Maruti Suzuki India is gearing up expand its 10-strong CNG model range with the CNG version of its high-selling Brezza compact SUV. With the rollout of the new variant, the Maruti Brezza will become India’s first SUV to come with a factory-fitted CNG kit. Introduced in 2016, the Brezza was initially sold as a diesel-only model and then switched to a petrol engine in 2020.

While the company is yet to officially announce details of the Brezza CNG, information leaked on the internet suggests that the price announcement and launch for Maruti’s first CNG SUV are near. A list of the expected variants shows that the CNG iteration of the Brezza could share its variant line-up with its petrol-powered sibling. This indicates that Maruti is readying a CNG automatic powertrain for the Brezza.

Since its exit from the diesel market in April 2020 and to fill the sales vacuum created, Maruti Suzuki has been aggressively driving adoption of CNG models in the Indian market to convert prospective diesel vehicle buyers. Also, high prices of petrol and diesel have seen a portion of the PV market shift to CNG-powered vehicles.

The company’s existing CNG portfolio comprises the Alto, Wagon R, Celerio, Dzire, Ertiga, Eeco, Super Carry, Tour-S and Tour H3, Swift and the S-Presso. Maruti Suzuki’s CNG sales have grown from 76,000 units in FY2018 to over 264,000 units in FY2022, registering 63% YoY growth over FY2021’s 162,000 units. The Brezza will become the 11th model in its CNG portfolio.

Brezza CNG to get automatic transmission
While the Brezza was already expected to get a CNG option, the inclusion of an automatic variant confirms the carmaker's aggressive push to promote its CNG range in India. While the SUV’s technical details are not yet out, sources tell Autocar India that the Brezza CNG will come equipped with the same 1.5-litre K15C DualJet engine that also does duty in the Ertiga CNG. This means, it could see a drop in power to 87hp from the standard Brezza petrol's 100hp.  

Expected pricing
The Brezza petrol manual’s sticker price currently starts at Rs 799,000 and tops out at Rs 12.30 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The CNG-powered version is likely to cost around Rs 75,000 more, indicating that the Brezza CNG MT could be priced between Rs 874,000-13.05 lakh (estimated).

Similarly, as the Brezza petrol automatic starts at Rs 10.97 lakh and costs Rs 13.80 lakh for the top-spec variant, expect the Brezza CNG automatic to start at around Rs 11.72 lakh and go up to Rs 14.55 lakh (estimated, ex-showroom). What's interesting to note is that the Grand Vitara-based Toyota Hyryder strong hybrid starts at Rs 15.11 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki continues to have a ‘problem of plenty’ – as of end-September 2022, the company had cumulative pending orders of an estimated 450,000 units. Its CNG models account for an estimated 125,000 units of this backlog. 

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