Maruti Suzuki Brezza Boosterjet Review: Why A Turbo Petrol Now?

At first glance, it is hard to spot the 'facelift' in the Brezza facelift. It's got the same dual-projector LED headlamps but the LED foglamps are now circular and get an angular housing. Visually, it looks like it has been borrowed from the Victoris SUV. The car we drove had a Persona package (add-on), which meant there were red accents on the front grille, lower bumper, body cladding, and rear bumper. The standard car gets dark chrome accents on the front grille instead. The Persona package also adds a 'Turbo Boosterjet' vinyl sticker on the rear quarter glass.

The design of the 16-inch alloy wheels has also been updated, but broadly the 2026 Brezza looks similar to the version which it has replaced. Maruti Suzuki has introduced two new colour options to incentivise new buyers. They are called Vivacious Orange and Lustrous Beige.

Once again, the cabin has not undergone any major changes, but the feature upgrades here are worth discussing. In terms of design, you now get to see a new soft-touch dashboard insert in a brown shade. The rest is a mix of black hard plastics and piano-black accents. The same black-and-brown dual-tone theme is carried onto the leatherette seat upholstery. The headliner gets a light grey colour, which makes the cabin look more cost-conscious than rivals.

For the 2026 Brezza, Maruti Suzuki has also upgraded the feature list. It now gets ventilated front seats, a wireless mobile charger, 64-colour ambient lighting and a 360-degree parking camera. All these features enhance the driving experience when compared to the earlier version of the Brezza.

The new 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen has a sharp resolution and better graphics than before. We have experienced it earlier in the Victoris, and its performance is satisfactory on all fronts. The Brezza always had a handsome feature list, and it continues to get the electric sunroof, heads-up display, and Arkamys audio system along with other features from the older version.

For the 2026 Brezza, Maruti Suzuki has done something clever in terms of safety. While the facelifted SUV does not get an ADAS safety system, it does get radars that enable ADAS-like safety features.

The radars are placed at the rear, enabling the Brezza to feature alert systems such as blind-spot warning, lane change alert, safe exit warning and rear cross-traffic alert. These functions improve the SUV's overall driveability and sense of safety. Moreover, the Brezza now gets a 5-star crash safety rating from Bharat NCAP. Features such as 6 airbags, hill hold assist, tyre pressure monitoring system and reverse parking sensors are standard as well.

The new 1.0-litre Turbocharged Boosterjet petrol engine is the most significant update in the Brezza facelift. The second most significant is the introduction of the new 6-speed manual gearbox. The engine produces 110 PS of power and 170 Nm of torque. That is a higher output than the standard K15C naturally aspirated motor, which is still on offer as a petrol mild-hybrid or with the S-CNG bi-fuel option.

As a result, the Brezza now feels more punchy when you push hard on the accelerator. Don't get us wrong, it does not snap into action by any measure and does not feel overwhelming at full tap. The acceleration is still linear but feels more lively than before. Low-speed behaviour has improved due to its higher torque and the clutch action is light, in a typical Maruti Suzuki fashion.

The SUV can achieve expressway speeds effortlessly and the engine does not feel stressed at triple-digit speeds thanks to the 6th gear. However, the Brezza tends to feel uncomfortable during sudden direction changes at higher speeds, this means pushing it will not feel very rewarding. Considering it is designed to be a family car, the comfort-oriented suspension makes it suitable for civilised driving at all times.

Another odd thing about the Brezza Boosterjet is that it is only offered with the 6-speed manual gearbox. For an automatic Brezza, buyers still have to choose the 1.5-litre petrol engine, which does not feel as punchy as the turbo petrol.

As we mentioned earlier, the new Brezza facelift has a lower price tag than before. It now starts at Rs 7.40 lakh (ex-showroom), thanks to the new Boosterjet engine option. This is because, with a 998cc engine option, Maruti Suzuki has bypassed the 40 percent GST tax rate applied to petrol vehicles above 1,200cc. With a lower 18 percent GST on the 1.0-litre turbo petrol, the Brezza is now more affordable despite several improvements.

If you are looking to upgrade from a hatchback or economy sedan, the Brezza facelift offers meaningful upgrades to an already lucrative proposition. The Brezza Boosterjet in particular adds an important ingredient that had been missing from the SUV, which is driving engagement. While it may not be the most thrilling SUV to drive in its segment, it is a step in the right direction. For everything else, you still have the standard K15C Brezza.