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-   -   Review: 1st-gen Maruti Ertiga (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/119545-review-1st-gen-maruti-ertiga-2.html)

Wonderful review as always. Rated a fitting 5 stars.

But got to say, I am a little disappointed with the Ertiga now.I eagerly wanted to see the scene after the third row has been folded down. As it looks now, it seems Ertiga is neither a proper seven seater nor a spacious five seater. As GTO said, I would rather remove the third row and use it as a spacious five seater. But then again the width is not enough for three to sit together. More over are there any legalities involved in making changes in the approved seating capacities?

Maruti has definitely missed a trick or two by not providing split seats on the last row. That would have made it much more practical. Also a little playing around with the back rests could have made the difference when folding down the third row. Anyway most of these things will be overlooked by majority and this for sure would be another blockbuster for MSIL.

It does infact look to be a very good alternative to the c segment sedans and the premium hatchbacks, with its good ride and handling and flexible seating options.

Superb review, as always. Thanks, Vid6639. This was a GTO-quality review and that's quite a compliment - as we all know :)

Also, a HUGELY awaited review clap:- one of those rare times where an initial ownership review ran up a good 5+ pages before the official t-bhp review made its appearance !

The Ertiga is an absolutely brilliant move by Maruti - just another example that when it comes to knowing what Indian junta wants, you just can't beat Maruti ! and - I am no fan of Maruti vehicles.

But seriously, this makes brilliant sense for a large segment of the market who
- look for a sedan as an upgrade from a hatch
- are largely urban commuters with the occasional highway trip
- have an already-large family or a growing one
- dont want to be space-constrained when faced with the occasional in-laws dropping in or a visit to the airport to fetch a family of 4-5
- who have kids and ladies in the house who can comfortably use the much-maligned 3rd row
- who can always use the 3rd row to double up as a boot when traveling with 4-5 folks
- want all that space without the baggage of massive turning radius or driving a truck to work daily
- who are money conscious enough to care for a hatch-like mileage (14-18 kmpl)
- who want good Sales and Service without huge costs


I know tons and tons of folks who'd love such a car.

And why it makes sense for Maruti - the company
- HUGE margins as compared to hatches (additonal cost of material used is pretty low vs. additional price paid for LUV/MUV/SUV - whatever over a hatch)
- Even HUGER margins on the fast-selling diesel variants ... it is priced at well over the usual-1 lac difference vs. equivalent petrol variant
- Strengthens presence in the fast growing market for hatch-upgrade alternatives, adding the Ertiga to a portfolio of the quite-disguistingly practical Dzire :) and the market dud - the SX4

No wonder MUL's stock price has shot up very smartly post the launch.

Hope competition (read Toyota, Ford and all) wake up soon and offer similar value propositions !

Great review sir! Been waiting for it for quite some time and it is a relief that the review is out now.

I have a question regarding the petrol Ertiga, did you have a chance to check the Avg. Fuel Consumed on the MID after driving it for a few kilometers like it is mentioned for Diesel (16.2Km/L). Apologies if it has already been mentioned. I might have missed it in my excitement:)

The Diesel is priced too high for my budget and if the prices are deregulated then I might be better off buying a petrol instead since this car suits my requirement to the T which is to carry 5 adults + 2 kids occasionally.

Rated 5*!

Great review! Extremely comprehensive and ably supports decision making after test drive. Anyone reading this will exactly know what he is getting when he buys an Ertiga. We usually never pay so much attention to finer details during TDs and end up with compromises for the rest of the ownership experience.
Looks like Maruti has checked all the boxes. The car doesn't excel at any single point except FE & price point but it does almost everything we want it to do everyday and once in a while. Would a family of 4 who occasionally have 6 in the car out to buy a sedan consider Ertiga? Heck yeh!

In the picture titled "Waterfall-type centre console" why is that gauge that appears out of slot?

It's just the camera angle. Photo was taken from the rear seat keeping the camera on the lower side.

Please do take a look at the first and second pic of the interior post and you will see it's fine.:)

Great Review. Maruti, I feel has definitely hit spot on. Only Grouse/heart ache is the use of beige in such blatant way.

