[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by narchennai

Also when enquired about waiting period it is 3-4 months for Diesel, and it is 1 month for petrol. They right now have Superior White ZXi, Silky Silver VXi and Serene Blue ZXi readily available for cash bookings.

My BIL converted his two month completed Dzire booking to Ertiga and was assured delivery of his white Vdi in around a month.

[supremeBaleno]

Since the Innova is arguably the best we have in terms of an MUV and because I have never ever been in one (our office cabs are mostly Innovas, but I commute by my car), the T-board Innova parked on the roadside @ Gill Nagar aroused my curiosity during my early morning walk today. I stopped by to have a look inside - it was the 2+3+3 seater variety, with middle row seats 60:40 split.

My observations from outside were :
1) The front individual seats were set for decent legroom.

2) The middle row seemed to have humongous leg room. Do the middle row seats slide like in the Ertiga or are they fixed ?

3) The third row legroom seemed pathetic. If the middle slides, then obviously this issue can be fixed. But if it does not slide, then I would think the legroom seemed as much as in the Ertiga with the middle row slid full to the back.

4) Ingress into the 3rd row with middle row 40-split folded down etc would be as painful as in the Ertiga - though this is an observation since I did not actually try it.

5) From the looks of it, sitting for long duration in the last row would be as claustrophobic as in the Ertiga or Tavera etc.

But overall, the Innova feels like a more complete MUV and if someone needs a 5-6 people carrier on regular basis (not occasional), no doubt that the Innova should be the choice. But for most people the Ertiga at 50% lesser price should be good enough.

Like romeomidhun suggested some pages ago, it would be great if MSIL brought out a 6-seater version (2 + 2 + 2) or even one with jump-seats (2+3+2) - the latter would solve the problem with boot space when 5 in car.

BTW guys, how would it be if there was a seating configuration like the Omni-E. Two 3-seater benches facing each other. Would it not solve the issue with seat-folding, space etc ? Just shooting in the dark here. I love that config in the Omni so much that I even contemplated buying one - would be an awesome vehicle to go out with friends and family.
P.S.: I am aware of the safety issue with the Omni in accidents.

[Zenn]

I had purchased an Etios in June last year. Too bad the Ertiga was not launched last year. Would have been a much better choice than the Etios for sure, considering that for around 15-20k extra, 2 more seats and other features are available.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

OK, it may be the axle's measurement but that's still a factor to consider. Otherwise, Toyota would have stated the GC measurement apart from the rear axle. Potholes in Chennai are nearly 4 to 5 inches high above the road and Innova's rear axle will definitely take a hit or for that matter any car with a low GC and a rear axle that's low enough. Ertiga doesn't have a rear axle and it's got higher GC which will work in it's favour in such a situation. As you mentioned elsewhere, let's call a spade a spade and move on.

Please understand that these manufacturers do not measure such things according to their whims and fancies. There is a standardization process set because of which fair comparisons can be done. So, even if Toyota wants to measure the GC apart from the rear axle, they cannot do that. It HAS TO BE from the lowest point.

How can a pothole be 5 inches above the road? You mean 5 inches deep? Even in that case, the diff wont take a hit. Yes, the diff can take a hit if the driver attempts to pass the vehicle over a huge stone exactly in the centre (in the path of the diff), which only a bad driver would attempt.

Yes, I have myself scraped the Innova twice. But that was not the diff. It was the engine area. And that was because I overestimated the car since I am used to driving an SUV!

All said and done, I feel the Innova clearly enjoys more GC than the Ertiga.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Plus, added weight plays a huge factor in determining ground-clearance.

For example, the Civic's ground-clearance is 170 mm on paper. But when you squeeze in 5 people and add some luggage to the equation, it becomes a lawn mower - Courtesy the long (spring) travel and soft suspension setting.

+100.

I have read GTO's thread on his Civic.

