[KALINGA]

A Big Thank you to our own Team-BHP and Eritiga Review Specially " Vid6639 " for his five star review.

The search of a new car started after my humble Getz touched 60,000 KM. It was Getz Prime GLE 1.1 ltr & purchased in 2008.
A great city car with good mileage. But lack of low end torque and not an expressway car. Getz was breathless after 80/90 KMPH.
With AC on, it was very frustrating to drive the car.But had an excellent reliability. Never spent a single penny other than
Normal servicing. That GLE model was very basic with a Power steering and AC, that's it.

Before Getz i had a Santro XO 2005 model. From last 8 years i was a loyal Hyundai customer. Even in my family we have 2 more Hyundai car (i10 Era (2008) & an i20 Asta petrol 2012 model).

So this time I have already decided to skip Hyundai . My requirement also changed. I need a car for 6 people with at least ABS and a decent powered engine.

I am now a Proud Owner for Ertiga ZXI. I got the possession on July 11th 2013.

Till Date i have completed around 600 KM with the car. In 12 days 600 KM...not bad ..
One Pune-Mubai Expressway run also included in this mileage.

My initial driving experience and observation :

Before reading the below experience , just for your information my last car was a Hyundai Getz 1.1 (which is popular for worst low end torque). So I am comparing Ertiga with my previous car.

What I LUV:-

1) A car like real MPV.
2) Spacious 5+2 easy flexible seating.
3) 1.4 Petrol Engine with decent mileage.
4) Easy to drive with good handling & comfortable ride.
5) Separate & effective A/C vents for the rear rows.
6) A.B.S. With E.B.D.
7) Awesome integrated sound system & speakers.
8) Generous boot after folding 3rd row.
9) Good pulling power & cruising ability with 7 people on board.
10) Theatre like dimming lamps inside the car.
11) Decent headroom for all rows.

What I don’t LUV:-

1) Front view can’t differentiate Ertiga from other Maruti cars.
2) Horn is not easily accessible.
3) Inconvenient placement of fuel lid opener.
4) No remote boot lid opener.
5) Some beige interiors hard to keep clean.
6) Missed an armrest for driver.
7) No ACC.
8) Worst low beam (A big problem in night driving)
9) 60:40 split last row seat.

Interior :
----------

The dashboard is brown in color almost same as my Getz Prime. Due to mat finish the reflection is very negligible on the front windscreen.
Driving in sunlight not an issue. Though the real test will be in summer season. But I believe it should not reflect like my other car (i10 ERA with all beige dashboard).

The driver seat is height adjustable and i found the seat is very comfortable (i am 6 feet & medium build).
One can easily find the suitable driving position. I really miss a driver armrest in Ertiga. Maruti should provide this as factory fitted or at least in MGA.

Middle row is best for 2 adults with middle armrest ON. Without armrest 3rd passenger also welcome.
The last seat is strictly for kids or an adult for short trips. Legroom can be increased by adjusting the middle row but have a very poor under thigh support. Which is very less for an adult.

Maruti should provide the last row as 60:40 split. This combination will be great for Ertiga with 6 passengers and some luggage.

I found the AC is very effective . Nowadays the average temperature is around 24 to 25 C. So the real test will be in summer.

Ertiga has very less storage area inside. Behind the hand brake there is no place for a water bottle (I believe Dizer & SX4 have). Maruti should provide more premium console for this area in the top end model. An armrest with storage is a great idea for this car.


First 600 KM Driving Experience
-------------------------------

- Great Power (Better than my Getz with AC on)
- Smooth Engine (Getz engine also super smooth)
- Car like drive (City / Highway)
- Good ground clearance
- Excellent low end torque. Can drive in 2nd or 3rd gear in city traffic.
- Good all-round visibility from driver seat.
- Effective AC. (The real test will be in summer season)

The first long drive for Ertiga was Pune - Mumbai - Pune a total of 400 KM trip. Including some KMs in Mumbai city heavy traffic.

One simple line i can mention here is "I am satisfied with the Car".

