This is India’s most POWERFUL Maruti Vitara Brezza compact SUV

Pete’s of Kochi has remapped the diesel powered Maruti Vitara Brezza. While the stock version of the compact SUV produces 89 Bhp-200 Nm from its 1.3 liter turbo diesel engine, the remapped version outputs 115 Bhp-255 Nm, making it the most powerful Vitara Brezza in India.

The new state of tune represents a full 25 Bhp-55 Nm increase, which is more than a 25 % bump-up. While top speed of the vehicle may not go up due to the gearing remaining unchanged, the time that the tuned Brezza takes to get there will reduce significantly. More importantly, the compact SUV will be much more fun to drive.

Better driveability and more torque at lower rpm are two key reasons why car owners opt for remaps. Turbo diesel/turbo petrol cars with remaps generally feel better to drive due to reduced turbo lag in most cases. If you want to opt for a remap, you’ve got to sit with the tuner and explain what exactly you want as a remap can be tailored to your specific needs and driving habits.

For instance, someone driving a lot on city roads would prefer more low end and midrange power while others who like to hit the highways will want better mid-range and top-end performance. A remap, especially if done on a car with a variable geometry turbocharger, can be tweaked to meet both requirements. Remaps do come with a fair share of dangers though.

Dangers of remaps that your tuner may not tell you…

For one, they’re illegal. Any modification to the car’s stock power and torque figures, if not certified by a governmental agency such as ARAI, is not legal. However, since remaps are unseen (as they’re essentially computer codes operating within the car’s ECU), most if not all owners get away with remapping their cars.

Kiss your warranty away (but only if the remap is detected).  Luxury car service centers can easily detect a remap if they want to as they have sophisticated diagnostic equipment. This equipment is generally used to check for ECU code manipulation before approving warranty claims, and at such times, remaps can be detected, and warranty denied.

If the car’s not 100 % mechanically sound, a remap can easily cause major part failure. For instance, a weaker turbo may fail faster with a remap rather than on the stock map. The same goes with other parts such as injectors, turbo seals and other allied components. So, before a remap, you first need to ensure that your car’s engine and transmission is in good condition.

Engine wear is likely to be higher on a remap than on a stock map. However, most owners who drive the remapped car for under 100,000 Kms before selling it and buying one may not really realize this. The harmful effects of a remap become apparent as the engine ages significantly. It’s like smokers not feeling the harmful effects of tobacco when they’re younger.