2018 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga| First Drive Review | A Splash of Smart

EXTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES OF 2018 MARUTI SUZUKI ERTIGA

The designers at Maruti Suzuki have really stepped their game up by a notch with the new Ertiga. I was quite impressed by the indentation of sharp character lines all across the body. The front especially has been treated to a lot of beautification and now has a sharper look. The MPV has shed its round and cute look for a smart looking one and I am hugely impressed.

The front gets a heavily chrome studded grille along with bold looking headlamp clusters that house projector lamps. The only thing I wish that was added on were LED DRLs. The side has two prominent lines running across, one of which merges with the tail-lamp. The entire B-pillar has been blacked out and provides a nice contrast with the rest of the vehicle. The 15-inch alloys look decent, if a little less impressive than the rest of the design elements. At the back, one can see an all-new tail-lamp design that will give you flashbacks of a certain Swedish manufacturer. Regardless, the LED lamps look great and flow well with the modish look of the car. There is a chrome bar on the boot lid along with a few smart carvings on the rear giving it a more lively appeal.

INTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES OF 2018 MARUTI SUZUKI ERTIGA

The interiors of the Ertiga have been treated to an overhaul. You get a very eye catchy wood finish across the dash, extending to the doors. While there is no doubt that it looks great, one must be weary that it is not real wood. Just above the wood finish on the dash is a strip of black which houses the AC vents. While this aircraft-like design is a bit of an odd choice it fits decently. The rest of the cabin has been finished in a shade of beige that some might like, but I personally do not enjoy.

While most of the things about the cabin look and feel premium, there are some things that miss the mark. One of them is the dated looking AC control unit. It is functional but looks very dated as you lower your gaze from the high-tech touchscreen infotainment system. The infotainment system has been seen in a couple of Maruti Suzuki vehicle now and works pretty great and supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Mirror Link.

The flat bottom steering wheel might be a bit odd to have, since this is not a sporty vehicle. But it does look good and gets a hint of wood finish at the bottom in the top trim. It is only adjustable for height and not reach.  Behind the steering wheel you will find the uber cool instrument cluster. There are two analogue dials that show you your speed and rpm and a display in the middle that shows you extra information. The display differs depending on whether you have the petrol or diesel model. The petrol models get a full-colour TFT display that graphically represent a lot of helpful information including the battery charge level, when the torque assist function is being used or when the battery is being charged due to braking. The diesel gets a much simpler display that is limited to displaying figures like trip meters, gear position, range, fuel efficiency etc. It is a shame that you get no colour display in diesel even if you buy the top end.

The seat cushion is commendable for all three rows and can keep you comfortable on the longest of journeys. The new Ertiga is a bit bigger in all aspects than the previous model, so there is slightly more space on the inside too. As a person who is 6-feet tall, I had no issues with space in the first two rows. It was only the third row that was cramped for space but that can be understood as that is a place only for kids. Maruti Suzuki has added one touch tumble functions to both the 2^nd and 3^rd row seats which makes folding and moving them easier. The third row has a recline function that makes the sitting position a bit more comfortable.

There are loads of storage spaces throughout the car but the most innovative are the cup-holders in the first row that are air-cooled and you can control the airflow using a dial. All four doors can easily house 1 litre bottles and then a few papers too. Even the third row occupants get a cup-holder on either side along with a single 12V charging point. I would have been happier if the second row got a USB slot instead of a 12V socket.

There are four blowers housed in the cooling unit on the roof that supply cool air to the 2^nd and 3^rd row occupants. While they certainly do the job for 2^nd row passengers, we will have to test the vehicle over a longer period to decide if they are effective for the last row as well.

ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE OF 2018 MARUTI SUZUKI ERTIGA

Maruti is offering the Ertiga with both diesel and petrol smart hybrid engines. The diesel engine is the 1.3L DDiS 200 engine previously seen on vehicles like the S-Cross andBrezza. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and performs as one would expect. The motor is quite refined and easy to work with although it lacks life below 2400rpm. The 1.5L K15 petrol engine has been newly developed and is being offered with a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. The petrol motor is lively compared to the diesel and you notice that especially when taking off. Since you do not have to wait for the turbo to kick-in, the drive is a lot more fun than the diesel. While driving the manual petrol and diesel cars I also found that the petrol accelerated more quickly in the 5^th gear than the diesel, which just seemed to take its own sweet time to catch up. While the 5-speed manual was flawless, the 4-speed automatic also impressed. The gear shifts were not noticeable in normal driving and even when I did floor the accelerator, it shifted rather commendably. However, the new Ertiga is still not a performance vehicle when compared to others in the market.

I found the steering to be weighted quite well and the car was quite maneuverable. It was stable through curves and at high speeds. The NVH levels were decent but could definitely be improved upon as there is noticeable road noise at higher speeds. The 185/65 tyres do a good job of keeping the car on track. With disc brakes at the front and drum in the rear, there is ample stopping power and the brakes have a nice progression. ABS and EBD make things easier. The suspension is something that would be appreciated by all the occupants of the Ertiga as it does a great job soaking in the bumps and undulations.

The new Ertiga is built on the Heartect platform, promising a more rigid frame and the car gets dual airbags as standard along with ISOFIX anchorages for child seats. Still, two airbags is all you get even in the top end model.

VERDICT

The new and improved Ertiga is definitely an eye candy, inside-out. The new petrol engine is also a welcome upgrade. The new petrol manual variant of the Ertiga starts at Rs 7.44 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and still remains a budget option for MPV lovers. It now brings along a host of goodies including an automatic transmission. The only problem is that as of now the automatic is not available in the top end variant so you miss out on things like the intuitive touchscreen infotainment system, wood finish and more. The presence of Marazzo in close proximity of the Ertiga does heat things up a bit but I still think that the Ertiga will be able to hold its own.