The first test was on Lonavala / Khandala ghat section : Ertiga drive like a big sedan without any issue. I cross this section in 3rd & 4th gear without any issue. I had to put my Getz in 1st & 2nd gear previously in this section. With both the AC on I did not feel the power drop in the ghat section.

Second Test (Friday evening traffic in Mumbai) : I was entering Mumbai on Friday evening and it was raining heavily. The route was through belapur to my destination Gore Gaon East. Drove in the bumper to bumper traffic for around 2 hours. Petrol Ertiga is excellent for city driving as well. One can drive in 2 & 3rd gear in slow moving traffic without any issue.

One thing I really want to upgrade is head light. The low beam is worst. The high beam is acceptable .

Any suggestion?

The average mileage in console : 14.5 KMPL

I drove the car at 80 / 90 KMPH speed. Always keep the RPM lower than 2500. AC used 90% of the time.

Need to check the actual with thankful to tankful method. But I am sure the mileage should not be less than 13 KMPL. Very happy.....

Conclusion:-

Ertiga is a perfect vehicle for me(A family of 6). Ertiga is a MPV with Impressive versatility and space.
In my honest opinion, as far as compact SUV/MUV’s are concerned, It has no competition in the current Indian market within its price range till date.

More reviews & will follow soon.....

By...By..Getz

[KALINGA]

My Requirement in New Car:
---------------------------
- Should have safety feature (Airbag,ABS,EBD etc.)
- Space. It should seat at least 6 people comfortably.
- Decent amount of power. (With AC on)
- Refinement and Reliability.
- Comfortable on Highway.
- Budget of 8-9 lac (On Road)

My Usage:
----------
80% city Driving
20% Highway Drive

New Car options
---------------

Option 1 : Mahindra Xylo: E4 (ABS)
---------------------------------
+ Points:

- loads of space
- a true 7 seater
- Excellent Engine (Mhawlk)

- Points:

- Slightly out of my strict budget
- Poor handling (My observation compare to Innova/Ertiga)
- Taxi image.

Option 2 : Mahindra Scorpio: SLE (ABS)
--------------------------------------
+ Points:
- Excellent Engine (Mhawlk)

- Points:
- Out of my budget
- Seats are not comfortable (My observation compare to Innova/Ertiga)
- Even feel less space in middle row than my old Getz.

Option 3: Toyota Innova
------------------------
+ Points:

- Excellent Engine (D4D)
- Toyota Reliability
- Space
- Car like driving
- Excellent handling

- Points:
- Over priced

Option 4: Maruti Ertiga (ZXi / ZDi)
------------------------
+ Points:

- Excellent Engine (Petrol / Diesel)
- Maruti Reliability
- Space
- Car like driving

- Points:

- City Driving (Diesel)
- No 60:40 split rear seat
- No Armrest for driver.

Alternative also considered
-----------------------------
Used Innova : Even in used market this car commands a very high price tag. I got many car (G4 to V) used for 1 to 1.5 lac KM with price tag Rs.7 lac on wards.
Other used car i did not dare to consider were Scorpio / Xylo / Safari etc. due to obvious reasons.

Final Decision
---------------
After many discussion with family we had finalized the Ertiga Zxi (with Alloy).

The Search started for a dealer. I had called many dealer and "MY Car" wakad,Pune get back to me quickly. The SE "Alka Zalke" came home with a
Ertiga Zxi for test drive. We drove the car and impressed with low end torque and easy to drive nature. For my usage i found the car is excellent.

Car Booking
-----------
On Saturday 06/07/2013 we booked the car (Ertiga Zxi) with dealer "My Car". We choose the white color Ertiga.

Price of Ertiga Zxi (Pune)
--------------------------

Ertiga Zxi : 6,50,309.80
VAT @ 2 % : 81,288.72
--------------
Ex showroom: 7,31,599

Road TAx : 75,282
Insurance : 26,444 (Zero Dep)
ExtWarranty: 10,421 (3rd & 4th year )
LBT : 16,203
--------------
On Road : 8,59,949

Discount :

Consumer offer : 7,000
Exchange Bonus : 15,000
Corp. Discount : 2,000
Discount on EW : 2700

Final OTR PUNE : 8,33,249

On 8th July 2013 applied for HDFC Loan. Loan processed in one day.
I got confirmation from bank on 9th july. On 10th july i have done the PDI of my car.
I got the June-2013 manufactured car with 7 KM on ODO. It's a fresh car..right..
I got the delivery on 11th july 2013. its really fast...as the dealer / SE was very supportive.

