[AWD]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

your heart loves the Ertiga (counting the number of posts on this thread alone!) but in your mind you're trying to find every silly excuse under the sun to just get yourself to hate this car

Cannot agree more! I will narrate my own story here, I booked a Swift Vdi sometime back & its been allotted to me ~ a month back. I held back the purchase to wait for the Ertiga.

Finally when the Ertiga arrived, tried it inside-out. Overall like the vehicle, was'nt able to spot any big negatives. Compared to this I can go on & on about the -ves of Scorpio, Xylo & the likes, so no comparo between these for me.

Now I may just go ahead & buy the Swift & that's not because I did not like Ertiga but because I don't need/require additional seating capacity & want to gain that little bit extra mileage. In the bargain I may also end up saving a couple of lacs.

Otherwise if seating capicity was my priority, I would choose Ertiga over Xylo, Bolero & Scorpio, etc. on any given day.

[Skyline GT-R]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

115-120 bhp I guess.

It's 102 bhp & 220 Nm after being Pete'd.

Guess it will help when fully loaded with passengers.

[gkrishn]

The difference between the people who like ertiga and people who have issues with eritga in this thread is the average height of their respective family.

From my perspective, in this car, 6 adults from my family will comfortably fit in. YMMV.

After reading this review, i still continue hold the above view, but that is only for city run.
No more sure about the highway runs because of this...

Originally Posted by Vid6639

At high speed on uneven roads though, as GTO had pointed out in his Dzire review, the soft suspension leads to a certain amount of unnecessary bounciness & vertical movement. The rear end of the car lacks that planted feeling over undulating stretches of tarmac. This can lead to passenger discomfort, unless you slow down.

the above is the only concern i have now.

[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Please note that I am 6 feet tall and the driver's seat is set almost all the way back and all the way down. This is an extreme position which I prefer but if you are of normal height there is no way you will put it this far back. On top of that I was the one sitting in the middle row which means it was a 6 feet driver + 6 feet passenger.

Keeping that in mind the legroom in the middle row with the 3rd row folded will still be acceptable.

Hi Vid, the only mistake you made in your review is taking the pics with 6footer only, IMO! Please update the initial posts with the interior pics with an average heighted person in the driver, second and third seats.

In reality, Maruti may be targeting the maximum reach than the 6footer rarities!

[luvurride]

Guys, I'm telling you - I'm 6'2" and my wife 5'8". She did not have a problem sitting behind me when I took the drivers seat. The slider of middle room provides more than adequate play to adjust to different settings.

Yes maybe like Vid says, if a 6 footer is seated behind a 6 footer, then it is a bit of a squeeze. But then again, none of the hatches or sedan will offer this comfort fellas. I mean my Dad is 6'1" and we always make it a point to not seat him behind me in my Corolla now or Swift earlier.

I for one am definitely for space having driven a Dodge Durango overseas for quite sometime. I DID NOT feel the Ertiga cramped! What it does on the other hand is, it offers options for flexibility and practicality. It is up to you how you want to play the options.

Oh and the luggage part is no big deal either. I certainly wouldn't mind carrying a couple of boxes in the 3rd row. In fact, when I used to rent a minivan in the US to travel with Wife and parents, we did throw luggage in the 3rd row. So I do not find this inconvenient or strange. As someone pointed out, where there is will, there is way and we can live with that.

I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions and ultimately it is one's own decision, but the fact that it has garnered 15000 bookings in 15 days is no ordinary feat and I'm sure not all of them did so without looking at the vehicle. So there is some sense out there.

[Equus]

Originally Posted by gkrishn

The difference between the people who like ertiga and people who have issues with eritga in this thread is the average height of their respective family.

From my perspective, in this car, 6 adults from my family will comfortably fit in. YMMV.

You hit it on the nail! Now that fitment worries are mostly behind us, we really need the test results of Ertiga Vs Swift Vs Dzire. How planted it feels at higher speeds, is my last(?) big worry.

Its been ages since I want to own a MSIL - never owned one. Came close to buying SX4 but wife put her foot down completely being unhappy wiht the fit and finish and we picked up NHC instead.

If one wants to sell an NHC and go for Etriga (&& move from Honda to MSIL), how will the experience be from fit and finish perspective?
If I have to describe my Honda City in one word - it is diligent. Never once troubled in last 4.5 yrs once I got used to the lower GC. Offcourse I am very unhappy with the braking but thats that. It gives me min 13kmpl in city and upto 18kmpl in highways. Cant really ask for more in a under 9L car really..
Will MSIL match up??

We also own a 2001 Santro (odo = 71K) and running strong. Never once did it give in, too! Now its only chauffer driven but I still cherish taking it out for my hair-cuts

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Keeping that in mind the legroom in the middle row with the 3rd row folded will still be acceptable.

Couple of queries/ requests:

1) Did you chance upon other colours during the drive? Especially the "Ecru Beige"? (google baba turned up with quite a few range of shades for ecru... hmmmm. btw, "ecru beige colour" throws up only suzuki models!).

2) What are the adjustment options for the front passenger seat? Any pictures of the same?

