[blackwasp]

What you'll like:

• Quite an all-rounder of a diesel engine
• Top-class refinement levels! Very smooth experience
• Improved driveability, decent highway performance & relaxed cruiseability
• Sweet 6-speed manual gearbox is a joy to use
• Fuel-efficient nature, whether in the city or on the highway
• Totally worth the price premium over the 1.3L MJD
• BS6 version is in the works. Confirmed

What you won't:

• Not an enthusiast’s choice of diesel engine. “Tame” instead of aggressive
• Hyundai’s creamy 1.6L CRDi remains the segment benchmark
• Weirdly, the price premium (over 1.3L Ciaz) differs by the variant! Ridiculous
• Can cost a steep 1.5+ lakh rupees over the 1.5L petrol. Gap will increase with BS6
• No automatic gearbox mated to it. Competition offers Diesel + AT combo
• No SHVS system (yet) to further boost fuel economy
• Might miss the April ‘20 BS6 deadline by 9 – 12 months

This review has been jointly compiled with GTO. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

[blackwasp]

Introduction

This is our 1st pure engine review, but it’s a big moment when the most dominant carmaker in India comes up with a new diesel engine for the mainstream segments. Maruti’s 1st attempt at a diesel engine (in the Celerio) was a disaster, yet this latest one is very competent, delivering just what the mass market wants. Recently, Maruti also introduced a new 1.5L petrol, which has improved in every way over the old 1.4L petrol. You could say that Maruti is far from complacent. That said, neither of these new engines is the segment best. Like most of Maruti’s cars, they serve the purpose, but aren’t segment-toppers.

The “borrowed” 1.3L diesel was feeling way too old & Maruti knew it. With this introduction, the company will save on the royalties paid to Fiat too (for the 1.3L MJD). Many customers shop on specs and that's where the 1.5L would give them an advantage as compared to a small "1.3" in the brochure.

After the Ciaz, the Ertiga too has gotten this 1.5L diesel in all variants, except the base. In terms of price, the Ciaz 1.5L costs Rs. 17,000 more in the Delta variant (as compared to the 1.3L), Rs. 47,000 in the Zeta and Rs. 36,000 in the Alpha. In the Ertiga, the 1.5L diesel carries a consistent Rs. 29,000 premium. At this small price difference, it’s a no brainer to pick the bigger 1.5L motor. However, we hate the fact that the price differs by the variant in the Ciaz. This is fleecing higher-variant customers.

The new diesel is also likely to make its way to the Vitara Brezza and S-Cross. Yes, it will be coming in BS6 form too, although Maruti is likely to miss the April 2020 deadline by 9 - 12 months. A key vendor of Maruti has confirmed to us that BS6 development & compliance are underway. And this engine deserves it too - it has the potential to do really well in the market. The 10 reasons behind BS6 compliance (unlike what news reports would have you believe) are:

1. The market conditions are currently damp. Does anyone think that Maruti - which fights tooth & nail for every sale - will give up 30% of its sales to competitors? Heck, chief competitor Hyundai is rumoured to be continuing even with its smaller diesels, which already puts Maruti at a competitive disadvantage. Stopping diesels permanently will be a DUMB move.

2. Whoever says this engine won’t get BSVI compliance hasn’t done their math. The engine is already “BS6 ready” in Maruti speak, and will cost a small fraction of its development cost to make it BS6 compliant. Not doing so means writing off the entire engine’s investment cost & future sales revenue.

3. BS6 compliance will make the engine like a gift that keeps on giving .

4. BS6 was announced long back. If Maruti had no intention to make this engine BS6-compliant, it wouldn’t have gone through the task of launching it, or making it enter mass production. Additionally, one of the main motivations behind developing this engine was that Fiat’s 1.3L MJD isn't going to meet BS6 emission norms.

5. Maruti is a publicly listed company. The stock market will hammer Maruti's stock (already going through troubled times) if the company doesn't give the market what it wants. While the absolute percentages might have reduced, there is still more than enough demand for diesels today.

6. Maruti also knows it can count on Toyota for some more sales via rebadged cars. That'll further help to spread out the BS6-compliance costs.

7. Maruti's suppliers will fall off a cliff if the company ends production of the 1.5L diesel. Vendors have invested crores on the basis of long-term orders.

