"Luv" Story 2012 - My Silky Silver Maruti Ertiga Zdi

[nurni76]

Completed my 1st Service (1100Kms). Nothing major to report. Cost of Service Rs 30 (Screen wash concentrate for windshield cleaning).
The last mileage check done pre Service was 16.2Kmpl. Will now check if the mileage improves post 1st Service.

Originally Posted by luvurride

Wow looks neat! But why beige? I thought maybe grey will look contrasting in a silver vehicle. Also, is it possible to change/replace the dash from its beige?

Seat cover was Wife's choice. I actually wanted a dark shade. However, darker shade designs did not look too good. We also saw a beige seat cover being fitted in another Ertiga and were impressed with it.

Nice! But the number plate letters seem to be misaligned. Please fix it as it would really make a good view.

This is the temporary number plate. Will ensure the permanent number plate has no flaws. Thanks for observing and pointing out the same.

Originally Posted by nayaksudhir

Thanks for the upload. They really look nice and snug. I think beige is a good choice because it maintains the airy and 'big' feel of the car.

How did you zero in on the brand and variant? What's the autoform range of price and variants? Was there research involved with other brands?

Actually, did not do too much of research on this. I had heard of Autoform as a brand and found them to be reasonably priced and offering wide choice. In fact also asked for gSport (have this on my SX4), but this was not available. The other brand I looked at was ovion but that was expensive. So finally settled for Autoform. I looked at mainly 2 kinds in Autoform, U impress and U cheer. Prices start from 8k onwards I think. U cheer MRP was 12700 and U impress was of Rs 11700. Got a discount of Rs 2200 for the U Impress.
U cheer and U impress are both Skin fit while the lower priced ones are snug fit. You can look at this website for more details. Autoformindia

[amitpunjani]

Originally Posted by nurni76

Completed my 1st Service (1100Kms). Nothing major to report. Cost of Service Rs 30 (Screen wash concentrate for windshield cleaning).
The last mileage check done pre Service was 16.2Kmpl. Will now check if the mileage improves post 1st Service.



Seat cover was Wife's choice. I actually wanted a dark shade. However, darker shade designs did not look too good. We also saw a beige seat cover being fitted in another Ertiga and were impressed with it.



This is the temporary number plate. Will ensure the permanent number plate has no flaws. Thanks for observing and pointing out the same.



Actually, did not do too much of research on this. I had heard of Autoform as a brand and found them to be reasonably priced and offering wide choice. In fact also asked for gSport (have this on my SX4), but this was not available. The other brand I looked at was ovion but that was expensive. So finally settled for Autoform. I looked at mainly 2 kinds in Autoform, U impress and U cheer. Prices start from 8k onwards I think. U cheer MRP was 12700 and U impress was of Rs 11700. Got a discount of Rs 2200 for the U Impress.
U cheer and U impress are both Skin fit while the lower priced ones are snug fit. You can look at this website for more details. Autoformindia

Hi Buddy,

Firstly many congrats for the excellent purchase and detailed report. I was just wondering, you haven't mentioned about Engine oil change during the first service, i thought the first oil change takes places at 1,000 kms.
Could you please calrify this?

BR

Amit

[nurni76]

Originally Posted by amitpunjani

Hi Buddy,

Firstly many congrats for the excellent purchase and detailed report. I was just wondering, you haven't mentioned about Engine oil change during the first service, i thought the first oil change takes places at 1,000 kms.
Could you please calrify this?

BR

Amit

@amitpunjani, 1st service does not include oil change. Oil change is only on completion of 10000Km or 1 year whichever is earlier (This is as per Maruti). So only general check up, engine oil, coolant top up happens in 1st Service.

[nurni76]

1500Km Update;

I have now completed 1500Kms now on my ride. I am enjoying every bit of the ride especially on the highways. Did a long 100Km drive and really the Ertiga performed effortlessly on the highways.

