Originally Posted by AdityaDeane
(Post 4623212)
Ertiga 6 Seater Concept images |
Originally Posted by romeomidhun
(Post 4623581)
Seems like a DC-modified Ertiga by seeing the grill. The Ertiga Cross testing on Indian roads has roof rails, bulging wheel arches and a different grill layout. And do you think Suzuki will "silently" showcase "a new SUV"? They will make all noise about it! lol: |
[a] Clatter around 1400-1600 RPMs:2. Gearing and driveability of DDiS 225 :
There is a mild clatter you will get to hear only for a second or two as you progress and upshift from Stand-still or after that speedbreaker and through all the gears. This clatter is indeed irritating and gives an impression that the injectors are knocking or are having issues but then it vanishes and engine is silent soon after.
[b] Humming sound as the Turbo Spools:
The Turbo begins to spool around 1700+ RPM and exactly here as the revs increase and till you upshift, you will hear a distinct hum indicating that this Turbo doesn’t like to whistle but prefers a humming sound. However, this sound too vanishes after you settle to your usual driving speeds in 4th,5th or 6th Gears
Turbo Lag:3. Driving Dynamics and other Aspects:
Well, there is no escape from it even with this engine. However, as a driver, the moment you start feeling about this lag and wait for those RPMs to just reach the Turbo zone as it is the case with the 1.3 MJD, there is this nice pull that makes you forget about it. Honestly, this is what I felt taking on at least 100+ plus speedbreakers on so many diversions as part of a highway that is undergoing 6 lane work. In short, there is Turbo Lag but the extent of it is controlled in a better manner compared to its predecessor 1.3L Engine.
Turbo Kick:
As the revs reach around 1700 RPMs, one can feel the turbo coming to life and giving you that much needed momentum. However, unlike the distinct nature of this turbo kick which is evident in the 1.3L Ertiga, the progress in the 1.5 is very linear that at no point it time you will get that sudden push back into your seat. Overall, the response from the Turbo in this engine is very Linear and unlike a Maruti.
Highway cruising:
6th Gear is always a boon to cruise on the highways and when you have a refined engine like this, it only adds to driving pleasure. @1800 RPM the Speedo is at 100 KMPH and @2200 RPM the Speedo is at 120 KMPH in 6th Gear. It is also interesting to note that due to the refinement levels of this engine, one may still feel things are normal in 5th gear itself and at 100 Kmph till you realise there is the 6th Gear too. There is no such coarse or rough note from the engine at higher RPMs in lower gears too. We never experimented with any Power on Tap kind of situations but I can definitely say that the way the engine was responding in a linear manner was proportionate to the throttle inputs in every gear and there was adequate grunt to surge forward even at 120 Kmph in 6th Gear.
Tractability of the engine:
At one point while cruising on the regular dual carriageway, we hit as low as 60 Kmph and in 6th Gear. Owners of 1.3 MJD know this well that with a load of even 4 adults the engine demands to downshift to 4th even if the speed is anywhere between 70-80 Kmph. But this is not the case with the 1.5 L engine. We could pull away quite nicely even in 6th gear and that indeed brought a smile on my face and I instantly told the other occupants of the car that this is a brilliant change from the 1.3L Engine.
Driving in B2B traffic:
We had to spend 2 days in Hubli and although the traffic here cannot be compared to larger cities, it does get its own share of accolades when it comes to chaotic driving, especially in the dense areas. This was a perfect set-up to check on the engine in terms of city driveability. This aspect gets marginally better if not much better. That is all I could notice as I traversed through some thickly populated areas through 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears. I could, with the help of the usual Maruti friendly soft clutch manage get in and out of thick traffic by modulating the clutch in 2nd and 3rd gears without lugging the engine. One thing I did notice is the gearing between 1st and 2nd that felt disconnected in terms of the ratios. When you upshift from 1st to 2nd, no matter how smoothly , there was still a slight jerk and I could never get that right all throughout. In my present Ertiga, I can upshift without giving an impression to co-passengers that a gear change has taken place. Not sure what was the reason behind this but I highly suspect the Gear Ratios between 1st and 2nd.