8. On a personal note, Maruti's factory dispatches in April – June 2019 were TWENTY PERCENT lower year on year. I'm very convinced this was a smart PR ploy, picked up blindly by all the media, just to boost car sales temporarily. Unsold cars are piling up in the stockyards. What better way to push the oil-burners than to slyly announce their doom.

9. In a market that is weakening & conditions becoming more challenging, you build muscle. One doesn’t give up existing segments that it has a presence in. Furthermore, SUV & MUV owners love their diesels. Example, the Ertiga will lose half its sales without a diesel (50% of its dispatches are from the oil-burner - link).

10. Potential fit in other cars! The Dzire diesel currently does 7,000 – 8,000 sales / month. Maruti would be stupid to give up those sales to Hyundai who has plans to continue with the Xcent diesel. I wouldn’t rule out a detuned version of this motor for the Dzire (other compact sedans like the Amaze & Ameo do have 1.5L diesels).

[blackwasp]

Technical Data

A video shared by Maruti:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1G29thBHGI

• Named the DDiS 225. The goodwill of the "DDiS" badge was built by the Fiat-sourced 1.3 MJD and is smartly carried over to the new engine. Internally though, it is called the E15A.

• This is Suzuki’s first 4-cylinder diesel in history! All of Maruti's 4-cylinder diesels prior to this one have been outsourced (familiar 1.3L, 1.6L MJD in the S-Cross & a Peugeot-sourced 1.5L diesel for the Zen). Their absolute first diesel was the unimpressive Celerio 2-cylinder – link to review.

• It boasts of an aluminium-casted cylinder head & block (the 1.3L MJD uses a cast iron block). Aluminium makes it light...it is perhaps lighter than the smaller 1.3L MJD.

• Gets a dual-mass flywheel which enhances refinement levels. A DMF consists of 2 rotating weights with a set of springs in-between. The springs soak up vibrations and these are in general smoother than conventional flywheels. In terms of replacement costs, they are more expensive.

• The 1,498cc diesel develops 94 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 225 Nm @ 1,500 - 2,500 rpm. For the sake of comparison, the 1.3 MJD VGT develops 89 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 200 Nm @ 1,750 rpm. That is not a big jump up in specs, nor is this anywhere close to the segment benchmarks. Do note that the 1.5D uses a fixed geometry turbo (FGT). A bigger variable geometry turbo in the future could give it another 20 horses easily.

• Has a lower compression ratio of 15.9:1 (the 1.3 MJD has a 17.6:1 ratio). This is also a contributor to its refined nature. Maruti was so stung by the market's criticism of the unrefined Celerio 2-cylinder diesel that they've gone all out with the refinement on this one .

• The intake has resonators to minimise noise, while the EGR system is towards the front of the engine making it easier to clean and service.

• Gets a Bosch EDC17 ECU and a Honeywell turbo.

• Maruti has paired this engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The company has pulled all stops for the launch. However, we wish that an automatic is offered soon. Despite the BS6 norms and the AT premium, many car owners just love their diesel ATs. @ Maruti: if & when you do, please don’t mate this sweet engine to a lousy AMT. Make it a proper torque-converter AT or CVT. If in doubt, go drive the Verna or Amaze diesel ATs.

• The ARAI certified fuel economy for the Ciaz 1.5D is 26.82 km/l. It is the 2nd-highest in the segment (the 1.3 MJD with a mild hybrid system is rated at 28.09 km/l). The Ertiga with the same engine is rated at 24.20 km/l. If & when this engine gets the SHVS, its FE rating will only climb.

• Honda kept complaining that the all-aluminium construction led to poor noise levels in its 1.5L diesel. How has Maruti managed to do it so well then? The fact is, Maruti has done a far better job with its 1.5 diesel than Honda, which is surprising since Honda is a far larger company (globally) with 10X the resources at its disposal.

• This engine & BS6 norms are very bad news for Fiat. It stands to lose a lot of revenue. At one time, 80% of Fiat’s India revenues / profits were from the 1.3L diesel (related post).

• I know BHPians are already thinking of remaps for this engine!

Better than the aged 1.3L MJD in almost every way:


Engine cover can easily be removed - it has thick foam on the underside:


A peek without the cover on:


Air intake is positioned towards the front of the car for cooler air, and raised to minimise the odds of water ingress:


Air intake gets resonators to smoothen the air flow:


Pendulum-type engine mounting to reduce NVH levels:


Bosch ECU sits a bit "inside" the firewall:


The Honeywell turbo:

[blackwasp]

Driving the Ciaz 1.5L Diesel

94 BHP & 225 Nm on tap. Maruti has gone for practicality, refinement & efficiency with this motor. It's a brand-new engine, so be sure to take that extended warranty!


