[krivbel]

Originally Posted by luvurride

Wow looks like there are quite a few deliveries happening around. But where are the Ownership Reports guys?? What's happening? Bring them out so at least we get to drool at the pictures and the fun you had!

I cannot agree more ; we are entitled for ownership reports. I am interested in knowing how does it behave at high speeds; actual FE at high speeds, etc. More importantly the pics, I have to wait for a cool 8 months for my ZDI, would rather share your experience guys. Actually I am thinking of changing from ZDI to VDI just to speeden up the delivery. Is it wise? I wonder...

[Sriram Rajann]

Note from Team-BHP Support: Your post has been significantly edited. Please maintain a balanced viewpoint while reviewing a car, even if it is one you have purchased recently, and be sure to include both pros and cons when you review it. Specifically, do NOT take pot-shots at other brands & their owners and avoid sarcasm and negativity on the forums.

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Hi ! guys . I am a Team BHP"ian who has been not active on the circuit. But I have been patiently observing all the comments on Ertiga , including the derrogatory references by some.

I am a proud Ertiga ZDi customer and was one of the first owners to receive it in Chennai , as early as 21 st of April , a fortnight after the official All India launch.
Here goes my ownership report.

Just after receiving delivery , I left Chennai with family in tow , for a long distance ( divinity related visit to a set of very important religious shrines in East central Tamilnadu . It was a long haul of around 850 kilometers up and down . After that , she has been through another long haul of 330 kilometers to Bangalore followed by a Bangalore Hyderabad mile crunching . My odo reads 3000 odd kms today , ever since I became a proud owner of an Ertiga ZDi.

These are my experiences , on the various facets of the beast .

1. It is a show stopper as of now , especially curious Innova owners. They cant believe the torque that it develops after negotiating the toll gates and considering that it delivers great linear power after the 1750 RPM level .They are amazed when they ask me that a 1.3 Liter VGT can deliver that kind of power. With a full load of 5 adults and a luggage equalent to 3 more adults, all those long hauls were done effortlessly. If you do say 90-100 plus speeds , it gives a healthy mileage of 18- 18.5. If you reduce speed to the 80's and 70's , it gives a ridiculous 20-22 plus kms to a litre of diesel( long haul ) . The engine has also been tested on steep gradients ( result - very good ) and I am just waiting to take it on a hilly haul soon . No doubt , as forum members have reported , very good performance in the hills too .

2. In the city it has been consistently giving 15.5 Kms to a liter of diesel.

3. Performance of the AC: Both front and back ac's , in scorching summer tamilnadu temps of around 39 degrees , could cool the cabin in about 5 minutes and without exaggerating , it chills the cabin in about 10-12 odd minutes after which back a'c knob can be stepped down a bit. Very good ac performance .

4. Breaking is very efficient ( as is expected of ABS and EBD )

5. Handling at high speeds last week, is really good considering that it is a larger vehicle . It really handles like a hatch . VGT truly delivers that kind of power effortlessly , and I did not experience any lack of engine power etc as mentioned by some members on this forum.

6. The cabin sound insulation is amazing and you wonder if there is even a Diesel beast under the hood !!!

7. My wife likes the ease with which even a woman can handle Ertiga . Maruti after sales service is " Peace of mind " .

8. I have also negotiated rainy conditions on the highway with Ertiga ( enroute Hyderabad , with those high velocity cross winds that hit the sides , when you hit desolate oblivion from Ananthpur to Kurnool ) and the vehicle was rock steady ( Kudos to Maruti for achieving that , considering that when you see popular sedans ( top brands ) and larger vehicle struggling in those conditions ). In fact I could feel the engine powering itself to glory , when I encountered wind currents hitting you head on. A true test for the hauling power capability in such adverse conditions .

9. I am very happy with the music system . It delivers very good performance. It is not exactly Bose type delivery available in some prestigious sedans and SUV"s( Perhaps!!) . My friends appreciated the sound quality of my Ertiga ( considering that many of them were Honda and Mitsubishi owners !!! )

10. The centre row adjustment: I am 6 fT 1 Inch and I can sit comfortably in the last row ( with the middle row at middle level ( giving ample leg room for the middle row occupant ). I am again amused by the regular reference to space and legroom etc in the Ertiga in this forum. My humble advise to future Ertiga owners is check out everything for yourself and not to rely on these arm chair pundits . They may only perhaps confuse you further .