Suspension:4. Final Impressions:
I have driven my Ertiga for over 178,000 Kms and have taken the same road that we drove for over 50 times with similar load. I can vouch and confirm that the suspension in this Ertiga behaved EXACTLY THE SAME as my generation Ertiga even if anyone would want to claim that there is a change in its set-up. For those who are aware of the Tumkur bypass, there are a lot of undulations as you progress on the bypass and I could not make out any difference in the way the suspension behaved from my car. On Bad roads too, it was pretty much same. Overall, the suspension and Ride of this Ertiga doesn’t change much and it will offer a peaceful if not luxurious ride to all its passengers at any speeds except the steering (which is next).
Steering:
At first I assumed this to be the case of overinflated tires but I was wrong. The Steering is extremely sensitive and lifeless beyond 110 KMPH. It required me to hold both the hands firmly to maintain my lane while taking on longish curves on the fast Dual carriageway roads. The sensitive steering along with slightly reduced weight also resulted in quite a few disturbed movements due to crosswinds while we were driving on a windy day. This was never the case with my Ertiga even on Stock 185mm Profile tires and higher speeds. The steering in previous Gen if not the best was not this bad and disconnected. If anyone asks me one negative of this new Ertiga, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Steering! Then, when I later told this to Audioholic who was part of this drive, he confirmed similar behavior with the new Swift as well that he had once Self-driven few months before.
Braking:
I found the brakes in this Ertiga to be spongy that there were quite a few instances where I literally had to slam the B pedal with full efforts to stop before that unmarked speedbreaker on a diversion. I am not sure if this was a special case but I general, that bite was missing from the brake pedals (This car had already 300Km when we started our drive)
Fuel efficiency:
I won’t talk much about it but I will say this – For exactly similar driving style, load, speeds and terrain, after that 850 Km drive, MID in my car would display at least 18 – 18.5 Kmpl. This Ertiga was no different and it was just around 17.9 on the MID. Our speeds were mostly confined below 120 KMPH (Thanks to the continuous beeps and this was a new car as well), I was gentle on the throttle and there was no rush anywhere. We were never below 100 KMPH on any regular stretches of the dual carriageway too. I somehow expected better figures in this Ertiga given the 6th Gear but It didn’t really impress. However, the FE isn’t a that bad and very much acceptable for this use case. Hence, if anyone thinks this will deliver more mileage than the 1.3 MJD, you will be surprised that this will mostly remain same as its predecessor. But I do know and have experienced the SHVS equipped 1.3 Engines deliver more than a regular 1.3 by at least 1.2-1.5 KMPL over such distances. Also, I don’t belong to the category who would like to hear phrases like “Engine opens up after running in OR FE will improve after first Service” because my car delivers the same FE today at 178,000 Km after that highway drive that It did when the ODO was 1000 Km. The FE of course will be at least 24-26 Kmpl when driven at 80 Kmph which is same in case of DDiS 200 as well.
Automatic Air Conditioner (ACC) :
Worked perfectly and felt like home albeit I didn’t have to bother adjusting the temperature knob in this one like I did in mine. The ACC is only for the front so the rear passengers would still have to turn the Roof AC off at nights because the front one caters to the whole cabin quite efficiently. Maruti and their ACs are not really known for inadequate cooling or long term issues at least from my own experiences
Stock Headlights:
Low Beams gets Halogen Projectors (like 1st Gen Ciaz) while the high beams are regular Halogens. As with the case of Ciaz, I found the headlights in this one too, inadequate! It certainly demands a good upgrade to a HID kit for the Projectors like I did it for a friend’s Ciaz and after this we bid goodbye to high beams that we seldom used. During our drive that started in the wee hours (3am) and ended around similar time on the 3rd day, there were many instances where I checked the stalk to switch to high beams while I was already on high beams!
