[pqr]

How did Maruti crack the compact MUV code with Ertiga 2nd generation and its derivative XL6?

Key achievements of Ertiga 2nd generation in 2021

• Petrol (+CNG) only Ertiga and extended product line - XL6 - together sold 1,54,310, which is the highest in its lifetime
• 2nd generation extended Ertiga product line, in 2021, sold more than twice as many, than the 1st generation, ever in any calendar year
• The extended Ertiga product line has joined the esteemed club of 1,50,000+ cars in a year (Other members - Maruti 800, Maruti Alto, Maruti Baleno, Maruti Wagon R, Maruti Dzire, Maruti Swift, Hyundai i10)

• 2021 CNG only Ertiga 2nd generation (51,076) nearly matched best ever diesel Ertiga sales (51,446)
• XL6 (39,902) has been quite successful on a standalone basis, it is standing just behind Ertiga and Innova in sales tally, even ahead of (half of its price) Renault Triber (32,766)

Tracing timeline

Introduced in 2012, Ertiga 1st generation was a definitive product in the Indian market. It is a MUV with monocoque construction, front wheel drive arrangement, with a compact footprint, offering comfortable ingress and egress, and the option of a 1.4L petrol or a 1.3L FCA sourced diesel engine (in a higher state of power tune), mated to a 5 speed manual transmission and was wearing a very attractive price tag, starting from ₹ 5,89,000 (lower than executive sedans). It was having 2nd generation Swift inspired, but differentiated design, which was nice on the eyes. Similar to Toyota Innova, Ertiga 1st generation imbibes kinetic motion in design quite well, shunning conventional van like boxy image of MPV. Ertiga 1st generation was sharing platform with 2nd generation Swift, means it was having back end cost synergy as well. Ertiga 1st generation was quite city friendly due to its compact footprint and car like driving behavior, which made it an instant hit among customers with extended families or in need of a versatile car for daily drive. Fleet operators too were happy to have an MPV with a much lower price tag than that of Toyota Innova.

By mid-2013, Maruti also introduced a CNG kit with dual ECU and gas-port injection for Ertiga (Lxi and Vxi variant), however, the SIAM library does not have a separate sales breakup between petrol and CNG, for 1st generation Ertiga.

Ertiga 1st generation’s facelift was introduced in 2015, and in came 4 speed torque convertor transmission for 1.4L petrol engine and addition of starter-generator based mild hybrid technology for 1.3L diesel engine. Sales always remained in 60,000+ territory throughout the lifecycle, with diesel commanding 60% of the mix.

2nd Generation Ertiga



2nd generation Ertiga was launched towards the end of 2018. 2nd generation Ertiga was having a new design direction with more conventional looking headlamps and larger tail lamps that covers a larger rear area, quite a departure from 3rd generation Swift with which it shares a platform. Dimension wise, 2nd generation Ertiga was longer (+130mm), wider (+40mm), slightly taller (+5mm), with the same old wheelbase. New structure and sheet metal have added generous bulk at the right places.

2nd generation Ertiga came with a new 1.5L petrol engine (+12 bhp power and +8Nm torque) and the same 1.3L FCA sourced diesel engine, this time both the engines were coupled with starter-generator based mild hybrid technology, though transmission options remained the same.

The price increase was in the range of ₹ 50,000 - ₹ 72,000 for petrol variants. All the variants received projector headlamps, LED tail lamps, mild hybrid technology, 3rd row seat recline function and colored TFT MID.



For lower diesel variants price optically remain unchanged, despite the addition of projector headlamps, LED tail lamps and 3rd row seat recline function for all diesel variants. The top two diesel variants (Zdi and Zdi+) saw an increase in price by ₹ 44,000 and ₹20,000, respectively, for the Auto AC feature.



Later in 2019, Maruti replaced FCA sourced diesel engine with its first in-house developed 1.5L BS4 diesel engine mated to an all-new 6 speed manual transmission, prices were ₹ 29,000 higher than the equivalent 1.3L diesel engine. Maruti also introduced a factory fitted CNG kit for a 1.5L petrol engine (without mild hybrid technology), only on the VXi variant and Tour M (for fleet operators), for an additional sum of ₹ 71,000 over a petrol only engine. All new set of engines were refined and fuel efficient, in typical Maruti way. However, Maruti has to discontinue the 1.5L diesel engine from 1st April 2020 as the BS6 upgraded engine prototype failed to meet BS6 emission regulation in internal testing due to some thermodynamics issues.

