Let me start by saying I was never a CNG person. You know the type. The ones who think CNG cars are slow, unsafe, and only for taxi drivers. I used to laugh at my friend who bought a CNG sedan back in 2019. He would take forever to overtake a tractor. But then petrol hit hundred rupees per litre, and suddenly I was not laughing anymore. So when Maruti sent me the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG for a week-long test, I decided to keep an open mind. And honestly? I ended up surprising myself.
First things first. Why the ZXI trim? Why not the base LXI or the top-end ZXI Plus? Because the LXI is too barebones. You do not get a touchscreen, you do not get alloy wheels, and the steering wheel feels like it belongs in a van. The ZXI Plus is lovely but expensive. The 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG sits right in the middle. You get the important stuff like the seven-inch screen, automatic climate control, rear camera, and six airbags. You do not get a sunroof, but frankly, in Indian summers, a sunroof is just a glass ceiling that heats your head. So the ZXI trim is the sensible choice. And when you add CNG to that sensible choice, you get something very interesting.
The moment you sit inside the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG, it feels like a normal Brezza. That is a good thing. The seats are firm but not hard. The driving position is high, which gives you a good view of the bonnet. I am five foot nine, and I could see the traffic ahead without craning my neck. The steering wheel has buttons for volume and calls. The gear lever falls right into your palm. Nothing fancy. Nothing broken. It just works. My wife, who knows nothing about cars, sat in the passenger seat and said, "This feels nice." That is the kind of endorsement that matters more than any spec sheet.
Now let us talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the cylinder in the boot. The 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG has a vertical CNG cylinder. What does that mean for you? It means you lose about half your boot space. You can fit two small suitcases or four grocery bags. You cannot fit a large stroller and a suitcase together. If you have a family of four and you plan a week-long trip to Goa, you will need to pack light or use a roof carrier. I measured it roughly. The remaining space is enough for daily school bags and weekend trips. But if you are someone who carries camera equipment or large toolboxes, think twice. That said, Maruti has given a space-saver spare wheel, so you are not stranded if you get a puncture. I checked under the floor. It is there. Small but there.
Driving the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG in the city is where this car earns its salary. I drove it from Andheri to Bandra in Mumbai rush hour. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. The clutch is light. The steering is light. You do not feel tired after an hour of crawling traffic. In CNG mode, the engine makes about 87 horsepower. That sounds low on paper. But here is the thing. In city traffic, you never use full power anyway. You are moving from one red light to another. The car pulls away cleanly in first and second gear. No stalling. No jerking. I actually forgot I was driving a CNG car until I looked at the fuel gauge. The transition between petrol and CNG is smooth. There is a small button on the dashboard. You press it, and after two seconds, the engine note changes slightly. That is it. No thud. No drama.
But then I took the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG on the Mumbai-Pune expressway. And this is where you notice the limitations. Overtaking a slow truck on an uphill gradient requires planning. You cannot just floor the accelerator and expect to zoom past. You need to build speed in third gear, then shift to fourth, and then commit. If you are in CNG mode and you run out of momentum, you will be stuck behind that truck for a while. The solution? Switch to petrol mode before overtaking. That gives you the full 103 horsepower. Once you are past, switch back to CNG. It takes five seconds. Annoying? A little. But you get used to it after two or three overtakes. I did.
Now the main reason anyone buys the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG. Fuel cost. I drove exactly 340 kilometers over four days. Mixed driving. Sixty percent city, forty percent highway. I filled CNG twice. The first fill cost me 480 rupees. The second fill cost me 510 rupees. Total 990 rupees for 340 kilometers. That comes to roughly 2.9 rupees per kilometer. My own petrol car gives me 7 rupees per kilometer. Do the math. If you drive 1500 kilometers per month, you save about 6000 rupees every month. That is 72,000 rupees in a year. After two years, the car has effectively paid for the price difference between the petrol and CNG version. This is not a small saving. This is real money that can go into your child's school fees or your monthly grocery bill.
Is the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG perfect? No. And I want to be honest because too many reviews only tell you the good parts. Here are three things that annoyed me.
First, the engine feels noisy in CNG mode when you rev it past 3000 RPM. Inside the cabin with windows closed, it is fine. But if you roll down the window next to a divider, you hear a distinct ticking sound. It is not broken. That is just how CNG engines sound. But if you are used to silent petrol engines, it might bother you initially.
Second, the rear seat does not have adjustable headrests. The ZXI trim gives you fixed headrests. For tall passengers above six feet, the headrest sits too low. My friend who is six foot two complained after an hour. The ZXI Plus gets adjustable headrests. So Maruti knows this is an issue but keeps it for the expensive trim. Annoying.
Third, the infotainment system sometimes lags. The seven-inch screen is fine most of the time. But when you connect wireless Android Auto, there is a delay of two to three seconds between pressing a button and the screen responding. Wired connection is faster. I used a cable and the lag disappeared. So just use a cable.
Now let me tell you a small story. My neighbor, Mr. Sharma, bought the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG two months ago. He is a school teacher. He drives from Ghaziabad to South Delhi every day. That is 70 kilometers round trip. He told me last week that his monthly fuel bill has dropped from 11,000 rupees to 4,200 rupees. He also told me that he no longer worries about traffic jams because idling in CNG mode burns very little fuel. He uses the saved money to buy books for his students. When I heard that, I realized that this car is not about 0 to 100 times or boot space or sunroofs. It is about giving normal people their money back.
Safety wise, the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG gets six airbags. That is standard now. It also gets electronic stability control and hill hold. I tested hill hold on a steep ramp in a mall parking lot. The car held for two seconds after I released the brake. Enough time to move my foot to the accelerator. No rolling back. The rear camera has dynamic guidelines that move when you turn the steering wheel. The display is clear even at night. I reverse parked in a dark lane and the camera showed enough detail. Maruti has improved a lot in safety compared to five years ago. I remember when Brezza used to come with two airbags. Now six is standard across all trims. That is genuine progress.
