Maruti Suzuki Brezza Turbo: Now with more punch!

It’s wild when you think about it — the Maruti Suzuki Brezza remains one of the best selling compact SUVs in an incredibly competitive market, and it does so with one engine. An engine, that excludes it from the lower tax rates for sub-4m cars. The 1.5-litre K15C engine is larger than the 1.2-litre cap and so no lower 18 per cent tax rate. And this is while rivals have multiple drivetrains that comply with the norms. In a bid to increase its stronghold on the segment, Maruti has introduced the 1-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol engine in to the Brezza line up. Oh, and there’s a feature infusion in there too.

The Brezza now gets contrast elements all over the car

2026 Maruti Suzuki Brezza Styling

I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a facelift as the face remains the same — you just get a few new touches on it. The Brezza now gets contrast elements all over the car including the grille, both front and rear bumpers and the wheel arches. I’m not a fan — it looks more like an afterthought than being fully integrated in to the design. The good thing is, not all colours offer it and not all variants offer it so you can get a Brezza without the accents. There is also a new wheel design, and a smattering of turbo badges and stickers all over.

2026 Maruti Suzuki Brezza interior

The changes on the inside are just as subtle. The dash trim and upholstery colours have been mildly updated, the screen is now larger — from 9-inches it is now 10.1-inches — inherited from the Victoris. Another feature inherited from the Victoris are the ventilated front seats, and the air purifier with live AQI readout and 64 colour ambient lighting. That aside, the Brezza continues with features like the single pane sunroof, wireless phone charger and 360-degree camera. Another development is in the boot. Not so relevant to the turbo car, but the CNG version (which is based on the 1.5 nat-asp engine) gets underfloor tanks giving you a perfectly usable boot. Since this is a mild update, wheelbase and dimensions remain the same and therefore space on the inside remains the same as well.

2026 Maruti Suzuki Brezza engine

This is the heart of what is new on the Brezza. Maruti Suzuki has introduced the new 1.0 Boosterjet engine from the Fronx in this compact SUV. Power and torque is slightly increased from what it makes in the Fronx. The Brezza’s outputs stand at 109bhp and 170Nm — 10bhp and 22Nm more than the Fronx’s. That has been done with some tweaks to the intake side of things with the turbo. More significant is the comparison with the 1.5 nat-asp engine that already does duty in the Brezza. The Boosterjet makes 7bhp more and 31Nm more — the torque, and how low the torque comes in, being the significant number here.

What that does for the driving experience is give you a Brezza with more punch. Overtakes are easier and getting the Brezza up to highway speeds is more effortless. The 1.5 engine, being a naturally aspirated unit, had to rely be revved a lot to get the most out of it. This engine on the other hand, comes alive with peak torque at 2000rpm itself and gives you strong shove. Boost comes on linearly and it isn’t a sudden spooling of the turbo, but that aids drivability. It is a three-cylinder unit and is rather refined for one, certainly smoother than the likes of the 1.0 TSI from the Skoda Kylaq. In the same breath, I must mention that the TSI shows a lot more urgency in the way it delivers performance.

The 1.0 turbo in the Brezza comes mated exclusively to a 6-speed MT for now. No AT on offer. The manual is a nice one — slightly longer throws than what we’re used to with a Maruti but works seamlessly. The light shift action and clutch make it easy to use in traffic as well. The engine-gearbox combo works well in stop start traffic as well — mind you this comes with the mild-hybrid system too — and it is easy to drive. We didn’t get a chance to do a full fuel economy test but expect economy to be slightly lower than the nat-asp car. Particularly since it actually enjoys being revved out and you will be doing that more often to revel in its performance.

2026 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ride and handling

The Brezza stays fundamentally the same. The dimensions and set up are the same as before — with mild tweaks to the suspension to compensate for the difference in weight of the new engine. Ride quality remains robust, with a slight firmness to it but with a sense of solidity and heft. The handling is safe, but the steering still feels a little dull. The Brezza remains an all rounder with a wide breath of ability. Despite the new turbo engine, I wouldn’t say this is the enthusiast’s choice in the segment — that still goes to the likes of the Kylaq or Mahindra XUV 3XO. The dynamics may not have changed too much, but the new engine certainly pushes the Brezza closer to that lot.

2026 Maruti Suzuki Brezza prices and verdict

When the diesel vacated the Brezza line up, two things happened. One, it got slotted in to the higher tax bracket. Second, it lost a lot of its torquey nature. The new 1.5 engine, while lightly refined, just didn’t have the guts to pull it along with the same intent the diesel did. The 1.0 Boosterjet is an attempt to change that. It does bring back the torque. Of course, not as much and not with the same character of the diesel, but it gives the Brezza a little more punch and a little more zing. The turbo Brezza starts right from the Lxi variant, with prices starting from ₹7.4 lakh (ex-showroom), going up to ₹11.15 lakh for the top-spec variant with the turbocharged engine. If the Brezza was on your radar, you now have another engine option that makes the car feel a lot more versatile and effortless. And that’s always a good thing!