In 2019, GNCAP subjected Ertiga 2nd generation to a 40% frontal offset crash test. It received a 9.25 score (on a scale of 0-17) for adult occupant protection which translates into a 3 star rating and body shell was found to be UNSTABLE. Not very remarkable performance on safety parameters, though.



With the 2nd generation Ertiga launch - full year sales nearly doubled in 2019 (vs 2018) in an already depressed market. The year 2020 saw sales plunge to 91,000 mark, owing to COVID-19 induced pandemic, still, Ertiga+XL6 became the 6th best-selling passenger vehicle in the Indian market. Come 2021, despite all odds Ertiga+XL6 became the 5th best-selling passenger vehicle in the Indian market, with stellar sales figure (1,54,310). CNG Ertiga 2nd generation launch has proved to be a game changer for Maruti, as it largely filled the void created by diesel engine discontinuation.



Why the 2nd generation Ertiga with a petrol only engine (+CNG) is more successful than the 1st generation Ertiga with petrol as well as diesel engine option?

The answer lies in the additional increase in length of 2nd generation Ertiga. 2nd generation Ertiga is 130 mm longer than 1st Generation Ertiga, though the wheelbase remains the same. That additional increase in length has gone in rear overhang extension.



As a result, the third row of seats now have more legroom to offer than before and there is additional usable boot space of +74L. Maruti has added recline function to the 3rd row backrest, thus making it more practical.

Now if one looks at the basic definition of a MUV: It is a category of vehicle meant to carry more passengers or more luggage or both together. Ertiga 1st generation was having little compromised 3rd row and was little less usable for carrying more passengers in comfort or more luggage at the same time. This never worked that well for fleet operator - one of the major target segments. With 2nd generation Ertiga, the fleet operators can easily fit in adult passengers in reasonably acceptable comfort levels. Same way, family segment customers can have, adults too, seated in reasonable comfort for a given budget (those who cannot afford Innova). Value was unlocked by the 2nd generation Ertiga and that resulted in very good sales traction.

Introduction of XL6 : A clever derivative



XL6 is Ertiga 2nd generation’s outdoorsy crossover version, with lots of cosmetic upgrades inside-out. In marketing terminology, this concept is known as product line extension.

XL6 gets captain seats in the second row replacing the bench seat of Ertiga, an all-black interior theme with a better quality roof liner, redesigned bumpers, revised bonnet line and roof rails. In terms of features, it gets new LED headlamps, DRL, tail lamp, cruise control, auto headlamps, and leatherette seat covers, over Ertiga’s usual features list. For XL6, Maruti just black painted 15” silver alloy wheels of Ertiga, a design change and size upgrade could have been a better differentiator, though. Mechanically it remained the same. Increased on paper dimensions (length and width) over regular Ertiga is all due to protruding body cladding and reprofiled bumper and there is no change in-cabin space. Sold through Nexa network, Maruti is trying to build a premium brand identity for XL6 over regular Ertiga. It is mostly targeted towards the chauffeured driven segment, who seek the luxury of captain seats, some how it works quite well in India. Maruti is charging a price premium of ₹ 48,000 to ₹ 68,000, for Delta and Alpha variants of XL6 over Zxi and Zxi+ variants of Ertiga 2nd generation, respectively. Maruti claims, that, they and their vendors have jointly invested ₹ 100 crores in the development of XL6.

XL6 actually picked up immediately and added incremental monthly sales of 3,000 units to the Ertiga product line. For relative reference, 1st generation Ertiga was selling around 5,000 units on a monthly average basis. Now that is quite a figure for highly synergized investments.

Competition

Many manufacturers tried to emulate Ertiga 1st generation recipe, in past, to gain volume and success. Forget about their success, rather, they failed miserably and had to discontinue their MUV product line completely, that too within 4 years span.