I dont think Ertiga owners will face a big issue with the GC. But can it better the Innova? I dont think so. After all, an MUV with LOF chassis has it's own advantages. We have tourist Innovas doing duty in Ladakh for so many years!

Originally Posted by silverado

I am not sure if this has been suggested here, but the most debated third row of seats could have been like mentioned below :

1) They could have folding mechanism in the backrest itself.
2) Maruti could have fitted rails on the rear most seat , so that seat can be moved a little towards the rear and the backrest folded.
This way it would not have banged against the 2nd row of seats IMO.

I no packaging engineer, but this is my imagination which might be wrong.

A friend suggested me a nice solution -

Make the backrest of the 3rd row very very small. Make the headrests long instead, and design it in such a way that it is retractable or foldable when the 3rd row is folded.

This would solve the issue. A good example is the 3rd row of the Outlander 7 seater -

185mm GC, but a fuel tank located in the middle, can it make it to ladakh without a Sump guard?

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

2) The middle row seemed to have humongous leg room. Do the middle row seats slide like in the Ertiga or are they fixed?

Yes, the middle row of the Innova is on rails.

3) The third row legroom seemed pathetic. If the middle slides, then obviously this issue can be fixed. But if it does not slide, then I would think the legroom seemed as much as in the Ertiga with the middle row slid full to the back.

The legroom in 3rd row is good if you slide the middle row ahead. But not as much as the Xylo.

4) Ingress into the 3rd row with middle row 40-split folded down etc would be as painful as in the Ertiga - though this is an observation since I did not actually try it.

Ingress is actually better in the Innova since the middle row double folds to generate enough room for an adult to pass.

5) From the looks of it, sitting for long duration in the last row would be as claustrophobic as in the Ertiga or Tavera etc.

At the risk of again being titled "arrogant" -

I have been in the last row of Innova for long 6 hour trips. I am 6'2" and believe me, I was comfortable. Yes, the middle row was slid fully forward.

Even though the Xylo has more legroom but the ride was a bit bouncy, so Innova wins here.

BTW guys, how would it be if there was a seating configuration like the Omni-E. Two 3-seater benches facing each other. Would it not solve the issue with seat-folding, space etc ? Just shooting in the dark here. I love that config in the Omni so much that I even contemplated buying one - would be an awesome vehicle to go out with friends and family.
P.S.: I am aware of the safety issue with the Omni in accidents.

Apart from safety, it will not be comfortable as well.

[wildon]

Sat on an Ertiga for the first time. Its a good package. Not test driven yet. The beige color flooring and door pads surely make the vehicle dirty much faster. Which is a big minus. Maruti should offer an option either in dark brown or black for the same.

Out of the blue i got call from Toyota dealer to test drive an Innova. I think the heat is on which is a good for sign for us. Have to wait and watch for the Innova sales figures now on.

I sincerely wish Toyota to bring the Avanza so the competition will hot up and we all get benefited.

[ranc]

Originally Posted by m8002?

If only MS had increased the width by 2 inches and the rear overhang by 2 inches. That would have given good shoulder room for 3 in middle row and decent space in the boot too. But cant have it all i guess.

A question to experts. Just like the long wheel base couldnt they have had a "wide wheel base" to the swift platform for ertiga?

Very well said, I was also wondering that when they were increasing the dimensions of the car (maybe Ritz was the base) why did they stop at the <1700 mm width and < 4230 length. The height seems to be ok, they should have increased the width and the length to make it more accommodating. Right now the middle row is strictly for 2 adults (and may be a kid max)

[RadiantKarma]

Originally Posted by Zenn

I had purchased an Etios in June last year. Too bad the Ertiga was not launched last year. Would have been a much better choice than the Etios for sure, considering that for around 15-20k extra, 2 more seats and other features are available.

Similar inclination has been expressed on the forum by couple of other guys including me. Etios and the likes indeed have a huge challenge from Ertiga! Toyota, time to bring in your Avanza?!

