[RoadMonkey]

Hello, forum members!

We have two cars in our garage, a '20 Polo and a '10 Ritz. The state of my Polo is well documented in this forum. I'm yet to have the BCM failure resolved. Owing to that, we have had to travel a lot on the Ritz and that has highlighted a need for its replacement. My father primarily drives the Ritz, bought it for its styling (yes!) and upright stance. He used to consider Ford Ecosport the natural upgrade to the Ritz but with Ford leaving, that's not an option.

The Ritz has aged well and runs perfectly. But after the accident, we've not felt very comfortable driving it on the highways.

The Polo has satiated our risk appetite and we are now looking for robust cars with bulletproof reliability. So unfortunately, Nexon with its AMT is not on the list.

My father's going to retire in a few years, he really loves driving and wants to travel by road as much as possible before hanging up his driving shoes. He isn't an enthusiast by any means, he enjoys the travelling aspect of driving more than the adrenaline rush, so sedate cars are okay, in fact, even preferred! He would also like to keep the car for 15, even 20 years. This is going to be his last car and he wants to make it count.

To that end, we've shortlisted the Vitara Brezza (In its Urban Cruiser avatar) and S-Cross.

Requirements

1) Comfort - The car's going to be taken out on the highway a lot, but it's also going to be used for the daily commute and city runabouts. He's at a point in life where comfort is the #1 priority.
2) Reliability - Necessary for a car that's going to do a lot of highway runs.
3) Safety - For obvious reasons.
4) Automatic - He's gotten lazy with shifting gears and after having driven the Polo AT, does not think the next purchase should be a manual.
5) Tall - It's not about the seating position, but a way to not be blinded by ever increasing high beam menace within city limits. In our low slung Polo, an oncoming Baleno on high beam with its LEDs completely blinds us. We're hoping that sitting taller will help mitigate that to some extent.

Vitara Brezza (Urban Cruiser)

+ Tall : Fits the bill. It also has the very annoying LED projectors that should make people consider lowering their high beams in exchange for less annoyance for themselves. Nobody seems to care much about the high beams of my VW Polo when I try to flash them in order to signal for low beam.
+ Reliable : MSIL. Also very popular on our roads so the spares availability and repairability scene should be better than the S-Cross'. (We've faced Ritz' spares problems at times, nobody does with a Swift!)
+ Safety : 4* GNCAP rated. Not the best, but definitely not "unsafe" either. Given that the car will be driven at 90 max, this should be sufficient.

- Ride Quality : I've heard it's not very good. I've driven the Diesel Brezza on broken roads and it was nothing to write home about. The Baleno felt better at the time.
- Generic Interiors : The interior really feels cheap and bad. Decade old Polo's interiors feels better.

S-Cross

+ Comfort : I've Test Driven the S-Cross 1.5 and the suspension is pretty good. The ride quality is very good owing to it being a crossover, rather than a pseudo SUV.
+ Premium feel : It definitely feels the better put together of the two cars.
+ Driving manners : Again, owing to a more aerodynamic shape, it should be more stable than the Brezza on open highways.

- Size : My father's concerned about the city maneuverability of the vehicle. He wants something that's easy to drive within city limits.
- Not very tall : Is the seating height enough to ensure a person doesn't go blind from the high beams of the oncoming traffic? I don't know. I TD'd it at day time.
- Concern about spare availbility in the future : While spares are available for the Ritz, they're not always in the stock of our local dealer. The clutch failed once while we were visiting family and nobody had a clutch wire for the Ritz in stock. Now I'm facing issues with the steering assembly of the same. S-Cross is about as popular in comparison to the Brezza as the Ritz was, in comparison to the Swift.

Postscript : I am not a big fan of the Smart Hybrid feature. Will unplugging the battery beneath the passenger seat affect the warranty? Is there any way to disable it for good? Can one just remove the battery and keep it outside the car? Any input will be appreciated!

The decision will be taken at the beginning of 2022. We do not want to wait for the next generation of Brezza/S-Cross. MSIL is shifting all of its cars to the HEARTECT platform and that has a sketchy record with safety. Both of these are built on the old Vitara platform, I believe. This is not about deciding which is the better car of the two, which I believe the S-Cross is. It's about finding out which car will be more appropriate for stated needs.