11. I wish the last row too was twin foldable, like the second row.!!

12. I have fitted the Mob Bluetooth hands free in the car -Dealer installed - ( never go to the after market for this , they may mess up up the electricals and engine electronics !!)

13. I am due for the reverse camera next month. That would be a boon to an Ertiga type of car.

14 . I plan many more long hauls , since it has been an absolute pleasure driving the Ertiga both in the city and the highways . My family said that they never felt tired after a long haul in the Ertiga . I too have felt very relaxed , even after a 550 kms long haul from Bangalore to Hyderabad .

See you soon on the forum with your own Ertiga experiences .

[supremeBaleno]

Couple of observations :

1) I saw more Ertigas (3 to be precise) during a weekend drive in Kerala than I have seen over all these months in Chennai (spotted just 2). Kerala is a hard-core diesel market and this versatile vehicle becomes all the more attractive I guess.

2) With the new face-job on the Innova, I am confusing it for the Ertiga from far. The front was the sore point of the Innova and now it looks good. Not sure if it is a plus or minus for the Innova, but it looks less bulky now from front and possibly this is why I seem to mistake it for the Ertiga.

[swiftdiesel]

Originally Posted by Sriram Rajann

See you soon on the Ertiga reviewers forum with your own happy Ertiga experiences .

Just back from a Chennai - Thiruvananthapuram - Chennai 1800 km round trip and your post very much echoes my thoughts. In fact I doubt if I could have done a better job than you penning this down! Share some pics of your ride.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Couple of observations :

1) I saw more Ertigas (3 to be precise) ... in Kerala than.....in Chennai (spotted just 2). Kerala is a hard-core diesel market and this versatile vehicle becomes all the more attractive I guess.

2) With the new face-job on the Innova, I am confusing it for the Ertiga from far. ...the Innova and now .....looks less bulky now from front

Both these points are very much right. We can see plenty of Ertigas on the road now and uniquely all are private vehicles so far.
Yes the Innova looks like a lot slimmer with the single master-touch.
Even the new Fiesta appears to be smaller from the front and from a distance.

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by Sriram Rajann

Hi ! guys . I am a Team BHP"ian who has been not active on the circuit...

Sriram, Wow.. thats a fantastic bullet review.... increasing the confidence of many fence sitters like me. I am just curious to know if the same kind of behaviour can be expected from Petrol engine as well. I am inclining towards petrol because my monthly runs are well below 600 kms with rare highway runs. Budget will also be limited.

[nurni76]

Originally Posted by Sriram Rajann

Here goes my ownership report.

Wow Sriram. That was a great review. In fact it has echoed well with my observations when I Test drove the ZDi a couple of times before booking the ZDi. Unfortunately I have no visibility on when I will be getting my vehicle, so much so that I have also booked a Jazz. Fingers crossed and hoping one of these gets to me soon.

I for one surely feel you should open a separate ownership thread with more details of your ownership, including, ofcourse the pictures.

[trishul]

We received delivery of our Granite Grey Ertiga ZDi last week. I have posted our initial report at:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122004

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by xotiq

Will put up details, going for first service today.

Originally Posted by Sriram Rajann

I am a proud Ertiga ZDi customer and was one of the first owners to receive it in Chennai , as early as 21 st of April , a fortnight after the official All India launch.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

Just back from a Chennai - Thiruvananthapuram - Chennai 1800 km....

Guys,
what is the insurance amount? any idea? the dealer is claiming for 29k for zero dep for vdi model. Any quick reply will help. the online quote was for 23k.

also, is it a must to get the insurance form maruti? the royal sundaram guy, with whom I my previous car was insured for past 8 years, redirected me back to my dealer!!

[xotiq]

Originally Posted by gkrishn

Guys,
what is the insurance amount? any idea? the dealer is claiming for 29k for zero dep for vdi model. Any quick reply will help. the online quote was for 23k.

also, is it a must to get the insurance form maruti? the royal sundaram guy, with whom I my previous car was insured for past 8 years, redirected me back to my dealer!!