Things that I really Like:

1. The effortless cruising especially after 2000rpm. Car is stable at 120Kmph and never loses its poise. Managed to touch 140KMPH once and it was stable without any vibrations. However, the wind noise is significant.

2. My Michelins are performing well. Very less road noise and really plush ride. Grip in winding roads is very good.

3. Mileage update post service: Not a big increase. It is still hovering around 16.5Kmpl

4. The space is something that is really good in this vehicle. We were 5 well built adults and 3 kids. My self and my friend in the front, 3 Ladies in the middle row and the 3 kids in the last row. All the passengers were very comfortable.


Things irritating me:

1. The turbo lag is really a pain. I was on standstill at a steep ramp in one of the malls. There were cars behind and infront of me. Sudden flooring of the pedal had no response and the car went back. I then realized that this is not a petrol and gradually raised the RPM and then it easily climbed the ramp. We were 5 in the car. So the car can manage steep inclines from still but one needs to floor the pedal gradually. This needs getting used to specially for a petrol head like me.

2. The ride in the last row is not as comfortable as the middle. There is noticeable bounce. I had maintained 32psi in the rear wheels, so don't know if that is the reason and I need to reduce the pressure. What is an ideal pressure for the front and back wheels with around 4 passengers?

3. Braking from a high speed is not so effective as my SX4. The car takes some time to come to a stand still unlike my SX4 which is simply great in high speed braking. In ertiga I feel the brakes to be a little soft. Are there others who feel the same?

[Rajain]

Hi Nurni
Did the average improve after the service? With the top up tank method are you getting 16.2? is this city or highway or mix? And at what average speeds?
I have a long wait ahead of me for a zdi. This inspite of booking on 14 April. Maybe in due course of time i will have to settle down for vdi.
Thanks

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by nurni76

1500Km Update;


2. The ride in the last row is not as comfortable as the middle. There is noticeable bounce. I had maintained 32psi in the rear wheels, so don't know if that is the reason and I need to reduce the pressure. What is an ideal pressure for the front and back wheels with around 4 passengers?

Thanks for the updates! Am watching this thread cause Ertiga is on my list of choices when i look for an upgrade in Dec.

To your point of tyre pressure, what does the manual say? I would assume that the manual would state the ideal tyre pressure when the car is fully loaded right?

[nurni76]

Originally Posted by Rajain

Hi Nurni
Did the average improve after the service? With the top up tank method are you getting 16.2? is this city or highway or mix? And at what average speeds?
I have a long wait ahead of me for a zdi. This inspite of booking on 14 April. Maybe in due course of time i will have to settle down for vdi.
Thanks

Hi Rajain, the mileage has not improved significantly post service. It was 16.2kmpl before and post service it is 16.5kmpl by tankful method. My drive is mostly (80%) city drive with around 20% drives on expressway and always with AC.

You can also opt for Zdi without alloys. Maruti has introduced this version as well as there is a shortage of alloys. The only thing you will miss is alloys, which you can get from the market.

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

Thanks for the updates! Am watching this thread cause Ertiga is on my list of choices when i look for an upgrade in Dec.

To your point of tyre pressure, what does the manual say? I would assume that the manual would state the ideal tyre pressure when the car is fully loaded right?

It is definitely a good buy (read VFM) if you are looking for a car for 5-6 passengers.

As per Maruti Pressure should be 32 in the front and 29 in the rear for 1-4 passengers. So I guess I should reduce the pressure in the rear and check.

[swiftdiesel]

[QUOTE = "nurni76"] In ertiga I feel the brakes to be a little soft. Are there others who feel the same?[/quote]

I found the brakes to be adequate but then I've graduated from a Swift Vdi.

About that climbing up the ramp in the mall: my humble opinion - flooring the gas on either petrol or diesel is gonna ruin your clutch plates, more so in a diesel. The method you finally adopted is the best.