Thanks!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by RoadMonkey

He isn't an enthusiast by any means, he enjoys the travelling aspect of driving more than the adrenaline rush, so sedate cars are okay, in fact, even preferred! He would also like to keep the car for 15, even 20 years. This is going to be his last car and he wants to make it count.

I would pick the S-Cross AT as it is the better built and has a nicer suspension. Both cars have been around, but the Vitara Brezza feels more outdated. Frankly, you can't go wrong with either. Let your father take a 10 - 20 km test-drive in both cars. Whichever he likes more & makes him smile more is the one to buy.

Concern about spare availbility in the future

With a good-selling Maruti, you'll never have to worry for another 5 - 10 years minimum.

I am not a big fan of the Smart Hybrid feature

Just switch off the idling start / stop system via the button.

[RoadMonkey]

Originally Posted by GTO

With a good-selling Maruti, you'll never have to worry for another 5 - 10 years minimum.

But is S-Cross really a good selling Maruti though? And not like the Ritz was a sales dud. We struggle for spares at times. They're available, just not readily.

Just switch off the idling start / stop system via the button.

As far as I know, that needs to be done every time. It doesn't stay off, it is only turned off for the "session" so to speak.

[aargee]

My story dates to 2017; test rode Brezza, it felt like a glorified Sumo; SCross (1.6 then) on the other hand felt like bigger motorcycle than Honda GW.

After taking delivery, went first to our usual Temple for new vehicle rituals; same night drove the car all the way from Chennai to Shoolagiri McD as an excuse. That was when I observed, when ascending/descending from Ambur bridge (sharp right/S curve) , I was doing 110 Kmph & the car was absolutely planted on-the-road, just like a motorcycle.

Next day when I went for first service, I had a chance to meet an engineer from Nexa; when I mentioned this incident to him, he affirmed that SCross has stiffer suspension than any other Maruti/Nexa.

Even today, there're numerous barricades put up on NH45, millions of them between Chinna Salem to Salem & 100s of them on the beautiful traffic-less NH7 stretch from Madurai to Kanyakumari, all I've to blip the steering to a little left & right to get past the barricade, sometimes maintaining the speed or even if slowed; no one inside the car feels a thing.

Oh!! And yes, The car never fails to put a big smile on my face every single time.

[GreyNomad]

Voted SCross. Not only is it a better built car, it’s a much nicer feeling car. In the near to medium future, spares won’t be an issue; long term too they’ll be available, just as you’ve pointed out with the Ritz, may not be readily available. IMO a minor and infrequent irritant compared to the vastly superior ride quality and ‘feel’ inside the car.

[theAutomaniac]

Originally Posted by RoadMonkey

This is not about deciding which is the better car of the two, which I believe the S-Cross is. It's about finding out which car will be more appropriate for stated needs.

We all know it's the S-Cross if we need to choose the better car. But if one wants to see which car fits their requirements better, they should test drive the cars themselves.

That said, the Brezza is obviously the taller car but the S-Cross absolutely trumps the Brezza in all other departments. With a crossover like shape and a long length, S-Cross is also not better than Brezza in terms of city friendliness as the Brezza has a boxier shape and is also a comparatively smaller car.

However, it's the S-Cross that feels like a fresher car despite the Brezza being a comparatively newer car and the Brezza simply feels too bland on the inside. The S-Cross also is a much better built car with unmatched stability and much better comfort.

Also, I believe crash test ratings solely don't make a car safer but it's driving dynamics and braking capabilities (All Wheel Discs vs Front Wheel Discs in this case) also play a major role in providing a safer driving experience. And with that logic, the S-Cross is a far safer car.

Regarding parts, I believe the S-Cross shares plenty of parts with the Vitara Brezza and engine with every C-segment Maruti and hence I do not think spare parts availability will be a big problem.

Ending this, I would again say that your father should test drive both the cars as both the Vitara Brezza and S-Cross are very good no-nonsense cars and you can't go wrong with either of the two.

[anthusiast]

I was recently contemplating on Brezza vs S-Cross and here is what each one wins at:

S-Cross

• GC, Ingress-egress and ride

The S-Cross has a ground clearance of 180mm as against 198mm of Brezza. Though poor laid roads need a higher GC, there are some downsides of it:

1. Higher set seating position doesn't help in ingress-egress for elderly. 180mm GC suits most average height folks.
2. The dynamics of car is significantly better in S-Cross due to lower GC.
3. The doors of S-Cross (particularly rear) are wider helping in easy access
4. Also has a comfortable ride quality in comparison with lesser body roll.