Btw, ex-showroom price difference is Rs. 30-35 k between Etios & Ertiga for equivalent petrol models. Diff. in diesels is much higher with Ertiga diesel priced based on current market conditions. Further, the market conditions dictate that you get free insurance and other freebies thrown in with Etios P, whereas I don't see any freebies being thrown in for Ertiga P ever with its attractive pricing. So the effective price difference is easily above 50 k. Now, do I think it's worth spending ~60k extra for that 5+2 flexible configuration, superior interiors and features? The answer could depend on individual needs, but a good number of Indians with average heights, including me, would fall for Ertiga flexibility, what with good space management, adequate ride quality and handling capability on offer in this MPV.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by wildon

I sincerely wish Toyota to bring the Avanza so the competition will hot up and we all get benefited.

I don't think toyota would bring it as such. It looks dated inside & outside w.r.t. Ertiga, has smaller length (4140mm Vs 4265mm) and smaller capacity engine (1300cc Vs 1373cc). They would have to facelift it substantially to compete with Ertiga. Else they would have to sacrifice on the margins which they are not known to do at least here, in India.

However it does have some practical features like split folding rear seat, double folding middle seat. If toyota manage to bring it here at slightly lower prce than Maruti would be forced to install such features sooner.

[NPV]

Scheduled a test drive of the Ertiga yesterday for a friend and ended up with 4 of us taking the test drive one after another !
The demo car was a Zdi and I found it very smooth. We were 6 people in the vehicle including 2 sales folks from the dealership. Some observations:
1.Steering felt very light and was comfortable to drive
2.No issues with pick up with 6 people on board and tackled few successive speed bumps on low speeds in second gear and no bottom scraping !
3.Horn was not great (felt very feeble but this could have been a one off/specific problem with this demo car). Also, I did not feel comfortable using it since it does not extend to the sides like in my Dzire
4.Second row seating was comfortable
5.Third row seating was not great but manageable, should be fine for short trips
6.Ingress/egress for the third row was manageable, should be fine for people with small build and children
7.Beige coloured portions of the interior are dirt magnets, I would definitely prefer dark grey or black
8.If you're using the third row seating you have very less luggage space. See this picture - the space between the rear hatch door panel and seat back is very less and you can see the same from the pictures in the review also. I'm quite sure you can only have back packs/small bags/one small suitcase (allowed as cabin baggage on flights) when placed lengthwise on the floor. Essentially you can't place any bag/suitcase that is tall - due to the inclined position of the seat.
Overall, a good package and is still a good buy for a small family that has ocassional extended family members especially on city drives. For long drives with the extended family, you definitely need the roof top luggage racks/rails.

[ElDekko]

Much appreciate the painstakingly compiled review, Vid - just the kind of coverage that drew me to the Team BHP forum. Also two questions from the review and following comments, plus our visit to the showroom (Competent, Gurgaon) earlier today:

As background, I am looking for an option mostly to ferry the wife and my two sub-3 yr old children around town - sort of a soccer-mom style minivan, except it will be 70% chauffeur driven, expect ~1K run per month. For 36K km over 3 yrs using ARAI figures that means an incremental spend of approx INR 72K (Diesel 20 km @ INR 40; Petrol 16 km @ INR 64 => INR 2/ lit difference). There may be some saving in maintenance though - the salesperson estimated 1K/ service, or ~INR 6K in 3 yrs. The only way to justify the INR 150K difference would then be (a) improved drive/ handling; or (b) better resale (or am I missing something?).

Hence my question to you/ other afficionados on the forum is whether petrol is the cheaper option (I would not mind the extra INR 150K in general, nor is the queue a concern - I hope to pull a few for priority delivery!) therefore?

The other one (much simpler) is what colour the car in your review is - the red that shows up here was the better half's first preference, but we could not see one live and the salesperson led us to believe 'Firebrick red' is similar to what the Swift sports - in which case I would vote it down (no disrespect to folks who like/ own it - I merely thought it a couple of shades too light for a van)?

