[kisharchit]

Hi BHPians and here I am to post my second review on Team BHP after my Hyundai i10's review:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...automatic.html

So let us bring things back from the i10 to the ERTIGA that entered our lives on 28th June 2014.

Introduction:

We needed a diesel vehicle which would be efficient and would have the capability to carry 7 people at times. Budget was set at 10 lacs tops and not even a paisa above it. Next the debate began of pre-owned or a brand new vehicle. We were not too sure if there were any new vehicles that met our requirements. We were most likely going down the used way(with a heavy heart since never has anyone bought a used car in our family).


Contenders:

-Used Toyota Innova V 8 seater
Yes we were extremely specific with which variant we were looking at. Every Innova we saw was either way above our budget or was not the V variant. We were adamant for the V variant for the airbags and ABS it provided since our car will spend a decent amount of time on the highway. And the affordable V variants were the 7 seater configuration with the captain seats. :(

-Used Mahindra XUV
Did not expect to see many choices here but was surprised at how many XUVs have already hit the used market. Most desirable ones were above our budget and some that were under the budget were in horrid condition with too many kms on the ODO. This damped our spirits and thus left us in a confusion again as to what to do. We did not want to keep the i10 any longer.

Then, a friend suggested me on Facebook about the Ertiga ZDi. He had mentioned beforehand that it would not be as big as the Innova but almost there and best part it would be a new vehicle under 10 lacs.

Thus the whole family went and decided to check out the Ertiga and just booked it there and then.

One note for the Mobilio: Yes we waited a bit for it to come but I got to see the pics and also found out that there is a premium over the Ertiga, decided to skip it and no regrets ever since.

Positives:

- New Car for 10 lacs. Just what the doctor ordered.
- A 7 seater
- Good FE because the running will be high
- Somewhat stylish as well

Negatives:

- Apprehensive about the quality
- 10 lacs and no ACC!
- Build quality could/should have been better

And when the Positives overshadow the Negatives, what else is left? And thus the LUV story began!

Our car being delivered next day (28th June, 2014) :



The ODO had appropriate readings.



The simple back end.

[kisharchit]

So how is the Ertiga treating us?

Well, in a word: FANTABULOUSTIC (if there were such a word) Basically the experience has been superb. The more I take this to new places, the more I find out how underrated this car is or how much it has been overshadowed by the Innova. Here is a moment I thought to share that actually occurred to me:

When I had gone to fit some accessories to the LUV in Karol Bagh, I had parked the car and got off to go to the shop to decide on which accessories to be fitted. And a man stopped me. Mind you he had brought his brand new Honda City V iDTEC for some accessories.

Him: Hey congrats for the new car. She looks good. Nice color.

Me: Thanks a lot! I quite like the color as well Congrats to you too for your new ride.

Him: How much did it cost you on road? Is it 7 seater? Diesel?

Me: Yes indeed its a 7 seater and it also is diesel. It cost me 9.2 lacs on road.

Him: So much value for money!! 7 seats for under 10 lacs!

He thanked me and left quite shocked.

[kisharchit]

Let's get to the car, shall we now?

EXTERIOR:



Generally, the Ertiga is a good looking and handsome car. The front 3 quarters does not make it look as big as it actually as and hides the bulk really well. I've got a bull bar installed to protect the bumpers from daily dinks and bumps from passing bikers and cars. And before I receive any brickbats for the guards, it has protected my car from various external damages.



The front headlights look good and the foglamps are incorporated really well in to the bumper and it makes the Ertiga's front profile complete. The front thankfully shares no components with the Swift, unlike the Mobilio which shares some parts with the Brio.



The whole profile looks rather good compared to the Mobilio (personal choice) and not sure if it is comparable to the Innova.



The side profile is again very proportional with the just the right height of the roof. Normally, too high roof gives a very awkward proportion but this is not the case with the Ertiga. The big windows also lend the side profile a decent look and also provides the inside with an airy feel but more on that later.



The rear gels with the side very nicely with the help of the tail lamps. The tail lamps themselves are rather bland but do their duty well. It is all down to a certain individual's taste. The Mobilio's funky look with all the cuts and creases or the bland yet handsome Ertiga's rear?