• Safety features

• All 4 disc brakes against the usual 2 in Brezza.
• Gets Brake Assist resulting in a lesser stopping distance.

• Other features

• Gets a reclinable backseat
• 215 section tyres vs Brezza's 205
• Telescopic steering

• Obvious features
  • Better interior space due to longer wheelbase of 2600 vs 2500mm.
  • Better fit and finish as against ordinary cabin of Brezza
  • Looks though subjective, S-Cross looks more premium even if understated

Brezza

• Size advantages:

Being the smaller car has certain advantages in City driving:

• A 4m length and a boxy cabin is easy to drive and park in City limits.
• Lower turning radius of 5.2m vs 5.5m of S-Cross.
• A higher seating position offers a better view of the road within city.

• Ground clearance of 198 mm is preferred if driven frequently on bad roads.
• That apart, I feel a smaller car is easier to retain for longer duration of 15+ years with varying requirements along time and predominantly city usage.
• The smaller a car, more easy it can serve as a beater second car in the household. Ex: when a larger car like XUV700 arrives.

[rainmaster]

I have gone through similar evaluation criteria and picked up Urban Cruiser last week. I had to replace Dad’s Figo, crossed 214k kilometers. After several test drives with XUV 300, Ford Ecosport, WRV and S-Cross, booked S-Cross Zeta variant and waiting for delivery. While waiting for delivery, decided to check out Urban Cruiser. One lengthy test drive of Urban Cruiser had completely changed my perspective of Vitara Brezza/Urban Cruiser.

Originally Posted by RoadMonkey

Requirements

1) Comfort - The car's going to be taken out on the highway a lot, but it's also going to be used for the daily commute and city runabouts. He's at a point in life where comfort is the #1 priority.

5) Tall - It's not about the seating position, but a way to not be blinded by ever increasing high beam menace within city limits. In our low slung Polo, an oncoming Baleno on high beam with its LEDs completely blinds us. We're hoping that sitting taller will help mitigate that to some extent.

Thanks!

First thing caught my attentions was great difference in NVH levels between S-Cross and its distant cousins. Since Nexa and Toyota showrooms were in close proximity, I took same route to test drive Urban Cruiser. In S-Cross, I could hear engine sound around 60 KMPH speeds, road noise started to creep in around 80 KMPH and wind noise around 100 KMPH. Since I was coming from Figo Diesel, SCROSS NVH levels were well within my acceptable limits. But when I took Urban Cruiser to same route, put trough the paces, there was significant amount of difference in NVH between S-Cross and its cousins.

If your car will be driven in highways a lot, definitely take S-Cross to highways and check the NVH, see whether it’s in acceptable level for you. Usually we don’t get opportunity to test drive cars on highways but I would strongly recommend testing the cars om highway before making a decision. Nexa Sales Advisory and his manager were accommodative, gave me full freedom to do test drive where I want and how long I want. I had best showroom experience in NEXA than any other showroom experience during all the recent test drives I had.

Second factor tilted in Urban Cruiser favor was the sitting positions. My dad is also finding difficult to get up from low seating position after drives. Due to high seating positions, you are not completely blinded by high beam menace. Since Brezza/Urban Cruiser comes with LED Projector head lights and Fog lamps , you get more consideration and respect from opposite lane vehicles. I have rarely seen Tata Ace drivers switching to low beam when I drove Figo/Fiesta. I have to literally beg them to switch to low beam. What a relief for me , one single flash of high beam is good enough to bring some sense these drivers. I’m enjoying the night drives. Additional bonus, my spouse who loves to drive appreciate high seating positions.

Third factor – Toyota promise, Dad is in his late 60’s and this might be his last car, I want him to have a peaceful ownership experience. Dad will appreciate no nonsense Toyota service and user experience.

On the other hand , major advantage S-Cross has is on space and interior materials used. It has soft touch materials, looks like a premium vehicle when you sit inside and offers good boot space. S-Cross might be better car but for me Urban Cruiser offers me more of what I was looking for. Decided to get the car asap because of rumors that second generation Brezza will be built on “Heartect” platform.

[RoadMonkey]

Originally Posted by theAutomaniac

We all know it's the S-Cross if we need to choose the better car. But if one wants to see which car fits their requirements better, they should test drive the cars themselves.