Press the engine start button and there’s a small amount of cabin shake on start-up as well as shutdown. In fact, on shutdown, it was slightly more than at start-up. Drivetrain vibrations are felt on the clutch pedal, and these are directly proportionate to engine rpm. The idling speed, with the air-con turned on, continuously moves between 800 to 900 rpm as the compressor kicks in & out rather frequently. Other than that, we can tell you that the refinement is top-class. It’s second only to the Hyundai Verna & way ahead of all others.

Maruti has worked hard on this engine and it shows. With the windows rolled up, there is no intrusion of engine sound at a standstill. Even on the outside, it's quieter than the 1.3L MJD. This is more evident to me as I was a Ciaz sales consultant in 2017 and used to spend a lot of time with the car. Once you get going, the engine is butter smooth. At highway speeds, wind and tyre noise will be more of a bother, relatively. Frankly, the refinement levels are better than some cars costing thrice as much (e.g. BMW 320d).

The 1.5L offers superior driveability than the Fiat-sourced 1.3L. It wakes up @ 1,500 rpm and there is a reason for that – peak torque starts at exactly this rpm level. The Ciaz diesel passes the 2nd gear speed breaker test with no problem at all. Forget the speed breaker test, this car can even move from a standstill in 2nd gear. Within the city, the engine has a very tractable nature and you won't be shifting gears too often. Depending on the speed & traffic density, you could use 2nd or 3rd gear like an automatic, without needing to downshift or upshift. Yes, at the absolute bottom-end (say ~1,200 rpm), this engine still hasn't woken up as compared to Honda's 1.5 diesel or Renault-Nissan's 84 BHP DCi. Maruti's 1.5L really gets it going post 1,500 rpm. Still, in 1st & 2nd gears (i.e. in city traffic), you won’t find it dead below 1,500 rpm due to the shorter gearing. On the other hand, if you are in the taller 3rd gear at 1,200 rpm, you’ll find the engine to be dead & will need to be patient. In this situation, you have 2 options if you desire instant go = wait for a couple of seconds for the revs to climb or downshift (most people will downshift).

I must add that the Ciaz 1.5D has a very aggressive anti-stall feature. Unless you try hard, it’s almost impossible to stall! At one point in our test, GTO intentionally dropped the revvs too low in 2nd gear and the car was galloping like a horse...but it still didn’t stall. Owners will appreciate this while going up steep inclines too, especially in the Ertiga with 7 people onboard.

On the highway, the Ciaz feels sufficiently quick, helped in no small part by the fact that its the lightest in the segment. No owner will complain about the performance, but it is far from being "fast" like the Verna 1.6. Dr. Naren's V-Box post has the Ciaz doing the 0-100 dash in 10.8 seconds, which is quicker than the 1.3L, but can't match the Verna's low 9.xx second time. As you accelerate, you feel a good spike in power at 2,300 - 2,500 rpm once the turbo is fully singing. We were also pleasantly surprised to see the engine revving clean to 5,200 rpm and what’s more, it does so quite willingly, without sounding coarse! For a diesel, the DDiS 225 has a likeable engine note near the redline too. The high 5,200 revvs will definitely help you while overtaking, and during engine braking.

Things are tame at the top-end compared to Hyundai’s 1.6 though. Despite the fact that this engine can do 5,200 rpm, it's best driven sedately or maybe, a little enthusiastically (at best). Maruti's diesel is definitely not a motor that’s enthusiast oriented. Just as well as the cars we're seeing this engine in – the Ciaz & Ertiga - are best driven sedately. The Ciaz 1.5L diesel is a relaxed cruiser with 100 km/h seen at ~1,750 rpm, and 120 km/h at slightly over 2,000 rpm in 6th gear. Both are in its "peak torque" zone, thus you don't need to downshift for expressway-style overtaking. Even when you are cruising at 80 km/h, the engine is @ ~1,400 rpm, just near its wake up point.

