All-New Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Launch Tomorrow

• Will be available in ten variants: four petrol-manual, two petrol-automatic and four diesel-manual
• All-new exterior and interior design, a new platform and new equipment should make it highly appealing.
• Expected to be priced from Rs 7-11 lakh (ex-showroom).

The all-new Maruti Suzuki Ertiga compact 7-seater MPV will be launched in India tomorrow. Based on the same Heartect platform which underpins the Swift, Dzire, Ignis and Vitara Brezza, the Ertiga gets an all-new design inside-out and new equipment. However, it shares its powertrains with the new Ciaz sedan.

What’s new?

Design

While the silhouette may seem familiar, the new Maruti Suzuki Ertiga looks nothing like the older model. Double barrel headlamps, chrome-studded grille design, 20-spoke alloy wheels, floating roof, waterfall-like taillamp design are the new elements which make the MPV look fresh. Many of these design elements seem to be derived from other cars though.

Bigger dimensions

The new Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is 99mm longer, 40mm wider and 5mm taller, though the wheelbase is the same as before at 2740mm. This has freed up more space for third-row passengers and increased the minimum luggage space from 135 litres to 153 litres.

Interiors

The waterfall dashboard design in the first-gen Ertiga has been replaced with a horizontal layered design. Quite a few elements look inspired by other cars. The A/C vent design, for instance, is clearly borrowed from modern Audis, the floating multimedia screen has been used before on the Ignis. Even the flat-bottomed steering wheel looks just like the one on the Swift and the Dzire, while the instrument cluster is the same as the new S-Cross/Ciaz.

Space

The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga retains its 7-seater layout, but with the additional body length, it should be more spacious. The third-row seats can now be individually reclined for more comfort. They can also be split folded in 50:50 fashion for added convenience.

Engine

The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga will get the same engines as the new Ciaz. The 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated K14B petrol engine has been replaced with the new 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated motor paired with the company’s mild-hybrid SHVS system.

The new petrol engine is peppier, developing 105PS/138Nm without compromising efficiency. Leaked data suggests that the petrol-manual variants will have a claimed fuel efficiency of 19.34kmpl (+1.84kmpl), while the petrol-automatic variants will return 18.69kmpl (+1.66kmpl).

The diesel engine remains the same as before - the DDiS 200, 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged unit. It develops 90PS/200Nm and is paired with an SHVS mild-hybrid system too, but now returns 25.47kmpl (+0.95kmpl).

Complete details about the features on offer will have to wait till the launch tomorrow, though we expect safety tech like dual-airbags, ABS+EBD, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child seat anchors to be offered as standard. The new Ertiga is expected to be priced in the Rs 7-11 lakh bracket, making it highly competitive against the likes of the Renault Lodgy, Honda BR-V and the Mahindra TUV300.