Chevrolet Enjoy (2013-2017)

SAIC has had slipped in the RHD version of its Chinese product - Wuling Hongguang S - as its third product in India, under the Chevrolet badge, and named it ‘Enjoy’. It was a rear-wheel-drive, monocoque construction with the boxy rear end and age old interiors from the 90s. It did undercut Ertiga’s pricing at the time of introduction but later reached the same level. By setting contemporary Maruti Ertiga as a benchmark, the Indian target audience decided not to compromise on value by paying the same amount asked for Chevrolet Enjoy. So Enjoy turned out to be a flop.



Honda Mobilio (2014-2017)

Mobilio was having an edge over Ertiga in terms of engine performance, and space was nearly at par. But then Honda tried to command a hefty brand premium in price (₹ 80,000+), and the customer didn’t accept Mobilio at such price point with a sub-par interior from Brio. Honda initially was quite lazy and didn’t even try to differentiate Mobilio from Brio and Amaze which were having the same front design. Honda Mobilio was a massive flop.



But somehow it didn’t deter Honda India, they brought in some sort of jacked up crossover version of Mobilio, with Honda City inspired front, developed in Thailand primarily for the ASEAN market and called it BRV (Bold Runabout Vehicle), whatever that name means in Honda world. Honda was trying to build SUV the brand identity for BRV and pitted it against Hyundai Creta, but brand image created in the mind of Indian customers was that of crossover version of Mobilio (due to near identical side profile), result - another big flop from Honda India.

Renault Lodgy (2015-2019)

Renault was aiming for Toyota Innova with rebadged European Dacia Lodgy for the Indian market. It was having K9K series diesel engine option in two states of tunes, to target both fleet operators, and family segment buyers. But then target customers compared it with the Ertiga as a benchmark, not Toyota Innova as intended by Renault India, and Lodgy started looking expensive, without much value. The worst part – it looks like an ambulance and nobody wants to buy an ambulance to ferry their family. Renault Lodgy was a big flop.



There were unconfirmed reports of Hyundai starting a compact MUV project way back in 2012 to rival Ertiga 1st generation, but later abandoned it in due course of time, due to an unmet cost target.

The project was recently revived by KIA with Carens (a bigger vehicle than Ertiga 2nd generation), as there is a good chance of higher volume potential and cost synergy among both the brands. Positioning will be clear once prices are out in the coming months.

Has Maruti Ertiga 2nd generation nearly killed Mahindra Marazzo (2018-)?

Compared to Ertiga 2nd generation – Mahindra Marazzo is bigger on the external dimension, with a relatively more powerful diesel engine, and a GNCAP safety rating of 4 Star (Ertiga scored 3 Star), relatively premium interior feel, also it is priced in the sweet spot - between Ertiga and Innova, more so by maintaining a safe distance from Innova. Mahindra does have a network and pedigree of selling people movers across the length and breadth of the country, a large majority of hinterland relies on Mahindra or Force Motors for cheap small scale proper public or commercial transport vehicles.



Going by these on paper facts, it seems like Mahindra was having the right set of ingredients for a successful recipe. But it turned out otherwise. 2nd generation Ertiga was launched towards the end of 2018, just after the launch of Mahindra Marazzo, and Marazzo lost steam immediately afterwards. Sales could not even cross the 20,000 mark ever in any given calendar year, even ugly looking Mahindra Xylo crossed the 30,000 mark at the beginning of its lifecycle. What gives?



The answer lies in, the attributes, buyers keenly look for in a MPV. To start with, the third row of Mahindra Marazzo offers relatively less space, and seating comfort in comparison to Maruti Ertiga 2nd generation, and it goes against the primary attribute buyers look for in an MPV. After taking a seat in the third row of Marazzo, right after Ertiga, space difference and seating comfort level become a little more apparent. With reclining third row of seat’s backrest, larger side glass panel, Ertiga 2nd generation feels more spacious, practical and airy, thus take away the cake here.



Marazzo’s boot space figure is marginally less on papers but is significantly affected on practicality, due to loading lip and vertical orientation, whereas Ertiga’s boot floor is flat with respect to loading lip (due to false flooring) and offer a larger base for luggage storage, thus Ertiga being more accommodating and practical.

