ertiga - maruti-suzuki's muv for the not-so-well-off muv buyer on a budget.

Well the news is already up about ertiga, and it is popularity has an overwhelming enthusiast queing up at the showrooms, to see this life utility vehicle, and it is already an anticipated fact, that people might go for this vehicle, but then, there might be some reservations about considering this vehicle. Well I have enumerated this vehicle on my own personnel test drive experience. 1. The vehicle is very spacious, considering the seating capacity, in short you can call this vehicle an enlarged swift into an ertiga, with the same engine specifications, you may aske me so what, and well my doubt is, this vehicle is underpowered. 2. The air conditioning of the vehicle is not up to the mark, how can an enlarged swift, can give the same airconditioning benefits, when virtually there has been no improvements done. I mean everything is identical, which maruti has done with swift dzire. Which has not really penetrated the market, as expected, which means dzire is not up to the mark. 3. Now considering the indian market, and the people who are going to buy this vehicle have bigger plans, like the vehicle is designed for a 7 seater, and i think, everybody planning to buy this vehicle would like to utilise it to the max, so naturally seating will be definitely overloaded, if in a family there are more than 7 people. 4. Coming to the pulling capacity, I wonder, if it can really do well on ghat roads, with jam packed people seating inside it, and the terrible point to note down is with air conditioning on. Well my verdict for this vehicle would be, like this vehicle will not be going to make any impact, and this vehicle would be a disaster. As of now for some more time, innova is going to rule the muv segment.

Hi Navin, I have done road test of the vehicle in Mumbai, I will call it as a specious 5 seater Sedan, and as you highlighted it will work well with 5 seater & family luggage and AC ON in Hilly terrains. But with 7 seater with family journey, the first question comes where is the SPACE in LUV. You need to keep luggage near your feet or fix carrier on Roof. Next question will be performance with fully loaded in hilly area with luggage for 1.3 lit Diesel enging as well as 1.4 lit Petrol engine will be a question. I have seen LUV ads but all shows 7 occupants going for Party, Also while holidaying it is couple with Holiday equipement in flexible seatings. Hence I will wait for 6 months before making a buying decision on this vehicle. Vinayak

Doubts, doubts and more doubts about the Ertiga's performance! No doubt! I have to agree with Navin and Vinayak to a limited extent, since the Ertiga is a brand new 7 seater we haven't seen in action yet. Maruti-Suzuki obviously has made a few compromises and taken some shortcuts to deliver the Ertiga at a budget price. But I have full confidence and faith in Maruti-Suzuki's designing skills and integrity, and am sure they have exhaustively tested the Ertiga not only for a load of 7 passengers in all kinds of terrain and weather, but also for overloading, which is a normal thing to happen in India and other developing countries. Many car enthusiasts, while criticizing the Ertiga for its underpowered engine and aircon, have overlooked the fact that the Ertiga weighs just 170kg more than a Swift, and has a light car-like monocoque chassis as opposed to the body-on-frame construction found in heavy MUVs like the Innova, enabling the Ertiga to be nimble and sprightly with only a small increase in power. With a powerful and modern engine pulling a light weight Ertiga, there shouldn't be reason to grumble, even with a full load of 7 passengers. And as for the aircon which was quick and powerful to cool the limited confines of the Swift, it won't find the Ertiga, which is only a little bigger than a Swift, an uphill task. Let's wait and watch the Ertiga prove itself!

If one has to travel with 7 persons all the time then one should go for a regular MUV but in my case I mostly travel with 3-4 persons and occassionally more than 5 persons travel; usually for attending parties or family function when many persons has to travel and space constraints in 5 seater cars compels travelling seperately. Also a good car for picnic and other excursion. An over head luggage carrier is a good option for long drive with three generations travelling; kids occupying the 3rd row, dada-dadi in second row and mummy papa on first row. I have booked the car and eagerly waiting for the delivery...