When looked at bang straight on from rear, one can see further why the rear is so bland.... The tailgate is big allows easy load of the luggage into the boot. Loading bay is slightly higher than one's preference but still manageable. The best loading bay I have seen was of my Xylo. The subtle rear spoiler looks good though I am contemplating to get the MGA spoiler added to it. Everything looks it has been placed to complete its work.

Next: Interior!

[kisharchit]

Interiors:



Entry and Exit is really easy in the Ertiga. My grandparents use the car as well and they have no difficult in getting out or getting in. Though the doors itself aren't too heavy yet not too flimsy either and require a decent thunk to close them. The doors also open to a wide range further aiding the entry and exit of its passengers.



Middle row space is quite good depending on the situation. If the car is being used as a 5 seater, then the middle row can be pushed all the way back and leg room is really great. When the third row of seats are up, the middle row has to be pushed (unless we have got people with no legs to go and sit in the third row ) forward. Still the pushing forward of the middle row does not create any discomfort for the middle row passengers yet making a decent space for the third row people.



The third row is a highly debatable place. Many people find it too cramped and some praise it a lot (too much at times). Let me report that, it is just adequate though there is a height limitation and as along as the passenger is under 5'7 or even 5'8, then it is enough to sit or else it can get tight even if the front rows are moved ahead. What else can we expect with such compact dimensions?



The front seats are rather comfortable too and after placing my back end on it for some long road trips, I can vouch for that! The seats themselves provide a good view of the road and provide enough support for the driver and passenger. The driver seat has height adjust for the vertically challenged drivers as well. And the steering is height adjustable as well to find the perfect seating position which is not difficult really.



The dashboard is really nice but I guess it's a straight lift from the Swift except the dash color. The dash color of the lower half is black i guess on the 'Z' variants of the Swift and Dzire. This would have been greatly appreciated as well on the Ertiga as the beige will get a little soiled as time goes on. I guess that just means more work for me to do. :P Everything is placed at a perfect position and everything except the hazard switch which is too far for one's liking, everything is placed really ergonomically well.



The OEM music system is rather decent. Speakers are good and with the extra tweeters, the sound quality is good and bass is also nice. It has FM/AM, CD, USB, AUX, but sadly no bluetooth. Steering got controls as well, so easy to use the system while on the drive.



The air con controls are really basic and spoil the look of the interior. The rotary knobs feel really old and do not feel at one with the current century. Why on earth did Maruti Suzuki not provide the digital unit found on the 'Z' variants of the Swift and Dzire? Shouldn't be a very complicated fitment if I'm not wrong. Though the effectiveness of the AC does make up for its old looks and the AC is a real chiller and combined with rear AC, the car is always cool inside during the hottest of days.



This gearknob is a tad small though very nice to use. Similar to the Jazz/City gear knobs i feel.



The boot space with all rows down (not exactly down in the pic), is pretty darn good and it can take up almost anything that is put inside.



While with all the rows up, the boot space is just HORRIBLE!! Nothing aside from a couple of small bags can be taken up and a roof carrier is a must if luggage is a must with the family.

[kisharchit]

Engine:

So what engine does the Ertiga come with?

It comes with 2 engines: 1.4 petrol engine and 1.3 diesel engine.



The engine I have got is the 1.3 diesel engine which is the national engine that is used in a variety of cars that are available for sale on the market today... YEP, its the same Multijet engine sourced from FIAT with a VGT (Variable Geometry Turbo) to produce 90 BHP and 200 NM of torque with a 5 speed gearbox fitted.

First things first, this engine does have a noticeable lag since it does have a turbo and almost every car with a turbo brings a complementary lag. Though the lag is nothing that cannot be worked around. All it needs is a downshift and lag cured. The most annoying part of the lag is when: I am cruising at 80 in 5th gear, and I have to brake to 50-60 kph due to a sudden biker or truck in my lane. The car will struggle to come back to 80 in the 5th gear. A downshift to 4th is utmost necessary to get some momentum back to get back to cruising speed. Ghats require a lot gear changes to gain momentum and that can get a tad annoying.

