[TusharK]

Thanks to BHPian Five46 for sending these images in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing them with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!



Maruti Suzuki has silently introduced the Ertiga Tour M, which is aimed at cab operators. The Tour M is based on the second-generation Ertiga and is priced at Rs. 7,99,921 (ex-showroom).



The Ertiga Tour M gets a chrome grille with halogen projector headlamps, LED tail lights and full wheel caps. It has dual-tone interiors and comes equipped with rear air-conditioner vents, audio system with Bluetooth, keyless entry and power adjustable and foldable ORVMs. Safety features include dual airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, rear parking sensors and a speed limiter set at 80 km/h.



The Ertiga Tour M is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 103 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 138 Nm of torque @ 4,400 rpm. It is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

Link to Team-BHP News

[CoolFire]

Brilliant strategy again by Maruti. Typically they offer the older generation as Tour model for cab operators. But this time seeing the immense potential this bigger vehicle holds for the segment, altered the strategy and went with the latest model itself. Should work big time. Private owners looking for higher differentiation can opt for the upcoming Nexa model, which in turn will drive its sales.

Only concern for operators will be the higher fuel cost of petrol, though options in the diesel space is anyway going to be limited after Bharat VI kicks in soon.

[tarik.arora]

What caught my attention was power folding mirrors on a taxi variant. This is one feature that i truly appreciate every time i negotiate through my tight lane. Good to see that such life saving features are trickling down to lower / economy grades.

[libranof1987]

Bold move from Maruti to sell the current gen Ertiga as a taxi as well (unlike what they do for the DZire). You've got to appreciate the Govt. for the rule mandating safety features as standard. We wouldn't otherwise have the average taxi with two airbags and ABS!

The decision to sell this only with the petrol engine is surprising no doubt. Perhaps Maruti has done this, a) to protect the Ertiga from any sudden NGT/SC rulings on diesels, b) their strategy when it comes to the diesel engine is not in place. Wonder how the fleet operators will react. Would they absorb the higher cost of running, just for the sake of it being a Maruti?

[silverado]

Originally Posted by CoolFire

Only concern for operators will be the higher fuel cost of petrol, though options in the diesel space is anyway going to be limited after Bharat VI kicks in soon.

A taxi guy will fit CNG kit on day one itself. Maruti should provide dealer level fitment so that warranty stays intact.
This car can be a good alternative to Xylo.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by TusharK

The Ertiga Tour M is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 103 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 138 Nm of torque @ 4,400 rpm. It is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

Will this come equipped with their mild hybrid tech? Reason for asking is if yes, then IMHO fitting CNG to it will be problematic.

Originally Posted by silverado

A taxi guy will fit CNG kit on day one itself. Maruti should provide dealer level fitment so that warranty stays intact.
This car can be a good alternative to Xylo.

Not sure if possible due to the hybrid system, but I'm sure someone would have figured out how to fit CNG on this engine, even if it means disabling the hybrid system for good. Also, factory fit is factory fit. My aunt has a Ritz CNG (aftermarket) that has done almost 1.75L+ km but doesn't work as good as my factory fit WagonR CNG. Many times the Ritz was sent to the CNG installer for "setting". I'm sure that while taxi drivers will fit CNG, they will not be as proactive as private buyers to get maintenance done from time to time.

[GTO]

Thank God this "Tour" is the current generation, and not the last one. The current-gen car is noticeably more spacious, has a better 3rd row and a larger boot. As the Innova has proven, MPV customers don't care about the "taxi" image at all.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Will this come equipped with their mild hybrid tech?

I guess so as commercial owners too will love the enhanced fuel economy. Don't think Maruti would remove it for the cab version.

[S2!!!]

I'm actually a bit surprised by this move. I'd have expected Maruti to introduce the Tour M version with the new 1.5-litre diesel so that they could generate as much sales and recoup as much of this engine's R&D cost before its sales temporarily pauses in 2020. Also, fleet operators would have been the ideal lot to "test" this motor's long-term reliability and durability.

[vikram31]

Wasnt there news of Maruti stopping production of diesel engines? If yes, then it doesnt make sense to have new products with that

[SchumiFan]

Originally Posted by vikram31

Wasnt there news of Maruti stopping production of diesel engines? If yes, then it doesnt make sense to have new products with that

This comes only with a petrol engine. They are not offering either of the diesels in this version.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

I'm actually a bit surprised by this move. I'd have expected Maruti to introduce the Tour M version with the new 1.5-litre diesel so that they could generate as much sales and recoup as much of this engine's R&D cost before its sales temporarily pauses in 2020. Also, fleet operators would have been the ideal lot to "test" this motor's long-term reliability and durability.

Originally Posted by vikram31

Wasnt there news of Maruti stopping production of diesel engines? If yes, then it doesnt make sense to have new products with that

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

This comes only with a petrol engine. They are not offering either of the diesels in this version.

Its quite a risk that MSIL is taking, especially when it is a bit lost of ideas and sharply losing market shares across absolutely all segments - including the Sub4M SUV after Hyundai Venue launch.

Its understandable that MSIL wants to call it quits on diesel engines considering it is even behind Honda when it comes to making solid diesel engines across multiple segments. The 1.5L DDIS took too long to make & its power and FE figures are still far off the contemporaries. All the other players are going to continue selling diesels in the people mover segments (petrol can't really just replace diesel. Period.) And like Mr. Goenka from M&M rightly said, the cost escalation after BS6 is being hyped a bit too much by some car makers (probably those who aren't able to make diesel engines).

At least - they should offer the M properly with a large enough CNG setup to go good distances. The Ertiga really gets abused in the people mover role - especially that of corporate/executive transport for employees. I would really not put my money on a petrol engine to stand the test of time in that role & the way in which it is used. I may be proven totally wrong of course. But still I feel doing away diesels in MPV segment is wrong as well.

Without a diesel MPV and without a long range CNG tour car, they are looking at going back to the pre-DZIRE era where Maruti cars were exclusively petrol personal cars with white plates & Indica/go did the taxi duties everywhere.

[volkman10]

Ertiga Tour, deliveries begin:








Link

[rajshenoy]

They should have given black carpeting for Tour variant at least considering how cabbies maintain the car !! May be Maruti wants to generate jobs at unorganised sector for custom carpeting

Also wondering why not CNG factory kit. Ertiga Petrol is not going to be pocket friendly for fleet operators.

[fx45]

On a lighter note, that's the first ever seven-seat M car?


Jokes apart, this taxi variant seems to based on the mid-spec V trim rather than the "base variant"