At the cruising speeds of 100 & 120 km/h, engine sound is not even a topic worth discussing - it's simply not there! Road and tyre noise are what you'll hear instead, especially on a concrete expressway. Even at 3,500 rpm, your passengers won't complain. It’s only past 4,000 rpm that they'll notice the noise, but it’s still not loud or intrusive. This thing is refined at times when Honda's 1.5 sounds like a tractor!! Must add that Maruti's 80 & 120 km/h audible speed alerts are rather mild, like the beeps of those old Casio watches. If you keep the music at a normal volume, it's almost drowned out.

Maruti has mated the 1.5L to a 6-speed MT (1.3L gets a 5-speed gearbox). It's a smooth, short-throw gearbox that is lovely to use. I'll go a step further and say that it feels more "VW" than "Suzuki". Reverse is engaged via a collar towards the top left (above 1st). The clutch is among the nicer ones we have used. Its throw isn't too long and it’s light enough (but not super light like in some Hyundais). One complaint = the clutch pedal’s resting point is high. I wish it were 2–3 cm lower; the tall resting point did bother me in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Overall, this is a far better, far superior engine to the 1.3 MJD in every way. We are glad Maruti put the investment in getting this done right. From the mass-market point of view, you could say that the 1.5L diesel has no disadvantages – it’s an all rounder. The only guys who’ll be wanting for more will be us enthusiasts, who would’ve wished it had an extra 10-20 BHP. We hope Maruti develops a more powerful VGT-version of this engine for cars like the S-Cross.

The engine revs clean to 5,200 rpm. We were pleasantly surprised:


I was able to drive primarily in 2nd gear in this stop & go traffic jam (no frequent downshifting to 1st):


Gets an insulation sheet under the hood:


Firewall insulation appears to be beefier than in the 1.3L variant:


No underbody protection at all!! Not even a plastic cover below the engine . Weird that companies spend all that time & money in developing an engine, but not a moment thinking about how to protect it:


1.5L diesel now gets a coloured MID just like the 1.5L petrol (1.3L diesel gets a black & white MID):


A gearshift suggesting tool, which newbie drivers will appreciate:


Smooth & good looking 6-speed MT:


Leather boot below, and a collar to engage "R":


There is no idling start / stop system in this car and we like it that way! SHVS might come in later though. After all, Maruti is the one who invented "kitna deti hai" (must watch related video):


The DDiS' reputation was built on Fiat's 1.3L MJD, once the national engine of India. Maruti is smartly using the same moniker for its in-house 1.5L diesel now. DDiS badge is stuck onto both front fenders. In case you forgot what DDiS stands for = Diesel Direct Injection System:

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Official Reviews Section. Thanks for sharing!

Maruti has gotten this engine bang-on. I’m a big fan of their 1.2L K-Series ever since experiencing it in the Ritz. Would say that’s a jewel of an engine. This new 1.5L diesel is no less a jewel. It is an extremely capable motor that will keep owners very happy. That said, my favourite is Hyundai’s 1.6L CRDi.

I don’t get this rip-off attitude of charging different premiums as per the variants. Here’s a quick sheet I prepared to illustrate how much more the new 1.5L costs over the 1.5L petrol & 1.3L diesel. Zeta owners take the largest hit!


Also, here’s a related thread - Your favourite 1.5L diesel (The emergence of fantastic 1.5L diesels in the Indian car scene).

[paragsachania]

Driving the 1.5 Diesel DDiS 225, 6 Speed M/T Ertiga:

During the first week of July, few of us as usual planned for our annual Monsoon Drive to the Western Coast in Maharashtra and this time, the MD of a Dealership known to me insisted that I drive their Brand new 1.5 L Diesel 6 Speed M/T Ertiga that has arrived only 3 days before (one of their TD cars) and he had got one of them registered quickly only because we could take this for a real long spin and I get to share my impressions about this in comparison to its predecessor, the 1.3 MJD.

So, here are my impressions, coming out of sitting behind the wheel of new oil burner from Maruti, doing duty on a people mover called the Ertiga which I drove for at least 850 Kms! I will limit my post strictly with driving impressions and nothing else in terms of the Interiors et al because a lot has been aptly covered in this official review itself.

The drive comprised of 800 Kms of Dual carriageway with 400 Kms of it undergoing expansion work that has resulted in a lot of diversions and speedbreakers and bad sections along few diversions (thanks to recent rains). We were 4 Adults and a decent luggage with the 3rd row folded.