Mahindra has also gone for complex platform architecture for Marazzo. Whereas, Ertiga has a simple monocoque FWD platform shared with other Maruti products for cost synergy, Marazzo has ladder frame underpinnings with FWD transverse engine architecture (thus no propeller shaft). It is quite unique as ladder frame chassis conventionally have RWD biased propulsion system. Seems like a hybrid architecture to have the goodness of both the world. But financially Mahindra has killed the cost synergy somewhere. Moreover, the dashboard intrudes too much inside the cabin and eats up in-cabin space. Also, the engine bay is too cramped for regular maintenance work. Seems like a case of misplaced packaging due to a lack of harmony between designers and engineers at Mahindra.

The overall value proposition offered by Marazzo for customers gets distorted, as top end Marazzo M6+ BS6 diesel variant is ₹4,78,000 and ₹ 4,10,000 (ex-showroom price level) more expensive than Maruti Ertiga Zxi+ and Maruti XL6 Alpha BS6 petrol manual variants, respectively, but offers less practical space in the third row. High price gap of ₹ 4,78,000 at ex-showroom level, offsets diesel advantage of Mahindra Marazzo over BS6 petrol Ertiga. CNG Ertiga is priced at ₹ 9,87,500, here works as icing on the cake, as it is much cheaper to own and run, wherever CNG filling station network is good, and becomes favorite choice among the fleet operators.

At the same time, Maruti is also keeping a strong check on prices, though virtually it has no direct competition right now, in the given price band. It seems, Maruti knows the price elasticity curve would not be favorable in its case, unlike for Toyota Innova, where price has gone up with time and so is the volume.

Does lack of automatic transmission or petrol engine reduces Marazzo’s potential further? May be yes, for family oriented buyers, but may not be for fleet operators, later also being a big target segment.
Mahindra has benchmarked Marazzo against Toyota Innova (based on test mule images) and maintained a safe price gap, but never imagined in foresight that Maruti can take an incremental step for betterment, in the form of 2nd generation Ertiga and destroy the whole armor. For now, the presumed to be a sweet spot for Mahindra Marazzo in 2018, turns out, being between a rock (Maruti Ertiga) and a hard place (Toyota Innova).

Only time will tell if KIA succeeds to make a place for Carens, sandwiched between Maruti Ertiga and Toyota Innova, with typical Hyundai/KIA’s traditional strength of long features list and diverse drivetrain option, or meet the fate of other not so successful challengers.

Conclusion

Market sizing

• Market size for a new product always depends on the value proposition of the offering. Looking at 1st generation Ertiga’s sales number, any one would assume 60,000+ market size, even for future product planning. However, an altered value proposition has unlocked higher market potential, even without a diesel engine. So market sizing exercise size should be very thoughtful.

Customer/Consumer Need analysis

• Customer/consumer’s unfulfilled needs to be explored in-depth and addressed before emulating ingredients and recipe of successful competitor’s product, a basic tenet to success.

Exterior Dimension and packaging – myth buster

• External dimension figures, may, may not be, the right proxy for real in-cabin or boot space. Real world practicality needs to be always judged in person and validated during the product development phase. Hyundai Alcazar (2760mm) has a 10mm longer wheelbase than Toyota Innova (2750mm). Does that makes Alcazar offer more space in the second row or the third row, answer is, no! Dimension on paper can be deceptive.
• Harping on Creta’s success, Hyundai has gone for a product line extension in the form of a 6/7 seater Alcazar, to enter white space, with back end cost synergy. Hyundai Alcazar has already lost some of the market traction as of now, as Hyundai messed up with the 2nd and 3rd row of seating space, which rivals like Tata Safari does offer a better value at a justifiable price premium, except features though. In addition, Hyundai deliberately chose an underpowered, but more efficient 1.5L diesel engine, seems like an attempt to protect Tucson with a 2L diesel engine from complete cannibalization? The wrong choice again, as Tucson is not going to bring in volumes anyways, largely due to Hyundai’s brand elasticity limit, and Alcazar will suffer, as competitors do offer a more powerful diesel engine in that price band.