One question people keep asking me. Should you buy the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG if you live in a hilly area like Shimla or Manali? My honest answer is no. The reduced torque in CNG mode makes climbing steep inclines a struggle. You will need to stay in first gear for long stretches, and the engine will feel strained. If you live in the plains, it is perfectly fine. If you live in the hills, buy the petrol version or look at a diesel car from another brand.
Another question. How often do you need to service the CNG system? Maruti recommends a CNG filter check every 10,000 kilometers. The spark plugs need replacement every 30,000 kilometers instead of 40,000 kilometers for the petrol version. The service cost is about 500 to 800 rupees higher per service. That is negligible compared to the fuel savings. The bigger inconvenience is that not every roadside mechanic understands CNG systems. You need to go to an authorized Maruti service centre. Fortunately, Maruti has the largest network in India. Even in small towns, you will find one within 30 kilometers.
Let me talk about the colours. The 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG looks best in Brave Khaki. That is the matte greenish shade. It hides dust well and looks rugged. White is safe and resale friendly. Silver is boring. Do not buy silver. The ZXI trim gets 16 inch alloy wheels. They are not the flashy diamond cut ones from the ZXI Plus, but they look decent. The LED headlights are bright. High beam throw is good for dark roads. Low beam has a sharp cut off, which is good for not blinding oncoming traffic.
After a full week with the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG, here is my final verdict. If you drive less than 1000 kilometers per month, buy the petrol version. The extra cost of CNG will not pay back quickly. If you drive more than 1500 kilometers per month, especially in city traffic, this car is a no brainer. You accept the smaller boot. You accept the slower overtakes. You accept the occasional engine noise. In return, you get to keep thousands of rupees in your pocket every month. For a middle class family in India, that trade off is worth it. Mr. Sharma agrees. And after driving it for a week, so do I.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the on road price of the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG in Delhi?
In Delhi, the ex showroom price is approximately 12.4 lakh rupees. After adding registration, road tax, and insurance, the on road price comes to around 14 to 14.3 lakh rupees. Prices vary by city because of different state taxes. In Mumbai it will be slightly higher. In Bangalore it will be much higher because of road tax.
Does the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG have an automatic transmission option?
No. Maruti Suzuki only offers the CNG version with a five speed manual transmission. If you want an automatic, you have to buy the petrol only version which gets a six speed torque converter or a five speed automated manual transmission depending on the trim. The company has not launched a CNG automatic yet.
How much boot space is left after fitting the CNG cylinder?
Maruti has not given an exact litre figure, but from my measurement, you get roughly 200 to 250 litres of usable space. The standard Brezza petrol has 328 litres. So you lose about 80 to 100 litres. A large suitcase is about 80 litres. So you can fit one large suitcase and one small duffel bag. You cannot fit two large suitcases.
Can I install an aftermarket CNG kit on the petrol Brezza instead of buying the factory one?
Technically you can, but I strongly advise against it. An aftermarket kit will void your factory warranty. It will also not have the same safety features like thermal sensors and automatic gas shutoff. The engine tuning will not be optimized. And many states do not allow aftermarket CNG registration anymore. Just buy the factory fitted one. The extra cost is worth the peace of mind.
What is the fuel tank capacity of the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG?
The petrol tank holds 45 litres. The CNG cylinder has a water capacity of 55 litres, but it holds approximately 11 to 12 kilograms of compressed natural gas depending on the pressure at the filling station. Combined range is over 800 kilometres if you drive sensibly. Some owners have reported 850 kilometres on a full tank of petrol and full CNG cylinder together.
Is the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG good for a first time car buyer?
Yes, but with one condition. If you are a first time buyer and you are not confident about driving a manual transmission, practice first. The clutch is light but you still need to manage gear changes. Also understand that CNG pumps are not as common as petrol pumps. In your city, check how many CNG stations are nearby. If there is only one and it always has a long queue, reconsider. Otherwise, for a first time buyer on a budget, this is an excellent choice.
How long does the warranty last on the CNG components?
Maruti Suzuki gives a standard warranty of three years or one lakh kilometres, whichever comes first. This warranty covers the CNG cylinder, the pressure regulator, the gas injectors, and all related piping. You can extend the warranty to five years by paying an additional amount at the time of purchase. I recommend buying the extended warranty because CNG components are expensive to replace.
Does the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG feel underpowered with four people inside?
Yes, it does feel different. With the driver alone, the car feels fine. With four adults and some luggage, you will notice that you need to press the accelerator more. On flat roads, it manages. On uphill sections, you will need to downshift earlier than you would in a petrol car. The car does not feel dangerously slow. It just feels like a small engine working hard. Switch to petrol mode if you have a full load and you need to climb a hill.
What are the service intervals for this car?
Maruti recommends servicing every 10,000 kilometres or one year, whichever comes first. The first service is at 1000 kilometres or one month, but that is just a general checkup. The first paid service is at 10,000 kilometres. During each service, the technician will check the CNG system for leaks, clean the air filter, and inspect the gas lines. Keep your service records safe because warranty claims on the CNG system require proof of regular maintenance.
Should I wait for a facelift or buy the 2024 Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI CNG now?
The current Brezza was launched in 2022. A major facelift is not expected until late 2026 or 2027. The 2024 model is fresh. If you need a car now, buy it now. Waiting two years for a possible facelift does not make sense. Prices will only go up. And the CNG technology in the current car is already very mature. There is no rumour of a major CNG related update coming soon. So go ahead and test drive it this weekend.
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