1. Characteristics of the new 1.5 Liter DDiS 225 Engine:

A larger bore by 7.4mm and a shorter stroke by 1.6mm vis-à-vis the DDiS 200 (1.3 MJD) producing ~ 95 Horses on tap , one word by which I would define this engine’s characteristic would be “Refinement”. This is evident right when you crank the engine and as it comes to life and chugs. The mild vibrations felt in the 1.3 MJD are nearly absent on the 1.5. The Idle note is silent, refined and crisp. The Engine feels smoother and refined even at regular driving speeds (100-120 Kmph) on the highway that all that you will notice is the wind noise along with the road noise resulting from the tires and typical “incomplete” floor insulation by Maruti.

Engine related noises:

[a] Clatter around 1400-1600 RPMs:
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

2. Gearing and driveability of DDiS 225 :
This engine is much more driveable than its predecessor. There is absolutely no doubt about it. More on the other aspects as outlined below.

Turbo Lag:

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.

3. Driving Dynamics and other Aspects:

Suspension:

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.

4. Final Impressions:

• 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

[Leoshashi]

Awesome review, echoes every thought I had during my brief drive in April. The engine is better than MJD in every single way. Hope Maruti continues with it in BS6 avatar too. Some videos I had shot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5iBNXZ1e1Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbHEXdUykKQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdLB87dDaWA

Regards,
Shashi

[Reinhard]

Nice detailed review! Rated it 5 Stars.
Really glad to see an engine specific review & I really hope this actually becomes a trend. We are going to see a slew of engines coming over the next year or two and I'm sure most members of our community are really interested in their design aspects, driving dynamics, overall character.

Yeah it was quite a lame attempt by MSIL to try and misguide the others saying there won't be any more diesel engines going forward at all. Someone should tell them that we are far more learned and aware of our surroundings, than we were say 20 years ago when MSIL ruled the roads and weren't really challenged. Such naive business tactics would only help against them.
I loved the way Mahindra responded to it and said the premium for BS6 isn't as high as hyped & we have the engines ready already!

Thanks.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

What you'll like:

What you won't:

'What you'll like and what you won't' is such a joy to read in every t-bhp review. Like always, very well done in this case too. Its almost like an elevator pitch for a car/ engine.


Why don't the points summarized end with a full stop?

[deehunk]

Nice review, fuel efficiency is more important for people who buy Maruti cars. Seeing a Honeywell turbo, I think this project started between 2015-16. Honeywell no longer owns the turbo business. A new independent company called Garrett Advancing Motion was carved out of Honeywell Turbo group.

[ramgkulkarni]

49000 premium over 1.3 in the Zeta is ludicrous. How do you even justify that?

Is there a difference between Zeta 1.3 and 1.5 apart from the engine. This is just bad from MS. For that premium, the least you could do was provide a plastic engine under-body cover.

That said, customers will line up for this once the 1.3 gets decommissioned. It is a worthy successor and as usual great review guys.

[vijayshouree]

Pretty impressive review. We are tired of seeing the Maruti's specs with 1.3 engine. At least on paper, the spec will match the competitors. Seems like Suzuki had done a commendable job in building the engine when compared EarthDreams by Honda.

Originally Posted by rrsteer

Why don't the points summarized end with a full stop?

Because ordered or unordered list should not end with a full stop

[Sk8r]

Great review for an Engine, the details mind blowing tho !

- Finally a Diesel engine upgrade that has been long pending. Just thinking if Maruti will stick to their decision to stop Diesel version of Swift and Desire considering they will sacrifice all their Diesel sales to Xcent, probably ??

- Sad that it has to come at a time when the Swift Diesel version has been ruled out. Imagine plonking this engine in the Swift and launching a sports version like what Ford did with Figo sports! I bought Freestyle TDCi over Swift DDiS Solely for the engine

- On the price difference for specific models - That's fleecing customers and not ethical at all unless there is some real difference in the updated Zeta Version !

[Lambydude]

94 BHP and 225 NM torque? That is just an incremental 4 bhp and 25 NM from 1.3 MJD. Makes me wonder why did they even try?

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Lambydude

94 BHP and 225 NM torque? That is just an incremental 4 bhp and 25 NM from 1.3 MJD. Makes me say why did they even try?

Drive both back to back and it should answer your query. There is a lot of difference between what "on paper figures" suggest and how a car actually behaves out on the road.

Also the new engine can be made to BS6 complaint but the old 1.3 wasn't.

Regards,
Shashi