Regarding 3rd seat in folded position, does removing the head rest's help??

Superbly done! Very detailed. Very intricate. Very absorbing. :thumbs up

The interiors have been documented rather brilliantly. You haven't left anything out, and that's great to see.

The key to this car is its interior. It's a hatchback that has been given the MPV touch. The fact that this feels like a 'car' to drive, and gives you the versatility of a MPV simultaneously, is its USP. You drive a Xylo or an Innova and it hits you that it's a very large car. Not the Ertiga.

One thing I found weird though, is that the 2nd row loses some of its space when the 3rd row is folded down. It should have ideally been the other way 'round. I mean, folding the rear-seats and liberating more space for the middle-row would be logical. MSIL should do something about the head-restraints. can't it be removed?

And what about the 3rd row? Can it be removed altogether, if one wanted to? I mean, is there an option for someone do do that without getting it done elsewhere?

It would probably lose some of its versatility, and then it wouldn't make sense as one could just buy a Jazz if one's looking for a 5 seater petrol-hatch. The Honda will work out cheaper to buy (and possibly run too)

As I see it, this is going to be a hit with car-poolers and office-goers. Soccer-moms would love this car! It's relatively large, yet feels 'car-like' to drive. Has enough space for kids and will be pretty frugal too.

So if one wants a MPV for regular highway driving, the Innova might still make sense (especially if the 3rd row is used often), but if one wants a MPV and predominantly drives in the city, the Ertiga would be a brilliant contender, me thinks. :)

Excellent Review as always.

My main interest point is that Ertiga will stay in the Private use segment only. I dont think it will be a hit in the commercial (Sumo/Tavera Cab Segment) as the 3rd row is not as spacious as Tavera / Sumo Xylo et all.

Finally an MPV that will cater to the Private buyer only and will NOT have a taxi image like Innova clap:

Very well covered and exhaustive review; great in sync with the TBhp review and forcing one to cover it in one go. Thanks for covering the minutest point of the second row seat folding arrangement. Has enough inputs for Maruti to attend to.

The 3rd row head restraints can be removed and when you fold them down with no headrests the middle row goes back by a wee bit, around a couple of notches but legroom is still very average with no big improvement. The bigger problem is the seat back design and not the headrest themselves.

Removing altogether I have not tried being a media vehicle:).

That was quick. :)

Oh, and I'd forgotten to mention. I quite like the wine-red colour on this Ertiga. It really suits the car, in my opinion. And it goes nicely with the all-beige interior. Yeah, the beige interior is going to be a nightmare to maintain. Especially considering that the interior of most family-owned Ertigas will be subject to children and their antics. Wow, it certainly is going to be a pain.

Great review Viddy. :thumbs up

First of all thanks for a great review. well deserved 5 stars.

Coming to the car'ish MUV or LUV as MSL calls it. For me it was no where near a love at first site when I saw the pics of the Ertiga in the Auto Expo. But today while going through the review in such detail, I suddenly feel attracted towards it. Ertiga really fills the needs of a customer with varied needs viz Space, Sedan style driving, good A*S*S , wide network and a peace of mind. Ertiga surely ticks all the boxes.

Lets see how the numbers come up in future but for sure Mahindra and Toyota will feel some heat. More than that it might eat into a lot of sedan market share.

Kudos to MSL for a nice product and good pricing.

Thanks for the detailed review !
One thing I was wondering about was the ingress / egress on the third row of seats and you got it covered. But the pictures seem to suggest that it might be a tad difficult for a well built (or fairly large) person to be able to get in and out , even with the second row all the way in front. Is that the case ?
The Ertiga seems to be another successful product from Maruti.

Brilliant review Vid6639. You really haven't left any questions to be asked. So, I will ask this. Do you have any pictures of the lower variants? :)

I have only 2 issues with the Ertiga. First, all that beige in the cabin and second, the not so smart execution of the 3rd row seat. A rear seat like in the Jazz would have liberated a little more space for the 2nd row passengers when the 3rd row is flipped.


But the product as a whole is a masterstroke from MSIL. A compact vehicle which can carry your parents, spouse and kids together! All sedans, be worried!

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