Maruti Next Gen Ertiga 2018 Is Here: Can It Beat the Competition?
Can Maruti Suzuki’s Next Gen Ertiga, beat its competitors Mahindra Marazzo and Honda BRV?
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Maruti Suzuki’s much awaited MUV: Multi Utility Vehicle, Ertiga is here. This new MPV from Maruti Suzuki, is an attempt to woo the young and dynamic car buyers. The car looks young, refreshing and has new engine to boast of. But can it beat it’s competitors Mahindra Marazzo and Honda BRV?
So first, let’s see what the car has to offer, I mean features:
Design & Looks
The 2018 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is already on sale in Indonesia. It has got a complete makeover. It now comes with projector headlamps and a new grille with chrome inserts. The front actually looks a lot like a smaller Toyota Innova Crysta. The top-end models get 15-inch alloy wheels.
At the rear, the vehicle has got an all-new look, with L-shaped LED tail-lamps that run up the C-pillar. It is slightly reminiscent of Honda / Volvo tail-lamp designs in recent years. The hatch has been redesigned and the rear-glass slopes a bit more, freeing up a little more interior space.
Features & Interiors
The inside of the Ertiga has been spruced up with a new-look sculpted dashboard. The way the AC vents blend with the dash in a seamless look is interesting. It gets a wood, beige and black plastic colour scheme inside.
The ZXi Plus and ZDi Plus models get a smart-play infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple Car Play, GPS navigation and reverse camera integration. The other big change is that the Z series models also get automatic climate control and push-button ignition.
The feature list has been bumped up a bit on the lower variants too, with tilt-steering and parking sensors even on the base model. The third row of seats can recline independently, while the middle row can be pushed forward or back to free up more legroom.
The Engines
The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga now comes with a new 1.5 litre petrol engine that puts out 105 PS of power and 138 Nm of torque. This engine is mated to either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed torque-converter automatic depending on the variant. Earlier the Ertiga came with a 1.4 litre petrol model that put out 94 PS power and 130 Nm torque.
The diesel models continue to be powered by a 1.3 litre multi-jet four-cylinder motor putting out 90 PS of power and 200 Nm of torque. This comes with a five-speed manual transmission only.
What's different is that both the petrol and diesel models come with Maruti's SHVS (Suzuki Hybrid Vehicle System) – which is essentially a mild-hybrid starter-generator start-stop system that automatically switches off the motor at idle and gives some electric-assist on acceleration. This helps in fuel efficiency.
Speaking of which, the official mileage figures are 19.34 Kmpl for the petrol manual, 18.69 Kmpl for the petrol automatic and 25.47 Kmpl for the diesel variant.
Stay tuned for a full review of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga soon.
Prices of the 2018 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
Petrol Models
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga LXi: Rs 7,44,000
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga VXi: Rs 8,16,000
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZXi: Rs 8,99,000
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZXi+: Rs 9,50,000
Petrol Automatic
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga VXi: Rs 9,18,000
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZXi: Rs 9,95,000
Diesel Models
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga LDi: Rs 8,84,000
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga VDi: Rs 9,56,000
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZDi: Rs 10,39,000
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZDi+: Rs 10,90,000
To meet the upcoming emissions and safety requirements, all variants of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga now come with ABS and dual airbags as standard equipment. This seven-seat MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) now gets a new 1.5 litre petrol engine (replacing the older 1.4 litre petrol), while the diesel model continues with a 1.3 litre four-cylinder multijet diesel.
But, is the Next Gen Ertiga really worth the hype? BTech Babua and Guruji find out.
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