Will do! I have already TD'd both cars, though not back to back. My father's largely going to put the decision on me even if takes a TD himself. I will still get him to take a lengthy TD and decide on which car "feels" better. When I TD'd the Brezza in 2017, it did not feel like an upgrade over the Ritz. It almost felt like a slightly wider Ritz. The driving experience was noticeably underwhelming in comparison to the Baleno - which we ended up buying at the time.

Also, I believe crash test ratings solely don't make a car safer but it's driving dynamics and braking capabilities (All Wheel Discs vs Front Wheel Discs in this case) also play a major role in providing a safer driving experience.

You're right! Thanks for pointing it out. I was overlooking the all wheel discs. That's definitely a safety feature one should have if they can.

Regarding parts, I believe the S-Cross shares plenty of parts with the Vitara Brezza and engine with every C-segment Maruti and hence I do not think spare parts availability will be a big problem.

It's not that spares aren't available, it's that they're not readily available. As I mentioned, I have struggled at times with Ritz's spares. Of course they're available at a week's notice, but dealers have Swifts' spares in their stock at all times. Same shall apply to S-Cross and Brezza I believe.

Originally Posted by anthusiast

• That apart, I feel a smaller car is easier to retain for longer duration of 15+ years with varying requirements along time and predominantly city usage.
• The smaller a car, more easy it can serve as a beater second car in the household. Ex: when a larger car like XUV700 arrives.

Those are very valid points, thanks! I'd not thought of that at all. You're right, we might look to get a 6 seater one day (in the distant future) when our family grows. A smaller car will be more useful as a city car down the line.

Originally Posted by rainmaster

First thing caught my attentions was great difference in NVH levels between S-Cross and its distant cousins. Since Nexa and Toyota showrooms were in close proximity, I took same route to test drive Urban Cruiser. In S-Cross, I could hear engine sound around 60 KMPH speeds, road noise started to creep in around 80 KMPH and wind noise around 100 KMPH. Since I was coming from Figo Diesel, SCROSS NVH levels were well within my acceptable limits. But when I took Urban Cruiser to same route, put trough the paces, there was significant amount of difference in NVH between S-Cross and its cousins.

Thanks for the input. NVH is indeed a big deal for the highway trips. I will be paying attention to the NVH during the TD. I believe one even feels more tired after trips in cars with poor NVH, there's a feeling of having traveled more than you'd feel in a car with less NVH on a similarly long drive, which makes it crucial for the "comfort" consideration.

My dad is also finding difficult to get up from low seating position after drives. Due to high seating positions, you are not completely blinded by high beam menace. Since Brezza/Urban Cruiser comes with LED Projector head lights and Fog lamps , you get more consideration and respect from opposite lane vehicles. I have rarely seen Tata Ace drivers switching to low beam when I drove Figo/Fiesta. I have to literally beg them to switch to low beam. What a relief for me , one single flash of high beam is good enough to bring some sense these drivers. I’m enjoying the night drives.

I will personally check out the throw of S-Cross' headlamps in comparison to the Brezza's. I should be able to get them both side by side and compare. I definitely want a solution to the high beam problem, it annoys me a lot more than it should to be honest. A car which can help me force others into a low beam will definitely be good for my cardiovascular health.

Decided to get the car asap because of rumors that second generation Brezza will be built on “Heartect” platform.

Hi5!! I totally understand that concern. We can easily postpone the purchase of a new vehicle by a year, but it's the worry of not having a single safe, reliable, tall car in the range of 12-15L that's causing us to consider buying one.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by RoadMonkey

- Not very tall : Is the seating height enough to ensure a person doesn't go blind from the high beams of the oncoming traffic? I don't know. I TD'd it at day time.

To be completely immune from High Beam Glare, you will need something like a Tata 407!

Coming back to the point, as per my evaluation, the S-Cross is clearly superior than the Brezza.
Interiors are better, Space is better, Ride Quality & Handling is also Better.

[BoneCollector]

Since you'll be getting a petrol one, I'll not compare the turbo kick which the Brezza gives or the NVH. I've voted for the S-Cross. Why? Well, read on.

Brezza -

I've owned the Brezza for nearly 5 and half years. Mine is a ZDi+ delivered in 1st week of May 2016. It gives a smile whenever I drive it. It's a highway car for me and have done long trips in it without much tiredness. It's strong too considering I was sandwiched between a truck and a Scorpio after rear ending by truck. No injuries to anyone. The car is back in shape after repairs and doing good.

