Maruti Ertiga 7 Seater MUV @ Auto Expo 2012

Maruti Ertiga 7 Seater MUV @ Auto Expo 2012





High Points:

- Appears to be Maruti's first 7 seater that won't break your bones (after the Omni & Eeco)

- 3 rows of seats

- Built on a stretched Swift platform. Basically, its been extended to include the 3rd row of seats

- Length: 4265 mm, width: 1695 mm & height: 1685 mm. Wheelbase : 2740 mm

- Note that its not eligible for the lower excise slab as its over 4 meters in length. The petrol engine is also larger than the stipulated 1.2 L capacity

- Powered by a 1.4 litre K series VVT engine or the Fiat 1.3 MJD diesel. Petrol is rated at 94 BHP (@ 6000 rpm) and max torque of 130 Nm (@ 4000 rpm). The diesel is rated at 89 BHP (@ 4000 rpm) and max torque of 200 Nm (@ 1750 rpm). Will be interesting to gauge just how it behaves with 7 onboard

- ARAI rating : Petrol 16.02 kpl & Diesel 20.77 kpl

- Launch in the March - April period

- The UV segment has recorded superb growth in the last 3 years. Further, don't forget, UVs are extremely profitable (unlike cheap hatchbacks). Maruti will charge 2 - 3 lakhs extra for a stretched wheelbase, an extra row of seats and an engine that's 200 cc larger

- Features include dual AC (pictured below), 6 speaker audio + USB input, steering mounted audio controls, keyless entry, multi information display and electrically adjustable mirror. Climate control is conspicuous by its absence in the ZDi (pictured below)

Front is a mix of both, the Swift & the Ritz:




Longer wheelbase is obvious. At first glance, I thought someone photo-shopped the Ritz!

While the front shares similarities with other Marutis, the boring rear doesn't have any design elements in common. In fact, the rear looks somewhat like the Jazz:

15" inch alloy wheels:

Been in the Swift? Well, you've been in the Ertiga too. Mostly. Dual-tone with beige makes the interiors feel airy, something you'd want with 7 onboard! No climate control even on this ZDi variant. Though the vehicle is a 7-seater, remember, it's still as narrow as any B-segment hatchback:

Height-Adjustable driver's seat:


Expect 2nd row legroom to be in the range of a Swift / Ritz. And that's not saying a lot. Doors opens fairly wide for easy ingress / egress:

The 3rd row is best left to kids or really short adults. Legroom & head-room are in extremely short supply. Notice that the 2nd row seat has a 60:40 fold-down split. Also, 3rd row occupants will get a bottle holder & cubby hole for the knick knacks. 3-point seats belts too (not just lap belts):


Rear occupants get their own air-conditioner blower with independent volume control:

Useable boot space is lesser than even the Maruti 800s with the 3rd row of seats in place. Good for a couple of small bags at the most:


Yup, the last row can fold away:


Mad rush to check the Ertiga out (as is usually the case with any new Maruti unveiling). This is apparently the "media exclusive" day