Outgoing Suzuki Vitara Brezza expected to depart by May based on current stock levels
Suzuki Auto South Africa has confirmed what many had expected in that it won’t be offering the new Brezza in South Africa.
The model that provided the base for the Toyota Urban Cruiser as part of the joint venture agreement the former has with it’s Maruti division in India, the unveiling of the new Brezza in July last year, sans the Vitara prefix, immediately ignited speculation that it could continue in South Africa with the onset of 2023.
Toyota’s shock announcement months later that the Urban Cruiser would not renewed for a second generation though was thought to have little bearing on the Brezza as it confirmed at the State of the Motor Industry conference last month that Urban Cruiser Hyryder, sans the latter prefix, would indirectly replace the Urban Cruiser from later this year.
ALSO READ: No more urban cruising: Toyota ends Urban Cruiser in India
Despite confirming the arrival of the Urban Cruiser’s twin, the revived Grand Vitara and the coupe-styled Fronx for South Africa this year, Suzuki South Africa’s Brand Marketing Manager, Brendon Carpenter, remarked that the position currently being occupied by the Vitara Brezza, won’t be filed by the larger, new Brezza as it was not deemed an export model.
“As it stands, we have around three months’ worth of Vitara Brezza stock available in the network,” Carpenter told IOL Motoring in an interview this past Monday (27 February).
At the same time, reports from India have alleged that while Suzuki will be embarking on a mass product roll-out this year consisting of at least two new seven-seat models, including a three-row Grand Vitara, a model positioned below the Brezza has not attracted much attention.
According to a report by gaadwaadi.com two weeks ago, the Brezza, which had been India’s best-selling vehicle in Vitara Brezza guise for half-a-decade, has proved to be a massive success as waiting periods currently extend between eight to ten months depending on the selected trim level.
While very much speculation at present, chances are that Suzuki Auto South Africa could make an announcement regarding the Vitara Brezza and it’s plans for the segment once the eventual stock allocation runs-out in May.
For now, pricing for the Vitara Brezza starts at R262 900 for the entry-level GL and ends at R329 900 for the flagship GLX automatic.
Like the Urban Cruiser, power comes from the Suzuki’s 1.5 K15B petrol engine that delivers 77kW/138Nm to the front wheels via a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
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