Pros -

• View is commanding.
• Easy egress and ingress for elderly too.
• Handles broken roads comfortably, though you need to be in the right speed.
• And many more.

Cons -

• The boot is small. It should have been bigger. Blame it in the sub 4 meter stupidity.
• NVH in diesel, although petrol is silent I guess.
• Not a great handler when compared to S-Cross.

S-Cross -

There is no substitute for the stonker 1.6L DDiS. Period.
I never liked the S-Cross in its previous avatar. Had the facelift been on sale when I went for purchase, I would have picked it up. My elder brother has a 3 year old S-Cross Alpha 1.3 SHVS. That car is super planted. One of the best handling cars I've driven.

Pros -

• Well built.
• Superb handling.
• Better braking than Brezza.
• Huge amount of space all around.

Cons -

• Lower ground clearance than Brezza.
• Slower pickup I guess.

I don't have much to write about cons of S-Cross. S-Cross may he a failure in eyes of Maruti but when you compare it with other companies, it sells pretty well.

[car_guy1998]

If I were you, I'd go for the S-Cross eyes closed.

Hands down, it is my favourite Maruti in recent times and looks much better than the Brezza, which I felt bored of seeing it on roads, to my eyes.

And, it has rear disk brakes as well as better ride quality and has better rear seat space and comfort and finally, I found the S-Cross interiors better than the Brezza.

IMO, I felt S-Cross to be better built than Brezza, which I felt its doors flimsy, despite Brezza scoring 4 stars in GNCAP.

One of my college mates own a 2019 S-Cross Alpha Diesel, which he bought exchanging his 2015 Ertiga VDI as his family felt that 7 seater is not required anymore, and he couldn't be happier with his S-Cross. His car has run nearly 45-50k Kms and did numerous trips to Maharashtra, which is his hometown and few trips to Pune as well.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

IMO, I felt S-Cross to be better built than Brezza, which I felt its doors flimsy, despite Brezza scoring 4 stars in GNCAP.

As per my assessment, the door panels of the S-Cross 'flex' quite a bit with a finger tip force.
And Surprisingly, I found the panels of the XL6 to have slightly lesser flex.

Secondly, there have been some reports of Maruti having removed structural elements from the S-Cross.
We simply cannot assume that it is safer/stronger than the Brezza.

An excellent post from our resident Maruti Suzuki Guru Leoshashi around this topic:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5004854 (Maruti S-Cross 1.5L Petrol : Official Review)


Nevertheless, despite all of these 'doubts', I would still rank the S-Cross above the Brezza, as it is markedly superior in several other aspects.

[Reality]

We have both cars with the 1.3 DDIS. They return identical mileage and power. The Cross offers more space and feels slightly more premium. Whereas the Brezza has a more commanding driving position the negatives being a smaller boot and leg space. You cannot go wrong with either. I would pick the Cross simply as i did back then in 2017, it is more car for the money.

[RoadMonkey]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

As per my assessment, the door panels of the S-Cross 'flex' quite a bit with a finger tip force.
And Surprisingly, I found the panels of the XL6 to have slightly lesser flex.

Secondly, there have been some reports of Maruti having removed structural elements from the S-Cross.
We simply cannot assume that it is safer/stronger than the Brezza.

An excellent post from our resident Maruti Suzuki Guru Leoshashi around this topic:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post5004854 (Maruti S-Cross 1.5L Petrol : Official Review)


Nevertheless, despite all of these 'doubts', I would still rank the S-Cross above the Brezza, as it is markedly superior in several other aspects.

Panel flex is not a measure of how safe a car is. Case in point, the Etios is a light car with thin metal sheets but scored 4 stars in GNCAP. Structural integrity is what determines the safety of a car. Honestly, as long as the panels don't develop dimples and dents as easily as my Baleno did, I don't care for it.

Maruti's marketing team insists the S-Cross is based on HEARTECT platform, it was @Leoshashi himself who'd convinced me and others that it indeed is the Global - C platform - the same as Brezza.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...ml#post4918321 (Maruti S-Cross 1.5L Petrol : Official Review)

Although I agree we should not judge a car to be safe without it having been crash tested, but I honestly do not think MSIL would make a car on the same platform as the Brezza and make it worse than a cheaper sibling. The structural differences are with the European variant, that's pretty much standard given that European safety norms are very strict. Even the European Baleno is reasonably safe.