NVH:
The refinement of the engine and low cruising RPMs at 6th Gear keeps the cabin silent. However, the insulation job is typical Maruti. There is noise from the road via floor even if the engine is performing silently. A good insulation to the floor, Fenders, wheel arches and doors would actually do wonders but I guess Maruti is least interested about NVH although they do advertise this in the brochure of 1.5D Ertiga.
Space in 2nd Row with 3rd row fully folded:
This is the major difference in this slightly longer Ertiga. One can still push the 2nd row all the way back to its final position and recline the 2nd row to a considerable angle despite the 3rd row folded flat with its headrests on. In my Ertiga, Just to liberate some extra leg space, I fold the 3rd row after removing the headrests.
- Good package compared to previous generation Ertiga – More Space, Better Space and slightly better boot with a much more driveable Diesel Engine
- Build quality : It may be due to the super light and sensitive steering but overall this one felt light to drive than my Ertiga. The HEARTEC Platform to blame here? The weight of this one too is lesser than its predecessor
- Nearly comes with the most basic and practical bells and whistles including Safety, infotainment system, Armrest (less usable for short drivers), ACC, Flat Bottom steering that is nice to hold
- Compliant Ride quality on all types of roads if not the best, controlled body roll
- Misses out big time on Cruise Control – The speed alert beeps invariably kept us under 120 and to be able to hold that throttle for long at such controlled speeds was a pain in the toe
- Overly sensitive Steering feedback and vehicle susceptible to crosswinds which could be mainly due to the steering first and lighter weight later
- Fuel efficiency figures that will not really impress you over the 1.3 DDiS Ertiga
- Worthy upgrade for current Ertiga owners? - Personally It is a no for me if I were to think of an upgrade from my current Ertiga
Ertiga-based six-seat model christened XL6; gets all-black interiors, exterior styling tweaks and rugged bits. Maruti will launch the new XL6 people mover on August 21, 2019. A first image of this new model has surfaced online. As reported by us earlier this month, this new model from Maruti Suzuki will be sold via the brand's Nexa premium dealerships. Maruti Suzuki has christened this new model as XL6 based on its six-seat cabin. For those who don't know, the company had a Vitara SUV-based seven-seat model called XL7 that was sold in India and abroad a few years ago before it was phased out. The Maruti Suzuki XL6 is based on the Ertiga MPV but gets multiple changes outside and in. First up, the model is expected to get all-new front styling with a much larger grille, bigger LED headlamps and chunkier bumpers. The XL6, as seen from the spy shots earlier, gets a slightly raised ride height and also gets body cladding along its sides and also on the rear bumper, along with a faux skid plate. Apart from these styling tweaks, the XL6 seems to share most of its body panels, including the doors and tailgate, the alloy wheels and even the tail-lamps with the standard Ertiga. The interior is likely to be all-black for the XL6 and the model, going by its name, will feature a six-seat cabin with two separate captain chairs for the second row. Additionally, expect Maruti Suzuki to offer the new Smart Play Studio infotainment system on the XL6, along with other premium touches in order to differentiate it from the standard Ertiga. Under the hood, the XL6 gets Marutis newest 1.5-litre petrol engine that also does duty on the Ciaz and the Ertiga. There are talks that the BS6-compliant version of this 1.5-litre engine will debut on this model. Our sources tell us the model will not get a diesel engine variant. As far as gearbox options go, there will be a sole 5-speed manual transmission; but a 4-speed torque-convertor automatic could join later. The XL6 will most likely be sold in multiple variants and will have trim level nomenclature similar to those seen on other Nexa models. It will be interesting to see how Maruti Suzuki positions this six-seater in the market as it can be seen as a more premium alternative to the Ertiga or even a three-row rival to the likes of the Hyundai Creta and other soft-roaders currently on sale here. |
Originally Posted by AdityaDeane
(Post 4625285)
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Originally Posted by AdityaDeane
(Post 4625676)
The front end also has now been revealed |
Originally Posted by paragsachania
(Post 4624942)