Price elasticity

• Price elasticity judgement is highly necessary, it is always safe to start at the lower price tag and gradually increase price based on the success of the product (like MG Astor and Mahindra XUV 700), rather than offering discounts in the early stage (like Skoda Kushaq). Not every product can have inelastic demand like - Toyota Innova, Fortuner and Hyundai Creta.

[dhruvritzed]

Very very well judged article and the facts just drive home the point, when maruti didn't have a diesel at all in their line up, I was pretty much thinking that Ertiga sales would suffer the most, but they haven't, would like to add a few points as I could think of:
1. Literally no competition for the last decade or so, price positioning has been below the Innova always and regular hikes for innova have made the room pretty clear.
2. Think if the 1.5 diesel was still there, this could pretty much have been India's largest selling car, with our huge population a good chunk of creta and seltos buyers may have preferred a diesel 7 seater, CNG network isn't strong enough in tier 2 towns where diesel sale is mainly happening.
3. Maruti should have more variants of the CNG across the board.
4. Very obvious, but maruti needs to cut down wait times, it's getting unbearable for some buyers, especially CNG.
5. Kia carens base models if priced well could potentially hamper the party, as always Hyundai kia has targeted a niche and I expect very good numbers from that car, possibly only relevant competition.

[audioholic]

Nice analysis and well written. Of course, the Ertiga/XL6 is one product MSIL has consistently delivered, right from the first model, its facelift and the new generation model and has ensured that there is no chance of survival for the competition. I think this is the only car apart from the Ciaz to get an array of engine options and also periodic updation of features. And compared to the developments in the Espresso, WagonR and Celerio, there is no apparent cost cutting seen on these two in recent times.

Of course, while there was an attempt by Mahindra to establish themselves slightly premium to the Ertiga, they failed from the fundamentals. Having a ladder frame chassis and then making it suit the dimensions of a compact MPV has a lot of disadvantages, and that includes not being mechanic friendly, which will spread the word in the fleet community too. Hence, while the car had all the chances of offering a VFM alternative to fleet operators compared to an Innova, I guess that avenue was also messed up.

With the arrival of the Carens, there might be some buyers on the upper edge of the Maruti price band to shift to the Carens, but there will still be a large chunk of sales that go into the base version and mid version of the Ertiga that will still remain with Maruti. I personally feel the Carens will draw customers who would have otherwise brought a Mobilio, BRV etc since they want to stay out of Maruti territory. But otherwise, they would still hold a strong ground.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Personally, I think Toyota did most of the work for Maruti - with their regular price hikes. Obvious, even when comparing the base pricing for both these cars -



However, the real difference becomes apparent when considering the on road pricing for fully loaded variants of both these cars. At this rate, in the next five years - expect the Innova to cross the 50L on road pricing in India for the top-end variants, just like the Fortuner did last year!

[CEF_Beasts]

Excellent and beautifully detailed explanation

I must say it’s not funny the amount of 2nd generation Ertigas I see on the road! If one counts on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway alone, it will result in more than 20 Ertigas easily both private and commercial one.

A lot has to do with how Toyota has increased the prices of the Innova Crysta’s GX variant. The Ertiga even in petrol will provide more value to a cab aggregator than a diesel Crysta. And the CNG Ertiga takes it further. I only wonder had Maruti made their 1.5L in-house diesel BS6 compliant, it would be the top selling car for just its sheer VFM nature!

Carens will unlikely be offered in the yellow plate market, that market will still be with the Ertiga.

Now the next big thing to see in the MPV/MUV market will be Toyota’s upcoming Project B560 MPV scheduled for 2023, a FWD full petrol-hybrid. So where will Toyota’s rebadged Ertiga (Rumion) fit? Are some questions I have. (Rumours are it’s a FWD Kijang Innova with a monocoque chassis, a departure from the Crysta’s Ladder-on-Frame RWD)

[theAutomaniac]

A pretty well written post. The Maruti Ertiga has to be one of the most successful brands and not without a reason. Here's why I think the Ertiga has become what it is today-

1. No alternatives- When the 1st gen launched, people still had choices like the Xylo, BRV, Mobilio, Lodgy etc but since the past 3-4 years, there are literally no alternatives except the Marazzo which is still expensive by a few lakhs.