3) The make & specs of the ICE?

Wishlist: I'm not sure how interactive the media drive was, but did you get a chance to chat up a few of 'em from MSIL as to whether there are any plans to add ACC in the near future? Dzire facelift seem to carry the same IP and hence from a logical point of view, looks its just a matter of time before even the ACC is carried over. I'm assuming the current options in ZDI/ ZXI were decided keeping the price barrier in mind - which is understandable. Split seats seem to be asking for too much at this point of time, nevertheless....

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by vinjosep

Couple of queries/ requests:

1) Did you chance upon other colours during the drive? Especially the "Ecru Beige"? (google baba turned up with quite a few range of shades for ecru... hmmmm. btw, "ecru beige colour" throws up only suzuki models!).

2) What are the adjustment options for the front passenger seat? Any pictures of the same?

3) The make & specs of the ICE?

Wishlist: I'm not sure how interactive the media drive was, but did you get a chance to chat up a few of 'em from MSIL as to whether there are any plans to add ACC in the near future? Dzire facelift seem to carry the same IP and hence from a logical point of view, looks its just a matter of time before even the ACC is carried over. I'm assuming the current options in ZDI/ ZXI were decided keeping the price barrier in mind - which is understandable. Split seats seem to be asking for too much at this point of time, nevertheless....

1. I didn't get a chance to look at the Ecru beige. I did see the Dusky Brown and Serene blue and both of them looked good. Ecru beige is very similar to beige of Hyundai i20 I think.

2. Passenger seat is only the usual recline and fore/aft adjustment. No height adjustment option.

3. The ICE is probably Kenwood or Alpine Maruti's OEM suppliers.

ACC: I've mentioned this in another thread. Maruti probably didn't design an ACC for the Ertiga and kept it simple for cost as well as engineering issues. Having 2 condensers and a large cabin space the Dzire's ACC would probably not be effective and would not be able to regulate the temp. Remember ACC is not just the panel but has sensors as well in the cabin.

Honestly it's not a feature you will miss and you can live with it. The only thing is a cheaper Dzire has it but the Ertiga doesn't.

[BANDHAV]

Spotted a white Zdi here in Delhi yesterday, must say the car has superb road presence. It surely not as big as Xylo or Innova but it's still big enough to have a distinct identity on the road among the sea of hatchbacks.

[amalji]

Fantastic review from @vid yet again.

Having seen the vehicle in real, for a family with moderately tall people, the Ertiga leaves enough space on each rows which I have mentioned over here - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post2748080

At the same time, @vid has shown that for a 6 foot height family, this might not be the right choice. Personally, I'm in love with this vehicle.

I would also like to hail Maruti for finally taking care of the poor brake design that they have in Swift when they designed the Ertiga!

Another sensible design is the wheel base. It's as long as the Innova. So, combined with the good suspensions, we can expect somewhat similar comfort even if the vehicle's foot print is shorter!

2600 rpms at 120 kmph is tall gearing and is well suited for those lengthy highway cruising. At the same time, they have made the 1 to 3 gears short since, those gears are mainly meant for city. Well done, Maruti. You seem to have got the gear ratios spot on with the Ertiga.

A few minor aspects that Maruti need to take care of to make it a true winner in every sense.

1) Split seats for the 3rd row.
2) Head rests need to be slotted even lower on the 3rd row as mentioned by @vid. This will free up more space. ( The area where the head rests is placed need to be made lower )
3) Beige and black interior instead of all beige.
4) I still don't like the waterfall design in terms of driver seat ergonomics. Even though, it is marginally better than the new Swift, it still restricts your options when you need to place your left leg in a relaxed posture.
5) Arm rests for the driver seat with a storage box
6) Do something to the waterfall dash design to improve the driver seat ergonomics. Even though, it looks good and is slightly better than the Swift in terms of ergonomics , it still hampers the options to relax during a long drive.

Make these minor changes ( Maybe, the seat modifications can even be custom modded by a good auto upholestry person! ) and this is truely a wonderful vehicle in the price range it is offered at.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by gkrishn

The difference between the people who like ertiga and people who have issues with eritga in this thread is the average height of their respective family.

Good point. I am 6'2" and my brother is 6'3". So for us, the Ertiga is cramped. Maybe a family of 5'8" and below may not have much issues with the legroom.

[nikhil_d1106]

Excellent review Vid. The pics covering all the nitty gritties of the vehicle were excellent.
The Ertiga looks like a good upgrade for a hatchback owner to a bigger vehicle at a reasonable price. Maruti should be able to retain customers and sure has a winner on the cards...

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by rosh_aveo1.4

Comparing it to Innova, not sure if that's even right (apples to oranges). Autocar May issue apparently did that. Curious to see what is the verdict.

Ertiga won that comparo. For the first time after it's launch, Innova has been beaten!

Verdict :

As a personal family car, the Ertiga works better. Ertiga rides well, is less cumbersome in town and does almost everything the Innova does. It comes with all the features the Innova has and is substantially cheaper too.