Thanks for your help.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by ElDekko

As background, I am looking for an option mostly to ferry the wife and my two sub-3 yr old children around town - sort of a soccer-mom style minivan, except it will be 70% chauffeur driven, expect ~1K run per month. For 36K km over 3 yrs using ARAI figures that means an incremental spend of approx INR 72K (Diesel 20 km @ INR 40; Petrol 16 km @ INR 64 => INR 2/ lit difference). There may be some saving in maintenance though - the salesperson estimated 1K/ service, or ~INR 6K in 3 yrs. The only way to justify the INR 150K difference would then be (a) improved drive/ handling; or (b) better resale (or am I missing something?).

Hence my question to you/ other afficionados on the forum is whether petrol is the cheaper option (I would not mind the extra INR 150K in general, nor is the queue a concern - I hope to pull a few for priority delivery!) therefore?

Simple. If you plan to use it for daily commute, then Diesel. Else Petrol.
Why? Because it will be daily ordeal watching the fuel gauge needle (petrol) going down fast. While in case of diesel, you would hardly notice it :-).

[lancer_rit]

Detailed and fantastic review, vid.

The Ertiga is a winner. Don't look for a roomy 7-seater with luggage space - its not a VAN! Its a UV that is mostly car-like, and that's a good thing. It looks way better than anything else it will go up against (including the Innova). It looks better to me than the Swift and Ritz (the Dzire is too ugly to even mention). As some posters noted, its the flexibility and car like dynamics, handling and ride that are the USP of the Ertiga!

Originally Posted by Jaggu

2" is decent increase, i think its the seat frames that are touching each other preventing the movement. Yes a different shape frame with cushioning on top will help solve this.

Spot on. 2" is significant legroom increase when head rests are removed.
I have a feeling that middle row incline angle will also have a bearing on the legroom for it.

[nurni76]

Originally Posted by ElDekko

The other one (much simpler) is what colour the car in your review is - the red that shows up here was the better half's first preference, but we could not see one live and the salesperson led us to believe 'Firebrick red' is similar to what the Swift sports - in which case I would vote it down (no disrespect to folks who like/ own it - I merely thought it a couple of shades too light for a van)?

Thanks for your help.

No the firebrick red is not similar to the Swift red. Swift is Blazing red while Ertiga red is closer to Maroon. In fact I too booked the firebrick red and since was not sure of the color changed to a safer Silver. But seeing Team BHP review pictures, my mind is going back to the red.

[h.s.r]

Played with MS Paint a bit.
Personally i didn't like the rear glass of the Ertiga.
IMO it should be like in the picture,But going by that look, it resembles mini innova.
Guys, any idea about Mini Xylo,Ford Ecosport,Renault Duster seating arrangement.
I am confused whether i should wait for Ecosport/Duster or go ahead with Ertiga.
I know they belong to different segment,but right know sailing in 2 boats.

[ramesh]

Originally Posted by mxx

After going through all the reviews of ertiga, the biggest problem that I find is the lack of split folding in third row seats. Having a muv myself, I know very well how much useful that is. Without split folding the rear seats are wasted, if there is some luggage. For example, just think about making an airport trip to drop/pick up a family? Rear seat space is ok considering the size of the vehicle. The packaging is very good, and I dont think any more space is possible for rear seats for this size

I fully agree with you , the foldable 3rd row seat is absolutely a must. I have used it myself number of times. And for me this could be a deciding factor as well.Another great feature which they have missed by a whisker is , ingress and egress for 3rd row passenger without much disturbing the 2nd row passengers. Ertga already has the extra wide rear doors which I think is a great feature in this regard. Ideal would be to achieve the ingress-egress for 3rd row by just sliding forward the 2nd row seats. (without actually asking the 2nd row passengers to step down the car )