Maruti Ertiga LDI

The recently added Maruti Ertiga MPV series is a very practical vehicle in the stables of Maruti India and this MPV has the capacity to accommodate seven people inside it with ease. The company calls it an LUV – Life Utility Vehicle and it has been doing wonderful sales, since the time it was launched in the Indian car market. There is a lot of competition in this MPV segment, but the company has integrated some impressive and exciting features along with a competitive pricing, which has made this Maruti Ertiga model lineup one of the best sellers in the country's automobile market. This LUV is being offered with both petrol and diesel engine based options with three trims of each versions. The entry level base variant in the diesel engine lineup is the Maruti Ertiga LDi, which has a balanced mix of safety and comfort features along with a performance packed highly acclaimed engine. The company has fitted this Maruti Ertiga LDi variant with a power packed 1.3-litre, DDiS (direct diesel injection system) based diesel engine that also has a CRDI (common rail direct injection) fuel supply system and is equipped with 4 cylinders and 16 valves. This impressive diesel engine is skillfully coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission gear box for smoother gear shifts. Maruti Suzuki India is one of the leading car makers in the country and has some top selling vehicles in their fleet. This company is a joint venture between India’s Maruti Udyog Limited and the Japanese car manufacturing giant, Suzuki Motor Corporation. Apart from the engine in the Maruti Ertiga LDi, the company has also equipped it with some very exciting and practical features, which will certainly amaze the buyers. The company has also equipped this LUV with some very crucial and significant safety features as well such as sturdy seat belts for all the occupants and also an advanced engine immobilizer. All these and many more such features has made this Maruti Ertiga LDi, one of the most fashionable and trendy variant in its own segment.

Exteriors

This stylish Maruti Ertiga LDi trim has remarkable exteriors and the company has put in a lot of effort to make this MPV look outstanding in all aspects. The frontage of this MPV is done up with flamboyance with a large radiator grille that has black coloured slats in it along with a large chrome finished emblem. This grille is surrounded by a big headlight cluster that is fitted with high intensity lamps. The body coloured bumper has a wide air dam in the center, which helps in cooling the engine faster. The side profile is smooth with black colored door handles along with outside rear view mirrors, while the wheel arches are fitted with a sturdy set of 15-inch steel wheels, which have been equipped with full wheel covers making it look stylish. These wheel are covered with robust tubeless radial tyres of size 185/65 R15, which have a superior road grip. The rear end has a classy tail lamp cluster that is quite luminous with a large rear wind screen and also a high mounted stop lamp. The company is selling this latest Maruti Ertiga LDi in quite a few vivacious and lively metallic exterior paint options, which include an elegant and graceful Serene Blue metallic finish, an Ecru Beige metallic paint, a flamboyant Fire Brick Red metallic finish, a dusky Granite Grey metallic option, a refined Silky Silver, a stylish Dusky Brown option and also a sparkling Superio White metallic option as well.

The overall dimensions of this Maruti Ertiga LDi are quite spacious and can accommodate 7 passengers without difficulty. The total length of this MPV is 4265mm along with an overall width of 1695mm. The total height of this massive vehicle is 1685mm, while it has a spacious wheel base of 2740mm, which is remarkable. The minimum ground clearance of this Maruti Ertiga LDi is 185mm, which is extremely good. The gross vehicle weight of this entry level MPV is approximately 1760 kgs, while it has a minimum turning radius is 5.2 meters. This charming MPV also has a centrally mounted fuel tank that has the capacity to hold about 45 litres of diesel in it.

Interiors

The interiors of this MPV are stylish and have a refreshing look to it. The seating arrangement is comfortable and gives ample leg room along with head and shoulder space to all the occupants. The seats are covered with premium upholstery. This MPV also has quite a few storage spaces such as a big glove box, front door trim pocket, a ticket holder along with driver and front co-passenger sun visors, a remote fuel lid opener. Some other features include a single cup holder in the front console, a retractable cup holder in the dashboard, an accessory outlet of DC – 12 V, a low fuel warning notification lamp, a head light as well as key ‘on’ reminder lamps, a door open warning lamp, a driver seat belt reminder notification lamp and a few other vital notifications as well for the driver. Then there is a brilliant instrument panel with an information display integrated into the meter cluster that has a digital clock, an instantaneous or average fuel consumption gauge, driving range and some other information for the driver.

Engine and Performance

The company has fitted this impressive MPV with a reliable 1.3-litre, DDiS (direct diesel injection system) based diesel engine that also has a CRDI (common rail direct injection) fuel supply system and is equipped with 4 cylinders and 16 valves. This power packed diesel engine has the ability to displace 1248cc and also has the capacity to churn out 88.8bhp at 4000 rpm in combination with a maximum torque of 200Nm at 1750 rpm. This performance packed diesel mill is cleverly coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission. The company claims that this majestic MPV has the capability to generate a healthy mileage of 20.77 kmpl, when driven under standard conditions, which is quite good.

Braking and Handling

The company has equipped the Maruti Ertiga LDi with a well balanced and a proficient suspension system. The front axle of this MPV is fitted with a McPherson strut type of a mechanism, while the rear axle has been equipped with a torsion beam that adds to the stability of this massive vehicle. This MPV has an unswerving braking system with the front wheels being fitted with efficient disc brakes. Whereas the rear wheels have been given solid drum brakes for improved braking in heavy traffic conditions.

Comfort Features

The list includes two cabin lamps for the convenience of the passengers, five folding assistant grips, manually internally adjustable external rear view mirrors, a remote tail gate opener, a powerful and efficient air conditioning unit with heater. The electric power steering is a rack and pinion type that can be tilt adjusted according to the requirement of the driver.

Safety Features

This trim is the entry level variant in the diesel engine model lineup and have been fitted with some fundamental yet significant safety aspects. This MPV has advanced seat belts for all the occupants, high mounted stop lamp, seat belt reminder lamp, door ajar notification, light on and key on reminders, a low fuel warning lamp and also an engine immobiliser as well for the protection of the vehicle.

Pros 

Powerful engine, ample interior space.

Cons 

A lot of features can be added, mileage can be made better, exteriors can be better.