The only significant place the Innova has a true advantage is if everyone in your large family is large - the Innova's extra space will come in handy. Also, the Innova's body on frame construction and superior ground clearance makes it much better on rough roads. Where the dainty Ertiga bobs up & down, the Innova thumps through.

Howver, in the final analysis, the Ertiga does almost as much as the Innova for just 60 percent of the price. You simply can't argue with that.

Source : Autocar India

BTW, are those head rest in the rear seat fixed? If we take em off, does that improve things?

It can be removed. It does liberate around 2-3" more legroom.

[sagarneil]

Fantastic review, waitinf for the same for quite sometime now!!

Looks like the new Mommy Wagon from Maruti is set to take out the streets, impressive booking numbers!!! Although the whole car is screaming "basic" i believe its a good deal in the price range they are offering!!

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

You are somewhat right in saying that I really really liked the Ertiga. Infact, I was desperately waiting for it's launch to replace my ageing Scorpio.

Maybe the reason for your disappointment is the part in bold above. The Ertiga is in no way an SUV replacement. If someone thinks in that direction, disappointment is the only outcome. Heck, compared 1 to 1, it is not even a match for the Innova which is also an MUV. But look at the occasional versatility it provides for the average family and the huge price-saving over the Innova and you would know why it makes sense and why the surge of bookings for it.

Our current drive in Kerala is a Swift-Zxi which is just about good enough for me, wifey, my parents and my two kids aged 4years and 8months respectively. We even manage 1-2 day vacations in this car, inspite of the limited boot space, complete with all the stuff that is needed for an infant. Fast forward a couple of years when the kids grow up and that is when we would find the Swift to not fit our needs. And that is where the Ertiga scores for us. Would also help when either of my sisters come down with family and we have to go out together, instead of taking 2 cars out.

Originally Posted by volkman10

Differ from your view. People buying Ertiga are really not looking for a 'true' 7 seater on a regular basis. Occasional use to accommodate 7 is the what makes Ertiga an attractive buy!

Well said. And I have seen many such occasions when this type of a car would have been a great fit.

Occasion# 1 : Some 4years or more ago - a Kerala TBHP meet some 15kms from my home. Initially I was planning to just go with my wife and infant son in the Swift. Then my sis, her husband (a car freak) and 2year old kid joined. Since that would leave only my parents at home, we decided to have them also come along - the meet was at a highway restaurant and while I could spend time with the guys, for the others it could be an outing+lunch. So now we are 6 adults of medium build with the tallest being me at 170cms and a 2yr old kid and an infant. We thought of taking our M800 also, but my Dad won't agree - to him it is a pointless burning of fuel, just for one additional person (after discounting the kids). Since arguing would not have got me anywhere, we go in the Swift doing 'swalpa adjust maadi' - and I still remember the look on tbhp-ian jkdas's face when one-by-one we got out of the Swift at the hotel. Put the Ertiga in this situation and see how it fits.

Occasion# 2 : A Vagamon trip is planned again with the same group (6 +2kids) above - Swift would not be enough this time since it is a long 220km 2-way drive and also overnight stay (luggage would be more). I decide to hire a self-drive Tavera, but at last minute, my BIL has to drop off due to some other issue and we go in the Swift. Would have been more comfy in the Eritga, and even without BIL joining.

Occasion# 3 : SIL was leaving for Australia after the last X'mas vacation and me/wifey/Son1/Son2 and in-laws were to drop her at TVM airport. While the car was good for 5 adults and 2 small kids, the luggage was an issue - finally we did manage, but in the Ertiga we could have just dumped it on the 3rd row seat & around it, without folding it down & compromising on seating space in 2nd row. So, instead of complaining about legroom going down in 2nd row due to 3rd row being down, I would just keep 3rd row upright and put luggage on the seat and small bags around it.

Many more instances could be put down, which would show why the average joe is so interested in this car. Many of us here can afford the Innova or an SUV, but while it would handle the above cases much better than the Ertiga, 90% of the time, it would just be a waste of fuel and road-space to lug it around for 1-2 people on board.

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

salesguy says its not possible to completely remove the rear seat. and even if someone does i don't see how it will lead to increased second low legroom unless you plan to tinker with that too.

The people who want to remove 3rd row seats will then keep the 2nd row at max-back so as to get the best legroom for both rows and a cavernous boot for luggage.

Originally Posted by Equus

If one wants to sell an NHC and go for Etriga (&& move from Honda to MSIL), how will the experience be from fit and finish perspective?
If I have to describe my Honda City in one word - it is diligent. Never once troubled in last 4.5 yrs once I got used to the lower GC. Offcourse I am very unhappy with the braking but thats that. It gives me min 13kmpl in city and upto 18kmpl in highways. Cant really ask for more in a under 9L car really..
Will MSIL match up??

Dont know what you mean by fit-and-finish (people mean different things with terms like fit, finish, build quality etc), but if interior quality is what is referred to, then the Honda would be better - my comparo being with say your NHC and my Baleno which can be called peers (both have updated versions available now). But if reference is to reliability (since you mention 4.5 years of no trouble), rest assured that the Suzuki will match up to it or better it. Same goes for FE, which would be matched by the Suzuki.