Preview: 2018 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga entered the market a few years ago and created quite a stir. A spacious, seven-seater MPV, with modern underpinnings and Maruti's low cost of ownership combined, made it an instant hit. What also made the Ertiga a big favourite is its reasonable pricing. Maruti read the market needs and readied an MPV that made a lot of sense. Its Japanese rival Honda could do little to dent the sales of the Ertiga as the Mobilio was simply no match. That's the appeal of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga in India and with the 2018 Ertiga, the company intends to move the game forward. Expected to be launched sometime later this year, the new Ertiga is expected to cost roughly Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 more than the outgoing model.

Design

The new car is 130 mm longer, 40 mm wider and 5 mm taller than its predecessor but the wheelbase remains the same at 2740 mm. The front end has been completely redesigned and lends the Ertiga a mature face. The grille merges with the new headlamps that are sleek and feature projector style beams. Going by the current trend, expect Maruti to offer LED projectors. The bumper looks aggressive with well-defined crease lines around the fog lamps. The side profile also features a prominent  crease line running from the front fender to the tail lamp. The tail section has a raked windscreen, wrap around LED lamps and is the most MPVish angle. The alloy wheels look boring and we wish Maruti Suzuki ditches the Indonesian spec Ertiga's wheels for a modern design to go with the looks of the Ertiga.

Interior

Based on the Heartect platform that underpins the Ignis, Swift and Baleno, the resemblance of the interior to the aforementioned cars is a given. That said, the Ertiga's cabin is swathed in beige and wood that lends it a distinct air. The horizontal slats that distinguish the top and bottom halves of the dashboard look neat while the floating, touchscreen infotainment system is similar to the one in the Baleno and Swift. Expect the top spec Ertiga to get climate control as well.

One of the problems that plagued the current Ertiga is the lack of boot space when the third row of seats is left in the upright position. With the increase in overall length, we expect more cargo room in the new Ertiga

Engines

Maruti Suzuki will offer the same, 1.3-litre DDiS, diesel motor that powers the current Ertiga. However, for those who prefer petrol engines, the new 1.5-litre looks promising. The K15B engine produces 104PS and 138Nm. The diesel motor is quite frugal and has decent shove over the 2,000rpm mark. We shall reserve judgement on the petrol motor when we drive the new Ertiga. Both engines are mated to a five-speed transmission. An AMT gearbox option could also be in the works.

Suspension

Maruti Suzuki seems to have found the sweet spot between ride and handling, going by how well the Swift and the Dzire absorb bumps and go around a corner. Expect the new Ertiga to ride and handle better than the previous avatar.

Price

Given Maruti Suzuki's tendency of pricing its cars competitively, we expect the new Ertiga to cost Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 more than the current car.