on his car panders to that bygone era. Which is pretty cool and different. S-Edition adds an interesting and alternative extra option to the Suzuki Vitara Brezza range. Something a little different. and a bit 1970s in the most surprising ways. We quite like that! – Michele Lupini
Images & Data: Giordano Lupini
ROAD TEST: Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1.5 S-Edition Engine: 77 kW 138 Nm 1.5-litre Petrol I4 Drive:5-speed manual FWD TESTED: 0-60 km/h: 4.48 sec 0-100 km/h: 10.32 sec 0-160 km/h: 31.77 sec 400m: 17.2 sec @ 128 km/h 80-120 km/h: 7.51 sec 120-160 km/h: 15.78 sec CLAIMED: VMax: 170 km/h Fuel: 6.2 l/100 km CO2: 147 g/km Warranty/Service: 5y 200K km/ 4y 60K km LIST PRICE: R289K RATED: 7