[nurni76]

Back on this thread after quite some time. I got busy with offical work and travel and couldn't post updates. However, over the long weekend did a 700Km long trip to Kasauli, a hilly resort town in HP and in the process got to know my Ertiga even better. The stretch included some fantastic highways (read NH1, NH22 also known as the Himalayan Expressway), windy hill roads near Kasauli, steep climbs in the hills and within the resort. Overall my LUV performed extremely well.

We were 4 adults and 1 kid and loads of luggage. Folded the last row and loaded the boot with the luggage. The middle row was used by my wife and in laws while the passenger seat at front by my Son. The highway drive on NH1 was real fun with me able to comfortably cruise at 110KMPH, (RPM reads around 2500RPM). The engine felt effortless and refined. What was only bothering was the slight wind noise. Some sudden and small bursts in empty stretches, saw the Ertiga touch 130KMPH, and it was stable and never lacked any breath. Wind noise however increased significantly though the music system helped cover it to a great extent.

As we reached the resort, we encountered windy hill roads and I could cross the entire stretch in 3rd and 4th gears comfortably. The ertiga pulls effortlessly from around 1000RPM in 3rd gear. Some stretches saw me come to 2nd gear but this was far and few in between. As we entered the resort, we had to climb a very steep incline that started with a curve. I wanted to test my Ertiga here. I deliberately stopped at the curve and with the entire load started the ascent. The ertiga pulled up the incline though in 1st gear only. I needed to gradually release the clutch and press the acc pedal gently. I was pretty convinced now that the Ertiga with load can perform in steep inclines. Impressive for a puny diesel.

The overall mileage across the journey was an impressive 19.8Kmpl. The vehicle has just crossed 2700KM on the Odo and I feel the engine has opened up well. The surges from 80 to 120 Kmph in 5th gear is a real pleasure. One thing that I noticed (when the audio was switched off) was a minute Khat sound while changing gears and pressing the accelerator. The sound is very faint and needs a careful hearing to notice. Is this normal? Minor irrirants; squeaky seats. The beige interiors and seats proved a pain with the monsoon playing havoc. The back of the rear seat got soiled due to the luggage resting on them. Will need to do a thorough cleaning now.

Attaching a few random shots. I have a great set of snaps to capture the beauty of the hills which I will post in the travelogue section.

My Ertiga Parked at the Resort


This is one of the steep inclines we had to climb, the picture may not reveal the entire story, but this was one heck of a climb


A view of the setting sun; simply awesome


A side view of my "LUV" at Kasuli town


My son posing with my "LUV"


We thought the entire journey was uneventful, but the return journey proved to be a real misadenture. We stopped at the Kalkaji Mandir for darshan. Our stop at the temple was for 15mins only and the car was parked right opposite the temple. The street was busy with people. On returning to the car, we found the rear left door window broken and unluckily for us 2 handbags were stolen. Not much cash lot, but a lot of important documents went missing. More on this in my detailed review in the travelogue section. But what is clear is that the visibility of luggage in the Ertiga (Sans dark tints - the rule turned out be an aid in my case) is extremely high. Advise to all Ertiga owners - do not leave important bags in the car; even if you do, ensure you conceal the important bags beneath the seat area.

Has anyone ever installed the sliding cover over the boot area (similar to ones found in Q7)? That would really help conceal the boot area.

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by nurni76

On returning to the car, we found the rear left door window broken and unluckily for us 2 handbags were stolen. Not much cash lot, but a lot of important documents went missing. More on this in my detailed review in the travelogue section. [/b]

The resort looks lovely. Looking forward to the travelogue!

Really sad to know about the mishap. Another incident that shows that lawmakers do not always see all possible repercussions of what they make.

But doesn't the security system make any noise if the window is broken? Or is it only for the locks? You say it is in front of the temple with lot of people around. I'm surprised on how such an act can happen? Anyway, my heart goes out to you buddy.

[nurni76]

Originally Posted by luvurride

The resort looks lovely. Looking forward to the travelogue!

Really sad to know about the mishap. Another incident that shows that lawmakers do not always see all possible repercussions of what they make.