[KALINGA]

Dealer experience
------------------
I had a fantastic experience with this dealer during my purchase.
All this because of the SE "Alka Zalke". She had answered my thousand of questions and many more phone calls during the process. She helped me with my old car valuation to RTO registration. A Big Thanks to Her. The dealer has a very transparent process of all the commitment & transactions.

Now Pics time....

Photo during the time of car delivery :

[KALINGA]

It was raining heavily that week. Have to use the new car as this is my primary car.
In 2 days i drove around 120 KM and all in the city only.

See what happened to the new car after 2 days in the rain.

[KALINGA]

Ertiga is available with the very limited color option. White looks good to me. But attracts dirt quicker than other dark color.

Now the time for pampering the car. The destination was 3M Car Care Baner.
They have done an excellent job with my car. I took the Color protection and the interior waxing package. The result was excellent.

Some snaps from 3M Baner :

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out of the Assembly Line section. Thanks for sharing!

[KALINGA]

Thank you very much Rehaan for allowing me to share my views .

More updates and Pics coming soon.

[KALINGA]

Speedometer console view in Day & Night.
At night except power window button other buttons are visible.

[ghodlur]

Congratulations Kalinga on the LUV. The colour looks good on the car but is prone to getting dirty very soon esp in the monsoons as I have experienced the same for my white Punto. But the moment the muck is gone, the shine returns and car looks like an angel.

BTW I have been inside an Ertiga and frankly find the last row of seats a big fight to get in. Its ideal for very small children or anorexic people. Can you post the pics of the interiors related to the remote fuel opener position. Hows the car handling on the ghat section of the Pune E-way? What mileage have you achieved till date?

How much did you pay the 3M services? Coz I am planning to have the paint protection option.

Wish many more happy mile crunching and drive safely.

[ajay_satpute]

Heartiest congratulations KALINGA !

As you mentioned, Ertiga is a very sensible and practical vehicle in most aspects compared to the competition. The interiors are nicely laid out, space is good and fuel economy is not bad for the size of the vehicle.

Ertiga is also my top choice for the upgrade, since my requirement is for an MUV which can carry 6 adults and is economical to run. I will get in touch with you when I start the process.

Wishing you many happy miles with the Ertiga. Drive safe and take care.

Hoping to meet you in Pune some day soon.

Cheers!

[rajshenoy]

Once again congratulations on your new ride. I agree on you on lack of colors for Ertiga. Maruti should have given all the shades that it is giving on Swift/Dzire.

Having said that, White is a low maintenance color. I drive a 6.5 yr old white swift and i have only once got external rubbing and polishing done 3 yrs back. Agreed it attracts dirt but the white car shines even wish just a wash. Micro scratches/dents are also not much visible in white.
I would have bought a white Ertiga too, but as you mentioned it looks just like any other maruti and a white Ertiga to replace my white swift did not make sense(they look so similar)

FE figures look good to. Ideally you should not think about it till say 5000 kms. by then it will improve and settle for rest of its life.

Any other additions planned ?

How to keep that beige floor clean ? Floor lamination or something like 3D mats
Any audio upgrade ? I felt the audio is pretty decent for regular music and radio.
Any plans for seat covers ?

I personally feel the Wood trim interiors look nice with the beige interiors. Have you given any thought ?

[k_ajay]

Congratulations, Kalinga. Wishing you trouble free and pleasant ownership with your new car.

