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-   -   Maruti Ertiga : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/206653-maruti-ertiga-official-review-3.html)

I wish I could rate this review 6*! What a fabulous review with superb attention to detail! I had taken a test drive in December 2018 and your expressions just reminded me of what I had felt. I am in the hunt for a new car, preferably SUV, but as @Lucusjag mentioned it in the Mahindra XUV300 thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4545127 would be keen on "more car per car" and the new Ertiga fits this bill for sure. I have driven Maruti for all my life and know the comfort factor with this car as well.

This is my position, so thanks for highlighting the ease of driving factor!

Also, considering the lighter colour interiors and floor carpet, how are you managing that?

I am also planning a petrol one, so please let me know if there are any other concerns or shortcomings?

Like I was checking above, considering the lighter colour interiors and floor carpet, how is your dad managing that?

Yes agree on this. I was eagerly awaiting and also calculated the 2 month time gap while reading the review. Nevertheless, a truly fantastic review. Do you have a petrol variant? If yes, could you let me know any other glaring shortcomings or missed expectations?

Also, like I was checking above, considering the lighter colour interiors and floor carpet, how are you managing that?

Hi
Saw and inspected my vehicle ZXI AT at the yard.
All seemed as expected (Jan ‘19 model)except the alloys were greyed.
Not sure if this was some covering that will be peeled off during delivery or is it a new design.
Have asked the sales advisor to clarify

That's OEM. Black ones too are available. Here is a link to the post by Leoshashi Sir showing the black alloys with the same design.

So nothing to worry about.

I checked with my Sales Advisor, and as per her the Top Spec White Ertiga comes with black alloys. Not sure if the information is accurate.

Petrol VXi, Grey - 250 odd kms.

Feedback received from travelers till date.

Summarizing my previous posts for your convenience.

1. Ride is bouncy, In my case the left set of tyres were over inflated - 35 psi, and right side was under inflated 25 psi. I got it corrected today to 32 psi (it was full house), occupants still complained about the ride. However, the jerks when passing over flyover joints have significantly reduced.

2. It is easy to drive, car like, but in terms of handling it is MPVish (not that i have driven one), folks gets pushed sideways in mild/moderate turns at 35/40 kmph,

3. There is a fair amount of bobbing - vertical movement on undulating roads.

4. The 3 above points contribute towards car sickness. This is very evident. If you have folks who easily get car sick then do take a longish test drive with them at the back before you decide

5.The second row can seat three abreast comfortably. The space of the third row is definitely usable.

6. The ability to fold down one seat in the last two enables efficient airport transfers. Tested with an airport run.

7. The light control stalks of VXi and ZXi are different, so i guess the wire harness is different too,. I had got fogs fitted at the dealership, the button is on the dashboard.

8. The Music system is ok for a non audiophile, i had nothing to complain about other than the vintage look and feel. Third row travelers will ask you to crank up the volume.

9. Beige is painful. Got the floor laminated. Maruti dealerships may offer you this for around 5K, Check outside before your finalize. Seat covers are also cheaper outside. But if you want removable ones then stick with Maruti, and ask them not to put the "C" clip on the front seats. I was a bit shocked to see a 1500 odd seat cover installation charge, I could not do much since i didnt know about it but you must get them to waive it off. The faux wood inserts look good but expensive , so wait for a few days you will see many at half the price.

10. The engine itself is ok, the car is drivable, No blistering performance or acceleration. It does not struggle with a full house on inclines.

11. The Auto Start Stop system has a mind of it's own. Sometime it works sometimes it does not. The Li-ion battery never shows fully charged. But when it does work, it useful in traffic signals - weather permitting, the AC cuts off, headlamps, stereo do not cut off when the auto start stop kicks in

12. Reversing is a bit tricky, you have to learn to handle it. Be patient and if you have VXi, the parking sensors beep and the direction shows up on the MID.

13. Fuel efficiency - expect not more than 10 - 11 in typical tier 1 city traffic. I averaged 8.5 kmpl.

14. The prime USP is the small foot print, below 10 lakh price (VXi), 7 seater. The joy of traveling - together.

Hope this helps.

Awesome review by Blackwasp. Such an attention to detail and the entire review is excellent to read through.

Having driven Ritz Diesel mill for more than 1.20 lakh kms, I was thinking to explore the Ertiga. However, the one thing that my family hates and my parents with lumbar spine injury dreads is a non-planted ride (thanks for enlightening me that this phenomenon is called bobbing).

I decided to give Ertiga a miss since the same bobbing issue exist by a good amount more than the Ritz and settled for a sedan.

