Ertiga Vxi Petrol Manual (Mild Hybrid) BSVI 2024 - Features & brief review
Colour: Arctic Silver (has a light bluish tinge in daylight)
We have a 2019 diesel Brezza (BSIV) & an automatic Nano. We were in a market for a petrol vehicle with an ex-showroom price of under one million rupees. This was due to the fact that BSIV diesel vehicles are not allowed to ply in Delhi few days of the year when pollution level peaks, especially during foggy winters. Even though we were not necessarily looking for a 7 seater, but saw that the price of Ertiga was the same as the new Brezza’s, which we were considering. Plus since we already have a Brezza, found the Ertiga to be a good option – since The family was used to having 7+ seaters - Sumos (the original one earlier, & then the Grande Mark II later, before the 10 year diesel ban rule forced us to sell the Grande, & later my Grande Punto too – really sad. Both vehicles were in good running condition & passed pollution norms as laid out by a govt agency itself). Will rant on this arbit govt policy in some other thread.
Kia Carens was given a miss based on three factors:
1) It was pricier by almost Rs 2 lakhs on-road (we were not ready to spend much above 10 lakhs). Ertiga already was coming to 11 lakhs on-road.
2) It didn’t offer a mild hybrid option which provides a stepping stone to hybrids and EVs, I believe. Plus the added advantage of a slightly better fuel efficiency (Ertiga ARAI is 20.51 kmpl; Carens has 17.9 kmpl for the comparative petrol manual variant) appealed to us, as we have mostly driven diesel vehicles giving decent fuel efficiency, and would shudder to think of driving a big vehicle giving just about 9 kmpl in the city with AC (which runs for atleast 9-10 months in Delhi) & running on the more expensive fuel i.e. petrol. Another point not going for the Brezza - its Vxi (Manual Transmission MT) does "not" offer smart hybrid functionality. Only Vxi AT (Automatic) offers, or Zxi MT & AT.
3) Read reviews on Team BHP about AC water leakage in the third row in the Kia Carens. Also we aren’t easily swayed by flashy features. In any case our mind was also made-up to go for the Ertiga, so didn't even push for discount from Kia.
XL6 was given a miss due to higher price, preference of bench seat (more practical for a family) over captain seats, no issues related to - MUV look or taxi image of Ertiga - used to having taxi image vehicles in the family - Maruti Van, Tata Sumo, Tata Indigo.
I personally prefer base & middle variants of vehicles in which one gets 90% of the car & necessary features in approx 75% of the price (debatable %age). The case for base variants has become more compelling after dual front airbags and ABS became mandatory for all variants. For me personally, features like Automatic Climate Control (ACC), Touchscreen Infotainment system, Sunroof, Push button start, Auto headlamps & Wipers, DRLs, ADAS & even features like auto-folding ORVMs are some of the features, I can do without, if it shaves off a couple of lakh off the final price. Plus lack of gaudy chrome work is a plus too. Though miss seat height adjust, that is generally not offered in middle variants (it is there in Brezza Vxi though - more on it later).
Price (Delhi)
Ex-showroom: ~ Rs 9.85 lakhs
On-Road: ~ Rs 11:15 lakhs
Engine: K15C Smart Hybrid
CC / Cylinder: 1462 CC / 4 cylinder
Power: 102 BHP @ 6000 RPM
Torque: 136.8 Nm @ 4400 RPM
Wheel Rim: 15" Steel with wheel covers
Tyre Size: 185/65 R15 (Same size for spare – no cost cutting here)
Tyre Make: Bridgestone Ecopia (Like Bridgestones, but these don't have an impressive contact patch. Believe this Ecopia range is geared for less friction & rolling mass, in the interest of marginally better fuel economy)
Turning Radius: 5.2 m only (decent for a vehicle almost 4.4 metres long)
Fuel Tank capacity: 45 Litres
Decent sized fuel tank. Many vehicles are nowadays having smaller fuel tanks in the 37-42 litre range. (Eg. Renault Triber 40L; Honda City & Elevate 40L; Maruti Ciaz 43L).
Range is another matter, which is a factor of fuel efficiency. Assuming approx 12 kmpl average in city with AC, we can expect a range of approx 550 kms, which is decent for a 7-seater petrol MUV. Obviously with a mix of highway & city run, the range will increase to almost 650 kms with say 14+ kmpl. (ARAI figure is a generous one for this mild hybrid 7-seater at 20.51 kmpl – higher than most petrol sedans & SUVs)
Accessories Installed (MGA)
- Front Fog Lamps with switch on the inside (with LED indicator) - nicely fills the blank too, between the buttons for auto-start/stop & ESC.
Following two accessories, family insisted - am not a fan of adding cosmetic accessories:
- Door protector strip (for 4 doors) - feels thick and of good quality with a chrome strip (don't know how this chrome part will hold in the long term).