And for spirited driving, the engine needs to kept between 1750-3500 RPM for the optimum performance from the turbo and if kept in between the mentioned revv range, the car is rather brisk in acceleration. I have smoked some i20s and Polos with this people mover and people are often surprised what performance this "people mover" can deliver with a tiny engine. This diesel engine can revv to redline as well freely though no point to do so in a diesel engine but still just for the heck of it.

The Fuel economy is good as well from this engine and I am getting a constant 16-17 kmpl with full AC in city and upto 20-21 on highways with cruising at 100-120 kph.

Chassis:



The Ertiga comes with 185/55/R15 tires shod on MRF VTVT tires with 15" alloys. The alloys look really good and suit the profile of the car really well. The tires not so much, they look undertired and are rather thin. They do not really work with the size of the car. I know this size of tire is best selected in the favor of efficiency and not grip/performance. For best use of this chassis, wider tires are a must and I will upgrade to 195 or even 205 section tires in the next upgrade.

The chassis itself is rather competent and for a people mover, it is a tight handler. Body roll is minimal though not completely gone. Steering feedback is really good as well and initial turn-in is really good. If taken a corner in too much aggression, the tires will lead to understeer mid corner especially if I try to power out mid corner. Though we must keep in mind that it is a 7 seater and not a nimble little hatchback.

[kisharchit]

Little Nifty Features that are cool:



Got reverse sensors fitted from external shop. Really work well and as I stood well, I do not reverse camera so this really suffices really well and completes the reversing process.



The Ertiga is provided with all 4 windows with power up/down feature with only the driver with only Auto Down feature. The mirrors are electrically controlled as well though lacking in power folding, which is a good feature to have these days.



There are 4 bottle holders in the whole car. Though not very big but can manage to hold a thin/slim bottle. Very useful for the long journeys that this car is born to do.




The steering mounted controls are really a boon to use while driving. This means I do not have to take my eyes off the road to change the volume or radio station or even the input. Good job Maruti Suzuki!



Got these aftermarket illuminated scuff plates installed and I feel it is one of the coolest parts of the car. It really looks good in the dark and glows only when the doors open.



The Foglamps switch is conventionally placed and with the headlamp leveller and the security beep. Nice position and does not interfere with any other action.



The integrated blinkers in the ORVM look classy and up to date with the current times. They are bright as well and function really well. Another pat on the back for Maruti Suzuki.



The cupholder. What can I say? Such a brilliant positioning from Maruti Suzuki. It is right in front of the AC so it keeps your fizzy drink chilled as well. More cars need to come with such cup holders..



The rear washer mechanism. It is really a useful addition to clean the rear windshield because it makes the life of the rear wiper much easier. Great addition.



The Foglamps in action. Don't they look really good?



The Speedometer, Odometer and MID look great in the shade of orange. Straight lift from the Swift/Dzire and it really looks the part. The MID provides necessary information as well such as instantaneous FE, average FE, Range, time, trip A and B. Superb.



The remote key fob. Very plasticky and does not ooze quality at all. Come on Maruti Suzuki, you could have provided a better quality key. Looking to convert it to a flippy key soon.



The AUX and USB slot. The cover of these does not feel durable and could break off on rigorous usage.

and LAST BUT NOT LEAST:



This ABS and the Airbags system. Thank you Maruti for providing it in the Ertiga since it is needed more for bigger vehicle. Couple times where the ABS has already saved us so a big

[kisharchit]

Dealership Experience:

Dealership experience was just superb. The purchasing and delivery process was really smooth and efficient. We booked the car and wanted delivery next day and the dealership helped us greatly. Kudos to RANA Motors, Gurgaon for the excellent service.

Dealership: RANA Motors, Gurgaon
Car Bought: Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZDi
Car Cost: On Road: 9.2 lacs on road
Freebies: Car perfume, extended warranty, mats, idol, and mud flaps

Servicing:

3 times car has gone for servicing.