2. Innova- For Maruti, nothing worked better than the Innova getting expensive exponentially. If the Innova was cheaper by a few lakhs or even had a variant priced at around 12-13 lakhs, the Ertiga's growth rate would've been much lower. Many Ertiga buyers are fleet buyers who used to be Innova customers but got the Ertiga just because Innova was double the price!

3. XL6- The XL6 was honestly a very clever way of getting SUV customers to their showrooms when the brand's actual SUV, the S-Cross failed to do so miserably! Shocking how MS invested just 100cr in the XL6 and yet it is a bigger success than the ground up developed S-Cross.
If Maruti manages to plonk features like sunroof, paddle shifters, 9 inch touchscreen etc in the 2022 XL6 facelift, I bet the XL6 might as well eventually outsell the Seltos and German duos (combined)!

4. Compact SUVs- Compact SUVs like the Sonet, Venue, Nexon etc are are tiny little cars for big money like 14-15 lakhs. While these cars surely are selling well I bet these also gave customers to the Ertiga because the Ertiga gives that 'badi gaadi' feel at a price cheaper than these cars.

5. Right product, at the right time- With customers moving to more expensive cars, the 2nd gen Ertiga came at the perfect time (2018, no competition and no tech savvy cars either), with the right size (badi gaadi at chhota price), a right product management team and a perfect brand name (the Ertiga brand name too had considerable respect by then).

Also, it is commendable how Maruti just shocked everyone when they discontinued the diesel (which was contributing to 50% of Ertiga sales at that time) and yet managed to retain customers and continue on the growth run with the Ertiga. On top of it, these guys also launched another all new petrol-only MPV and make it fire the sales charts.
The Ertiga name today has enough demand (avg 10k monthly sales and 8 month waiting!) to scare away bestsellers like the Creta, Baleno, WagonR etc. and if it gains modern tech like sunroof, connected car tech and other gizmos, it definitely has the potential to become India's next bestseller!

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

-- At this rate, in the next five years - expect the Innova to cross the 50L on road pricing in India for the top-end variants, just like the Fortuner did last year!

In 2023, the speculated new MPV's (B560) coming from the Toyota -Suzuki alliance and in a segment between Ertiga and Innova will give way for the Innova to move up in price ( maybe with more added features..)

[sreejithkk]

Spot on points and observations. I have gone through many of the points mentioned while I did purchase the the 2nd gen Ertiga. I did book the 2nd gen ertiga immediately after launch and got it delivered on 2019 February. I was considering a new car circa 2017 however at that time the options in 5+2 seater under 9.9L Ex Showroom price were 1st gen ertiga and BRV. I felt the 1st gen Ertiga was a bit small and did not like the looks of B-RV. We also had an amaze in immediate family and hence B-RV felt very similar. As soon as 2nd gen Ertiga was unveiled at Indonesian Motor show, I was waiting for the launch of the same here and to know the feature set and price (One feature that was missed in 1st gen Ertiga was Automatic AC, even though the Swift has this feature since 2005). However in the meantime Marazzo was launched and I found it great on paper but 2 things made me to go with Ertiga. My senior citizen parents felt the middle row of Marazzo is too high for them to climb on, where as the Ertiga was just perfect for them. My mom suffer from arthritis, and she could not even climb to Marazzo without help. Also the only variant below 9.99 ex showroom was M2, which was really barebones. Even next variant M4 was too not that VFM. (I think it is same with most of Mahindras where many useful features are only available on top end, unlike Hyundai/Kia where base model itself feels well kitted). Now I have just completes 3 years with my car and pretty happy about it. Only thing I miss is in this car is black interiors instead of the beige interiors.

[msa.30789]

A very well crafted article. But one thing I would beg to differ here is regarding the third row space offered between Ertiga and Marazzo. I have travelled in all the three ( 1st gen and 2nd gen Ertiga and Marazzo) and Marazzo has the most comfortable third row seating among the three followed by 2nd gen Ertiga. IMO, Nothing can beat the comfort that Marazzo offers in interior spacing.