But doesn't the security system make any noise if the window is broken? Or is it only for the locks? You say it is in front of the temple with lot of people around. I'm surprised on how such an act can happen? Anyway, my heart goes out to you buddy.

Yes I was also surprised that the security system was not making any noise when we came back. I guess it only works when someone tries to fiddle with the locks. Does anyone else know about this?

Also does the security alarm make a noise for sometime and then go off? If that is so, then we couldn't have heard it, but then there were so many people on the road and nobody mentioned of any alarm, so looks like the above version only is true.

Yes we were also surprised that it did not catch anyone's attention, guess some of these people were also involved. Heard from the police station where we complained that there were a couple of more cases in the recent past. A real shame

We drove back and changed the class at Karnal. It took around 45 mins for the replacement. Cost of the replacement was Rs 980. They also did a vacuum cleaning to remove the glass pieces, but there are still some present in the car. I will get it cleaned again here in Gurgaon

[pathfinder]

Friends,

I have been reading all the TD and Ownership reports on Ertiga and subsequently booked my VDi three months back that got delivered on 16th Aug... I have been driving it carefully considering the tips from TBHP community on proper break-in the new car, keeping speed 60-80 and varying the RPMs. So far I am very satisfied with the performance, drove it to Mumbai-Pune and got mileage of 19.1 km/ltr

Now my question is regarding the trip meter and average that it shows. I was paying with the two knobs provided for trip meter and clock etc. and did something and now the average shows as ltr/100km which is good but I am not sure how it I got it changed and thus how revert back to km/ltr format ?! http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/images...n%20stupid.gif

There is nothing in owner's manual on this either.

Would appreciate help in this regard.

cheers!!

[swiftdiesel]

Originally Posted by nurni76

Back on this thread after quite some time. One thing that I noticed (when the audio was switched off) was a minute Khat sound while changing gears

That's a characteristic sound of all Suzuki diesels. You hear it in the Swift, Dezire and Ertiga. Nothing to bother about. Really enjoyed reading your travelogue and glad to hear Ertiga matched your expectations. Sorry to hear about that break in, hope everything is restored.

[nurni76]

Originally Posted by pathfinder

Friends,

I have been reading all the TD and Ownership reports on Ertiga and subsequently booked my VDi three months back that got delivered on 16th Aug... I have been driving it carefully considering the tips from TBHP community on proper break-in the new car, keeping speed 60-80 and varying the RPMs. So far I am very satisfied with the performance, drove it to Mumbai-Pune and got mileage of 19.1 km/ltr

great to know that you are satisfied with the performance. I too got an impressive 19.8Kmpl during the recent trip to Kasauli.

Originally Posted by pathfinder

Now my question is regarding the trip meter and average that it shows. I was paying with the two knobs provided for trip meter and clock etc. and did something and now the average shows as ltr/100km which is good but I am not sure how it I got it changed and thus how revert back to km/ltr format ?! http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/images...n%20stupid.gif

There is nothing in owner's manual on this either.

Would appreciate help in this regard.

cheers!!

For this when the MID is indicating the Km/Ltr, press the Trip meter stalk (left side) and simultaneously rotate the right side stalk. This will change the display format to KMPL. In fact this is also indicated in the owner's manual.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

That's a characteristic sound of all Suzuki diesels. You hear it in the Swift, Dezire and Ertiga. Nothing to bother about. Really enjoyed reading your travelogue and glad to hear Ertiga matched your expectations. Sorry to hear about that break in, hope everything is restored.

Thanks Swiftdiesel. I am relieved that this is not a problem with my Ertiga.
I managed to change my glass on my return trip at Karnal and now everything is perfect.

[nurni76]

Originally Posted by luvurride

The resort looks lovely. Looking forward to the travelogue!

The travelogue is up. I am no expert in photography, but I hope you guys like the pictures. Here is the link for the same

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...li-my-luv.html (A trip to Kasauli in my "LUV")