Braking: I found the brakes in this Ertiga to be spongy that there were quite a few instances where I literally had to slam the B pedal with full efforts to stop before that unmarked speedbreaker on a diversion. I am not sure if this was a special case but I general, that bite was missing from the brake pedals (This car had already 300Km when we started our drive) Stock Headlights: As with the case of Ciaz, I found the headlights in this one too, inadequate! |
Originally Posted by AdityaDeane
(Post 4625676)
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Originally Posted by AdityaDeane
(Post 4625285)
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Originally Posted by rupak.choudhury
(Post 4627100)
Quad Headlamps (first in such a segment) with slightly upped GC is expected too.. Small children will totally love this vehicle because of the presumed space inside.. Everything put together, XL6 should attract the dedicated masses interested in Maruti products & looking for a bigger car for family/friends/outings/ainwaii. XL6 may not be 'the game changer', but it's placement above Mahindra Marazzo & below Toyota Innova surely places it very well in the MUV segment!! |
Originally Posted by AdityaDeane
(Post 4627143)
I so wish that they give this vehicle with options of both 6 and 7 seats, because with the expected higher ground clearance, body cladding, skid plates etc. |
Originally Posted by AdityaDeane
(Post 4627143)
If you follow this thread carefully, you will come to know that XL6 is nothing but an Ertiga with 6 seats, raised ground clearance (still not confirmed by how much), body cladding, all black interiors and Nexa Blue color option. No Quad headlamps, but LED Headlamps with DRLs. Marazzo already has a Quad Headlamp setup, if you're comparing the XL6 with the Marazzo, how is it a segment first feature then? Also, B-RV, Hexa, Innova Crysta, and XUV500 all have a Quad Headlamp setup. LED Headlights are a first in segment feature if I am not mistaken! It has the same interior space as the Ertiga, albeit in a 6 seat layout freeing up a small narrow walkway in the middle row. I fail to understand how will this statement of yours be true, "Small children will totally love this vehicle because of the presumed space inside"? The masses already have a big car for families in the form of Ertiga, this is for smaller families who need to travel in more comfort and do not need all 7 seats as in the Ertiga because of bucket seats in the middle row. I do not believe that the XL6 will be priced above the Marazzo, it may command a premium of ~Rs.50K variant for variant compared to the normal Ertiga for the extra features on offer. From what is being told, it will only be offered in the Zeta and Alpha variants. Ertiga Diesel ZDi and ZDi+ are priced at Rs.10.69Lakhs and Rs.11.2Lakhs (ex-showroom Manali). With a premium of Rs.50K, the prices for Zeta and Alpha diesel variants will be ~Rs.11.2Lakhs and Rs.11.7Lakhs respectively, while the top variants of Marazzo are priced at Rs.13.1Lakhs and Rs.14.7Lakhs respectively. And this is considering that the XL6 is launched with a Diesel engine, the Petrol MT and 4AT variants will be priced cheaper in comparison. Even if we factor in a price increase of Rs.1Lakh per variant, the XL6 will still be more than 1.5Lakh cheaper/variant than a Marazzo. Let's wait for 21st of August for all the details to be out. I so wish that they give this vehicle with options of both 6 and 7 seats, because with the expected higher ground clearance, body cladding, skid plates etc. it'll make more sense for places like Manali than the regular Ertiga with those black interiors also. |
Originally Posted by rupak.choudhury
(Post 4627558)
Yes of course, the XL6 is on the Ertiga platform only. However, XL6 will come with a new & distinctive look & will not be similar/compared to Ertiga. It'll not have the same interior space as the dimensions of XL6 will be bigger than that of Ertiga. And therefore, my statement stands true which you'll see when it's launched. :D |
The new model will share some body panels with the Ertiga |
Originally Posted by AdityaDeane
(Post 4627811)
Please see the post by Volkman here. He has shared a pic showing both Ertiga and XL6 in their side profile. You can see the body character lines, shape and size of the doors etc. is all very similar to the Ertiga. The only noticeable differences are the changed front number design and slightly raised bonnet. The rest of the side panels and even the rear length between the three and fuel filler cap and rear taillight are all the same. |
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