[ValarMorghulis]

Another reason is Ertiga is an excellent vehicle both in terms of drivability and economics. We've hired an Ertiga to travel from Punjab to Uttrakhand (& back) multiple times along with multiple drives to Kedarnath/ Badrinath and Ertiga has performed fabulously. The drivers confirmed that running an Ertiga is economical with the CNG option and it doesn't lack power even for the hilly terrain.
We were stuck when the deluge of rains struck Uttrakhand few months ago, but the Ertiga (& the driver) managed to navigate the tricky broken roads (or lack thereof) and the massive waterfalls/ rivers on them during our return from Kedarnath.
At no point did the Ertiga feel underpowered in inadequate.

[romeomidhun]

Ertiga I gen was a very compact 7 seater. It provided the height-user-friendliness of Ritz with a vague similarity in its frontal looks but got rid of its ugly rear, and provided 7 seats. The car-like drive for 7 people was a welcoming fact. II gen Ertiga, though grown up in size, is still compact enough for easy use.

But what we - and Mahindra - lost during this transition is the excellent Marazzo - a good car in terms of design (looks much better than the I gen Innova) and space. But other than that, Mahindra lost their senses completely - whether it is:

Its name (Marazzo - what the hell is that! But the name Ertiga is equally ugly!),
prize (overpriced by 3L, IMO), and positioning etc.

They should have replaced the ugly (the ugliest one on road, I must say) Xylo with this car and with a new name, and priced 3L lower. Even now they can do that, and see what a change it can bring.

[DicKy]

Like other BHPians have already said. Lack of proper rivals and the Innova's ever so reliable price increase has given the Ertiga a free ground.

But that is not to say it had it easy. The 1st gen Ertiga felt like a comromised 7 seater, but with the 2nd gen, the Ertiga has a strong case for itself.

It is one of those VFM, rational vehicles that you will be hard pressed to find anything substantial against it. Perfect size, versatile nature, VFM pricing, the only area it lost favour with me is the engine department. No diesel. But the market doesn't care.
And just like in the case of Innova, no one seems to want to go dead against it. Either below it (Triber) or above it (Marazzo, Alcazar?).

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

But what we - and Mahindra - lost during this transition is the excellent Marazzo - a good car in terms of design (looks much better than the I gen Innova) and space. But other than that, Mahindra lost their senses completely - whether it is:....Its name (Marazzo - what the hell is that! But the name Ertiga is equally ugly!),
prize (overpriced by 3L, IMO), and positioning etc.
.

With the announcement of that ladder frame, FWD platform itself foreboded failure.

They should have gone monocoque and went against the Ertiga, with the weight savings or went all out and put the Marazzo on the Gen3 BoF RWD platform and went against the Innova. Did neither and ended up as a dud.

[umohan98]

A very well written analysis!

Another reason that I could come up for the same would be that most Indian Households have a blind faith on the Maruti Suzuki brand. There are many people I know whose search for a car starts and ends in a Maruti Suzuki showroom. Maruti always seems to have its hand right on the pulse of the market in terms of the product positioning.

[amol4184]

Excellent. The type of content that makes tbhp so compelling.
---
Interesting observations about Marazzo - I did not realize the third row seating felt worse than XL6. The vehicle otherwise looks positively bigger than MS twins and in my test drives the front seats felt better too. I completely forego rearmost seats, but your analysis makes sense.
Back then, we looked at it as bigger vehicle for 4-5 people and third row was never really looked at. Surely though, majority of people buying these cars are looking at *all* the seats and not just front and middle. Good point. Thanks.
I always liked Marazzo and wondered what's plaguing this excellent car otherwise.

P.S> and now the updated Ertiga/XL6 will come with 6 speed TC AT. Death is written on Marazzo's fate.

[invidious]

Great article. From an ownership perspective, it is just such a stress free experience owning and servicing a Suzuki. (Touch wood). Yes, it doesn't enjoy the brand equity that its competitors do, its build quality leaves a lot to be desired and no enthusiast would enjoy driving one. But if you are being driven around in the city or need a car for the kids or chauffer driven car for parents, it becomes a no brainer.

For the record, I am not buying a new car till electric vehicles gain significant traction. Hope they have an XL6 election by then.