1st at 1000 kms: Just a checkup

2nd at 5000 kms: Again a checkup

3rd at 10000 kms: For a routine servicing of oils and filters.


Conclusion:

We have found the perfect car that suited our requirements really well. We were clueless as to which car would have suited us best for our tight budget and thank god the tradition stands on that we still haven't bought any used car as of yet in our family. Thanks to that friend as well who suggested us the Ertiga. Brilliant move and Brilliant decision.

And finally, Thank you to Maruti Suzuki for making a vehicle that met our requirements perfectly. It does have its flaws but it is nothing to bother much. Kudos to Maruti Suzuki!

The ODO stands at 14500 kms now at is at almost 6 months old.

and a parting shot:

[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[prabhu789]

Congrats on your Ertiga. It looks elegant in this color. Its a no non-sense vehicle and I relate it to Jack of all trades. Also I need to appreciate you for picking up the ZDI variant with Airbags and ABS.

In my town, Maruti showroom has kept VDI variant on display and when inquired about ZDI, they responded nobody buys ZDI (a sad state of affairs).

[Dieselritzer]

Hi, heartiest congratulations. But a sincere suggestion, your car is equipped with airbags. In an unfortunate event of an impact, the front bull bars might affect the airbag deployment. My dad is an insurance surveyor and dealing with car accidents is part of his everyday job and he says the front bull bar can be the worst thing fitted on a car which has airbags as he knows several cases where the airbags did not inflate as the bull bars affected the performance of the respective sensors and the occupants landed with a broken nose or worst.

I wish you a safe and wonderful ownership of the car.

[AshBabu]

Congratulations. Good review and nice photos. Wish you many more mile crunching

Ertiga is leader in the segment because of the VFM it brings on table and the peace of mind on Maruti reliability. Your Mobilio comparison of many features brought a smile to me (it seems Mobilio was engraved in your thoughts )

Agree with Dieselritzer. To my knowledge Bull bar also impacts crumbling zone in a crash. Car is designed to crumble on impact, which is severely impacted by these bars causing injury to people. Better to remove them. Drive safe.

[Rajesh Rawal]

Many Congratulations! Nice crisp review as well

The other day i was jokingly telling a friend of mine that if you remove the suzuki badge and replace it with the merc logo, ertiga would actually resemble the b class

What do you think?,Or is it just me

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by kisharchit

I've got a bull bar installed to protect the bumpers from daily dinks and bumps from passing bikers and cars. And before I receive any brickbats for the guards, it has protected my car from various external damages.

You will face a greater risk, if (God forbid) your car hits a human or an animal as bull bars transmit the force of impact to the colliding object unlike the bumper which is meant to absorb part of the impact. Besides, the airbag sensors mounted behind the front bumper will never sense the impact when it happens (since the bulbar is blocking the bumper completely) and will not trigger the ACU to inflate the airbags.

Think over it and decide.

Congrats on the new ride! Drive safe.

[shifu]

Congratulations on your new car. Wishing you many happy miles!

As others have mentioned, please consider removing that bull bar. Here is a related thread:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post3136352

[a4anurag]

First of all - Congratulations on getting the Ertiga in ZDi variant plus a very beautiful shade.

Originally Posted by kisharchit

I've got a bull bar installed to protect the bumpers from daily dinks and bumps from passing bikers and cars. And before I receive any brickbats for the guards, it has protected my car from various external damages.

You are actually harming yourself, the car and the other road users with the bull bar installed.

These bull bars are only psychological protection giving equipments and do more harm than protecting in reality.

You are inadvertantly blocking the sensors that determine the need of inflating the airbag or no, you are hampering the proper functioning of the crumple zones on the chassis which are designed to protect you and your occupants.

If only bull bars did their job, wont it be a must-have accessory in all vehicles sold all over the world as all love their ride and would love to protect from the daily nicks?!

So as Gannu_1 has said, Think and decide!

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Besides, the airbag sensors mounted behind the front bumper will never sense the impact when it happens (since the bulbar is blocking the bumper completely) and will not trigger the ACU to inflate the airbags.

Anurag.