Insurance amount that i paid for ZDI was 18k (excluding NCB). Zero dep should be around 22k.

Which insurance to go with is your choice, not the dealers. For BLR onroad pricing, insurance is around 25k by dealer. Get it on your own, and you save 6-7k, and 11k with max NCB (No claim bonus from your previous vehicle).

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by xotiq

Insurance amount that i paid for ZDI was 18k (excluding NCB). Zero dep should be around 22k.

Which insurance to go with is your choice, not the dealers. For BLR onroad pricing, insurance is around 25k by dealer. Get it on your own, and you save 6-7k, and 11k with max NCB (No claim bonus from your previous vehicle).

Thats a great news. I am looking for a zero dep. let me know if you got any contact, whom I can talk to. My car will go for rto, probably tomorrow.
I don't have any preference for insurance company.

[xotiq]

Originally Posted by gkrishn

Thats a great news. I am looking for a zero dep. let me know if you got any contact, whom I can talk to. My car will go for rto, probably tomorrow.
I don't have any preference for insurance company.

I suppose you might have got the engine/chassis # by now.

For comprehensive coverage, lowest quote is from Royal Sundaram, buy directly online, do not approach any agent.

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by xotiq

I suppose you might have got the engine/chassis # by now.

For comprehensive coverage, lowest quote is from Royal Sundaram, buy directly online, do not approach any agent.

Thanks a lot buddy. the zero dep for vdi is at ~19k. you saved me 10k from the dealer quote.


Also, the mud flaps are list as part of the ertiga z/v models. The dealers are quoting this as part of the standard acc.

[krivbel]

Originally Posted by Sriram Rajann

14 . I plan many more long hauls , since it has been an absolute pleasure driving the Ertiga both in the city and the highways . My family said that they never felt tired after a long haul in the Ertiga . I too have felt very relaxed , even after a 550 kms long haul from Bangalore to Hyderabad .

See you soon on the forum with your own Ertiga experiences .

Hey Sriram, when you fold the last row, I noticed that the surface becomes pretty uneven. Did you have a problem keeping your luggage there? I felt a little bit of body roll at the back when I test drove it, did you notice anything? I had stretch to reach the gear lever, how was it for you? One of my friends, who has booked a Skoda Rapid complained that Ertiga was "wobbly," whatever that is, did you or anyone else complain at all during your long drives?

[Sriram Rajann]

Kribvel, Hi !

Make a slight adjustment to the middle row ( the right slot position ) and that makes the last folded row Flat. Also , what I additionally got done by the dealer was , a cut to exact size self design vinyl matting with the necessary contours , to make the surface flat for luggage as well as prevent the soiling of the seat back ( since that forms the surface for the luggage).That way inspite of a large luggage that I carried on the last long haul , it gave a good base as well as acted as a carpet for the luggage floor. I have always followed a principle of organizing the boot/luggage area rather than dumping that most people resort to . I balance out the luggage plus also ensure that it doesn"t affect back visibility. Ofcourse the moment I fix the reverse camera, I'll heave a sigh of relief .

When I got delivery , the tyre pressures weren't the ideal ones ( as you know that all dealer deliveries happen with extra inflation of tyres !!.)
I have stabilized to a tyre pressure of 34 in the front and 33 in the back tyres and that makes the car very steady and stable . Dont forget that this is not by any stretch of imagination a low CG vehicle , but still handles very well .Also the suspension has been made softer than normal , without compromising , I guess on the shock absorbing capability .

Gear lever reach again is more or less a function of your seating slot / position ( forward or slightly backward. I have no problems reaching the gear lever at all .

Hope that clarifies your questions.

Cheers and happy Ertiga"ing !!

Originally Posted by krivbel

Hey Sriram, when you fold the last row, I noticed that the surface becomes pretty uneven. Did you have a problem keeping your luggage there? I felt a little bit of body roll at the back when I test drove it, did you notice anything? I had stretch to reach the gear lever, how was it for you? One of my friends, who has booked a Skoda Rapid complained that Ertiga was "wobbly," whatever that is, did you or anyone else complain at all during your long drives?