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Having said that, White is a low maintenance color. I drive a 6.5 yr old white swift and i have only once got external rubbing and polishing done 3 yrs back. Agreed it attracts dirt but the white car shines even wish just a wash. Micro scratches/dents are also not much visible in white.
I would have bought a white Ertiga too, but as you mentioned it looks just like any other maruti and a white Ertiga to replace my white swift did not make sense(they look so similar)

Hello! Mate, I will have to disagree with you on this. White is a low maintenance car? Nahiiiiiiii.. I dislike seeing my car dirty (and with the rains here now, you can guess I'm bugged everyday returning home) and wiping the car down the right way twice every week is an effort (only once a week during no rain months). Keeping a white car white is a pain. So, high maintenance. But agree that micro scratches and marrings are not easily seen. But paint chip-offs, scratches with paint removed, etc all get amplified and shown brightly on white/lighter colored cars.

Compare that with a color like grey/sea grey or whatever fancy name they give to the specific color these days. Can hardly tell its covered in dirt unless it's really dirty. On a white car, you can tell its not white from a km away.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by k_ajay

Hello! Mate, I will have to disagree with you on this. White is a low maintenance car? Nahiiiiiiii.. I dislike seeing my car dirty (and with the rains here now, you can guess I'm bugged everyday returning home) and wiping the car down the right way twice every week is an effort (only once a week during no rain months). Keeping a white car white is a pain. So, high maintenance. But agree that micro scratches and marrings are not easily seen. But paint chip-offs, scratches with paint removed, etc all get amplified and shown brightly on white/lighter colored cars.

Compare that with a color like grey/sea grey or whatever fancy name they give to the specific color these days. Can hardly tell its covered in dirt unless it's really dirty. On a white car, you can tell its not white from a km away.

I agree on the cleaning part but I have seen my FIL with his black swift and he has to regularly perform waxing to keep his car shiny but i have hardly done anything to keep the paint appear shiny new

My observation is mainly towards the masking of micro scratches which take of the shine of the paint work after some time. With white, it is not easily visible.

BTW, car wash guy cleans my car every day so i do not put any effort in cleaning - But i know he is lazy guy and just cleans the lower part with wet cloth leaving too many micro scratches.

May be once i get darker shade, i need to find a solution how to keep the paint job shiny.

[arup.misra]

Congratulations Kalinga. Your LUV does look very nice in white but maintaining it should be a worry especially in the rains.

Do get your self 3D mats to help save the carpet.

Wish a hassle free experience. Drive safe!!!

[KALINGA]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Can you post the pics of the interiors related to the remote fuel opener position. Hows the car handling on the ghat section of the Pune E-way? What mileage have you achieved till date?

How much did you pay the 3M services? Coz I am planning to have the paint protection option.

Thank you Ghodlur.

Will post the interiors related to the remote fuel opener position.

I am happy with the car performance in ghat section. You do not need to worry with cornering at acceptable speed , say 40 / 50 KMPH. On my last trip I crossed the Lonavala /Khandala ghat section in 3d & 4th gear with AC on. In my Getz I used to cross that section in 1st & 2nd gear without AC. So power is not an issue with Ertiga Petrol. I believe the current mileage should be around 14 KMPL with 80% AC.

I paid around 3K for total service. Got some good discount (As i am an old & regular customer) on the sticker price for 3M service.

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

I will get in touch with you when I start the process.
Wishing you many happy miles with the Ertiga. Drive safe and take care.
Hoping to meet you in Pune some day soon.
Cheers!

Thank you Ajay.

Yes, i will happy to help you anything regarding Ertiga.

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

FE figures look good to. Ideally you should not think about it till say 5000 kms. by then it will improve and settle for rest of its life.
Any other additions planned ?
How to keep that beige floor clean ? Floor lamination or something like 3D mats
Any audio upgrade ? I felt the audio is pretty decent for regular music and radio.
Any plans for seat covers ?

I personally feel the Wood trim interiors look nice with the beige interiors. Have you given any thought ?

Thank you Rajshenoy.

Yes, the fuel economy should stable after 4/5k KM. I am least worry about that as my daily running is very low.

I am worried about the beige floor. Now a day it catches dirt easily. Currently I am using a MGA floor Mat. I am not convinced with floor lamination. More inclined to 3D Mat.

The audio is pretty decent for my use. But feel some vibration from a front door pad in some of particular song with high Bass. With budget max 8K for the seat cover, whatever I find good for my car will install that. Leather seat cover is out of my budget.