Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 2018-2022

Even though the new Ertiga shares the platform with the Dzire and Swift, the interior is all different. The all-new dashboard design gets grey shade at the top and beige at the bottom. In between that, there's faux wood trim and a full-length black insert that houses the AC vents. The quality of materials is the same as what can be found in Dzire and Baleno. The power windows switches, steering wheel, door handles, etc come from the Maruti parts bin.

What's interesting is that even though the Ertiga is an MPV, there are many car-like bits. The ingress and egress is pretty easy and the seats are bolstered quite well with enough cushioning to keep you comfortable over long distances. The middle row packs in enough headroom, legroom and shoulder room. The cabin feels airy and less claustrophobic than before, which is purely thanks to the larger windows and better space management. Even the passengers sitting in the last row would feel comfortable because of the larger windows that bring in more light. Furthermore, the beige interior colour scheme and the tall roof bring airiness to the cabin. To add more to the comfort level, the third-row seats now get a recline function that adds to the practicality factor.

Feature-wise, you get automatic climate control, 12V power socket in each row, power windows, rear wiper, steering mounted controls, power-folding ORVMs, engine start/stop button, cooled cup holders, driver armrest with storage and more. What's missing is the basic cruise control function that is used by many buyers who travel long distances. For now, though, Maruti Suzuki has reserved this feature for the XL6.

Maruti Ertiga is powered by a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine. This unit generates as much as 103 bhp at 6000 RPM with a peak torque of 138 Nm at 4400 RPM. This engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission as standard and also gets an optional 4-speed automatic gearbox.

The power delivery is smooth and the engine is tuned so well that it makes city driving effortless with good torque spread on offer. The power delivery in the new Ertiga is linear and when pushed hard, the engine revs till 6300 RPM. On the highways, drive with a light right foot and not only will it return a great fuel economy but will effortlessly cruise at triple digit speeds all day long.

At idle, this engine is silent, but post-2000 RPM, it gets a tad bit vocal. You can hear the humming of the engine whenever you're accelerating and out on the highways, there's enough tyre noise creeping into the cabin. NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) is definitely one area Maruti needs to look at.

The SHVS system boosts the fuel economy and reduces emissions. At standstill, the ISG (integrated starter generator) cuts off the power supply when neutral is engaged. The engine ignites again once the clutch is pressed. Another function of the SHVS is that it offers brake energy restoration. When the brakes are applied, the kinetic energy is converted into electric energy that gets stored in the batteries. It is the Lithium-ion battery that assists the engine by providing an additional bit of torque whenever there's hard acceleration involved. Of course, this idle start/stop function can be disabled manually with the help of a button.

There’s definitely a noticeable drop in performance of the CNG variant. This version outputs 91 bhp and 122 Nm. Coasting on straight-line roads is easy but the overtaking might require some planning if travelling with a full load. Similarly, when approaching an incline, the CNG Ertiga requires an additional throttle input. The ARAI certified mileage of CNG Ertiga is 26.2 km/kg while the petrol manual returns 19.01 km/l. This clearly hints at the difference in the running costs of the two models.

The ride quality is decent and the MPV eats up the bumps with ease. There's a significant amount of body roll in the corners and the best solution to overcome it is to reduce the speed. Even over the bad roads, the occupants are kept comfortable unless the undulations get too sharp or are taken at a high speed.

The handling manners are largely similar to that of the first generation model. It still feels pretty car-like to drive but a difference now is that the all-round visibility has got better. The steering is light at city speeds and gives you enough confidence on the straight highways. However, it will certainly disappoint the enthusiasts with its overtly light operation and the slight vagueness towards the dead centre. The braking is strong and there’s no nose dive under hard braking.

The second-generation Maruti Ertiga is based on the much publicized HEARTECT platform that is even seen on many other Maruti Suzuki models like Swift, Dzire and Baleno. The second-gen Maruti Ertiga has bagged a 3-star rating at the Global NCAP test bed. It scored 9.25 points out of 17 in adult passenger protection and 25.16 out of 49 in child passenger protection.

All variants of the Ertiga are equipped with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat mounts, a high-speed alert system and a front seat belt reminder. The automatic variants of the Ertiga also get an electronic stability program and hill hold control.