Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Price in India

 

The market for estate or weekend cars has never really taken off in

India. Many manufacturers have tried their hand at convincing Indian

car buyers that an estate makes more sense if you are keen on

travelling with your entire family and its luggage.

 

Fiat was amongst the first with the Palio Weekend, Maruti tried too

with the Baleno Altura and so did Tata Motors. In fact, Tata Motors’

punch line – “Because we like to carry our world with us” – for the

Indigo Marina, was not really off the mark in terms of its import, but

the car just couldn’t capture the imagination of buyers looking for

versatility and space.

 

However, the fact is that there have always been a small section of

buyers for multi-purpose vehicles for their road presence and the fact

that they came with diesel engines. It is also true that we Indians

still want to carry our world with us and that includes our extended

families. With many nuclear families even in the current ‘neo-urban’

context being larger than five members, the need for a six or seven

seater passenger vehicle has been and continues to be there.

 

EXTERIORS

 

There is no mistaking the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga as anything but Japanese. Right from

the large swept back headlights, the sporty bumper with the massive

air dam and minimal overhangs, the Ertiga reeks of Japanese lines all

over. Look at it from any angle but the side and the Ertiga manages to

hide its length very well. Its only when you look at it side on that

you realise how long the car really is.

 

The bold wheel arches add a lot of character and blend quite well with

the overall design, however, they also highlight the small wheels

which don’t really gel well with snazzy design. Bigger wheels would

not only have filled the wheel wells better but would have added more

character to the overall design. The doors are quite large; in fact

quite noticeably so to allow easy ingress and egress. The blacked-out

B and C pillars add contrast and really make the car stand out. The

rear follows suit with smart crystal-shaped taillights and a

well-designed integrated spoiler. Overall, the Ertiga comes across as

the smartest looking people mover we have. Chic, modern and very well

proportioned.

 

INTERIORS

 

Entry to the cabin is made easy by large doors that open wide. The

dashboard is a straight lift from the Swift, which means quality and

ergonomics are good. Even the door pads and other plastics are of good

quality, and the Ertiga doesn’t feel built to a price. There’s a long

list of equipment too, which includes a CD player, Aux and USB ports,

steering-mounted audio controls, powered mirrors and power windows.

However, the more affordable VDi/VXi variants do without alloy wheels,

fog lights and airbags.

 

Visibility is decent from the front seats, which are taken from the

Swift. They are broad with soft yet generous cushioning, which makes

them truly comfortable even over long journeys. In the second row, the

seat squab is a touch short, so under-thigh support is not as good as

we would have liked. Other than that, it’s hard to fault. The high

‘hip point’, adjustable backrest, terrific headroom and decent legroom

make the Ertiga’s middle bench a pretty comfortable place to be.

 

Move to the rear and it is clearly evident that the Ertiga can’t

compete with the likes of the Xylo and Innova for sheer carpet area,

but that said, the last row isn’t as uncomfortable as we thought. The

narrow access means getting into the last row requires some

contortion, and once you’re inside, shoulder room is tight and the

squab is short.

 

The Ertiga’s best trick is the massive 240mm seat travel that allows

you to deftly balance the legroom for both the second- and third-row

passengers. Well-engineered latches and levers allow you to push

forward or collapse the seats neatly into the floor. With all seven

seats in place, there is enough space in the back to hold just two

soft bags, while a concealed storage bay hidden beneath can hold small

items. For more space, the third row can be folded flat. You also have

the option to fold the middle row, and the 60:40 split further aids

flexibility. Simply put, the cabin is far more useable than the

Ertiga’s exterior dimensions would suggest.

 

PERFORMANCE

 

The New Maruti Ertiga comes both in petrol and diesel. A CNG version

is also available, which comes in only variant. The engines  have good

driveability. They are easy to drive in city and there isn’t much a

need to shift gears that often. This makes it a lot easier to drive in

the city. There is sufficient power in the engine to cruise on the

highway.

 

The CNG variant comes only in the VXi variant. It isn’t very powerful

and is more for economy. If you have a good amount of driving in the

city, you might have to fill CNG even day. All the engines on the

Maruti Ertiga facelift are refined and have low NVH. The diesel could

have had a bit more power though. All the engines come with a

five-speed manual transmission. The petrol even has an option of a

four-speed automatic too

 

DRIVING DYNAMICS

 

The Ertiga’s ride quality is nice and the suspension absorbs most

potholes and craters with ease. The suspension set-up isn’t that soft

and it does its job well. On the highways, the MPV remains very

composed even at speeds up to 140 km/hr. The steering offers nice

feedback but it just doesn’t weigh up at high speeds and continues to

feel very light, which isn’t confidence-inspiring. The brake pedal

lacks feel but braking performance is above average.

 

SAFETY

 

Servicing the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga won’t be an issue because Maruti has a service

centre in almost every nook and corner of India. Talking about safety,

the Ertiga comes equipped with dual front airbags and ABS on almost

every variant. The LXi and LDi variants miss out on these safety

features but Maruti offers them on the LXi (O) and LDi (O) trims.

Apart from that, all the other V and Z trims come with these features.

The same goes for front seat belt pretensioners too.

 

VERDICT

 

The Ertiga is a balancing act between size, practicality and ease of

use that Maruti has played almost to perfection. It offers the

practicality of a seven-seater and yet is as easy to drive as a

mid-size saloon. True, it doesn’t have the sheer interior space of a

full-size MPV, but with average-sized adults and children on board,

the flexible interior allows you to find a happy compromise within its

compact confines.

 

To offset the upward spiral of petrol costs, Maruti has priced the

base petrol variant at a mouth-wateringly low Rs 5.89 lakh, which

makes it outstanding value. The diesel Ertiga, however, is

significantly more expensive, with the top-end ZDi stretching to Rs

8.45 lakh. Also, the diesel motor feels sluggish at low speeds and the

spiky power delivery can be annoying in traffic.

 

For sheer versatility, there is no other vehicle at this price point

that even comes close, and as a pure family car the Ertiga is hard to

beat.

 

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Ex Showroom Price in New Delhi ranges from 6,22,062/- (Ertiga LXI) to  8,75,508/- (Ertiga ZXI Plus) .Maruti Suzuki Ertiga has 14 Variants of Petrol are available in India. Maruti Suzuki Ertiga comes in 7 colours, namely Serene Blue,Silky Silver,Exquisite Maroon,Granite Grey,Pearl Blue Blaze,Radiant Beige,Superior White