On the issue of bobbing, has this been compared to previous versions of Ertiga?
The 2012 version ZDI that I had didn’t seem to have that much issues (no one complained :-) so much and I myself felt it planted in one of the highway rides and probably was only in comparison with the other car Xylo that was travelling with us)

@cyberwhiz - can you share details or pics after lamination?

Bobbing simply means to move up and down as on wake/wave of water. More used in describing boats i guess.

Anyway, all large vehicles with a soft suspension will have a tendency to wallow and bob. It can be controlled by driving in a civil manner :). My suggestion is take a test drive and see it for yourself and decide if it is acceptable to you. Do note that the low speed city ride quality is pretty good. So, all in all, though some may crib about it , it still may not be a deal breaker.

Now, that you mention about lumbar spine etc and its association with a non planted ride, makes me wonder if it is the reason for me getting a mild lower back pain after 3 - 4 hours at the wheel. I was just putting it down to advancing years.


I had test driven the previous version of ertiga too, albeit a few years ago. I do not recollect any issues then. We waited for the new ertiga - which seemingly took care of all shortcomings/critical features on our list. Unfortunately, our test drive with the new ertiga was in city traffic, and limited distance. Low speed ride quality is pretty good, so this vertical movement issue came up as a bit of a surprise.

I do not have any pictures, but essentially it is a PVC/art leather sheet which is affixed above the existing carpet. It is held together using velcro and pushing is under the side fitments. This can be done after removing the seats or without removing the seats. Take a look at the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbUn-PQRI54

At Maruti it costs around 5K, outside you should get at half the price.

Let me know if you need any other details.

From speaking to my dad, he does not seem to have any major issues with the car so far. The ground clearance can be an issue when fully loaded, over larger poorly designed speed humps. Other than that its a great car. The petrol engine is peppy and more than enough for sedate city and out of town drives.

About the light colour carpeting and interiors, well, we got floor mats and fitting seat covers done immediately on purchase. As with any car, I suppose regular valeting of the interior and some care should be enough to keep it looking good.

Hope that answers you.

Cheerio!:)

Can you please share the floor mat you have got? Is it something like 3D mat or normal carpet/rubber mat? Brand and price information will help.

It's not a deal-breaker, if that's what you are asking. At high speed, 3rd-row passengers will feel "floaty" with more up & down movement on wavy roads. Solution = drive at a lower speed.

3rd-row passengers are anyway like 3rd-class citizens in most cars, so this will be the least of their worries.

That was the most detailed review of the new Ertiga, covering each and every aspect. Awesome work!

Just wanted to ask this doubt from the day since the new Ertiga was launched. Pardon me if it has already been discussed.
My question is, can we operate the vehicle without the secondary Li-ion Battery connected?
Or to be more clear, once the Li-ion battery lifetime is finished, and if I choose to not replace it, can the car run on the primary battery alone like other cars ?
i.e. If I am ok with the fact that the torque assist system and the idle-start stop Hybrid system stuffs and all won't be active?
Or will the car simply refuse to start without the secondary battery in place?

The reason I am asking is because I heard in a youtube review that the Li-ion battery is currently very expensive and replacing it will cost around 60k or so.
So just wanted to know whether there is an option to continue without the secondary battery altogether.

Also speaking about the primary battery, once it becomes dead, can I change it to a more coventional/regular type battery without ISS support if I don't need the Idle-start stop system?

Can someone please explain? We are considering Ertiga Petrol as a very probable option for our upgrade which may happen by year end or so.
So just wanted to clarify these points.

Just sharing my observation - folks who were ill at ease were seated in the second row, and they were uncomfortable at speeds above 60 kmph wherein the vertical movement started making it's presence felt.

Hence, my suggestion - take a test drive specifically on a undulating road and see if it is acceptable to one. Not everyone gets car sick, that is a select club that i too belong to :)

Great compilation. My biggest takeaway from the Ertiga is the flat folding rear and middle row. Maruti took the Honda Jazz' trump card, aced it and how. It is a sheer delight watching all rows fold flush. Heck I would just buy it for this! Magic seats are truly cool.

Thanks,blackwasp or this detailed review.

That wood-insert in the dashboard looks classy and gives a premium feel to the interior. The whole dashboard layout is new and feels fresh. It's great to know that MSIL put some efforts to make the third row more comfortable(read usable). Being an MPV(that too a budget MPV), Ertiga's first job is to move people. IMO, Fun to drive factor should not be associated with a budget MPV. However,it looks like 1.5 Petrol and 1.3 Diesel will do the job nicely. Ertiga should be able to fulfil the requirements of a comfortable cruiser on the highway and easy to handle in the city. I think Ertiga is capable enough to do both these duties.