- Visors for windows. Interestingly there is a neatly designed piece for the third-row fixed (non-openable) side-window pieces too - though don't like these plastic visors at all, as at highway speeds they often flutter, become loose and start rattling eventually. Let us see how these ones cope.
Under-hood cladding for noise insulation (not that the engine is noisy in the first place)
With all seats occupied, boot can accommodate luggage for 2-3 days trip:
a) a medium-sized & a cabin-sized suitcase & perhaps a couple of soft bags. Need to remove lids covering storage area, so that the suitcase can go down further. Attaching image from company brochure for reference.
OR
b) a couple of cabin bags or haversacks, & some soft bags
However with six people travelling, one seat in the last row can be folded and lot more luggage can be accommodated (including a large, medium & small suitcase & some soft bags).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mentioning all the features of this middle variant – some features might be considered common, but some are quite welcome inclusions for a
middle variant of a 7 seater MUV with an ex-showroom price south of 10 lacks (lower tax bracket too)
Features (has most necessary features & then some) Safety
The Ertiga got a 3-star safety rating in NCAP testing. Not a very reassuring rating, would have preferred atleast a 4 star rated vehicle. The Brezza still remains the highest rated Maruti vehicle with a 4-star rating. The Grand Vitara might also get a decent rating. Although I believe as per BSNCAP (India specific) most vehicles, other than some tin boxes (Alto, Celerio, Ignis, Wagon R & the like) will manage a 4 star rating, especially with standard features set including ESP also now, which gives extra points I believe.
- Twin front airbags with ABS
- ESP (Electronic Stability Program) - earlier available only in automatic variants
- Hill Hold
- Height adjustable head-rests for front & rear seats, and two seats in the middle row (no headrest for middle passenger). Also lap belt only (not 3 pointed) for middle passenger in middle row.
- 04 rear parking sensors with graphic display in MID
Mild Hybrid
ISG (Integrated Starter Generator) & Li-ion battery under front passenger seat that aids in idle Start-stop (can be switched off), Torque assist on sudden acceleration, brake-energy recuperation - Maruti claims a higher ARAI of around 20.5 kmpl versus approx 17 kmpl in non-mild-hybrid variants.
- Torque Boost from the ISG shows in MID Hybrid graphic screen, when boost is being provided.
- Brake energy regeneration
- Idle start / stop
- ISOFIX mounts on two seats in the middle row
Infotainment 
- Infotainment system with Electrostatic touch control buttons
- Total 04 speakers installed in the 4 doors
- Steering-mounted audio controls (including mute button)
- Steering-mounted recessed Bluetooth telephony controls
- Comes with a remote control too
Seating
Space is a subjective matter - but enough space for 7 average-sized Indians. The middle row can seat three adults, but is not very wide, as compared to say the Carens. Last row though spacious with adequate shoulder, head & legroom for two, but for longer journeys, more suitable for shorter adults or children.
- Reclining function for all seats (even last row)
- Fore & aft movement for all seats in the first & middle row
- 60:40 split middle row seats with centre armrest (no cup-holders in armrest)
- 50:50 split for last row seats – folds almost completely flat
Other Features
- MID screen (colour) with dynamic display for mild Hybrid working, Fuel Average & Running time; among other Maruti system displays - including Acceleration & Braking; Power & Torque graphics (which are gimmicky)
- Graphical door ajar warning for each door including the boot-lid.
- 04 Power windows with Auto Up/Down for Driver. Illumination only for driver power window button.
- Electronic adjust for ORVMs with fold function (button on driver side door panel) – No auto-fold – which is acceptable for a middle variant
- Manual control for AC; Separate 4-speed controls for 4-vent blower unit mounted on roof between front & middle row
- Cooled cup-holders on the front central console area (vents can be shut too)
- Two 12v power sockets – one in front console; another at the rear end of the central plastic housing for use by rear passengers (though no cubbyhole to keep the mobile in Vxi variant - though mobile can be kept in the front passenger seat-back pocket)
- One USB (A-Type) & one Aux-in in the front central console area.
Small yet significant things
- Analog needle gauges for Speedometer, Tachometer, fuel & temperature (looks classy & prefer personally, compared to digital screen readouts)
- Projector headlamps (halogen) & 3D LED brake & parking light.
- Twin interior lights with theatre-dimming function – one in front row area and one between second & third rows (both have yellow light halogen bulbs)
- Under floor storage in the boot – decent size for storing soft / laptop bags out of sight, since no parcel tray in MUVs. The split lids are fairly well-made with a thick plastic mesh underneath for strength. Though won’t recommend loading something like a 14.2 kg household gas cylinder on top of those lids
- Softly sprung grab handles – provided for front passenger seat and one each above the middle row doors. Surprisingly, no coat hook on either. Rigid ones for the third row.
- IRVM with manual anti-glare dimming function
- Separate switch for Central Locking (including boot) & power window locking (front passenger & for two in the middle row)
- Rear bumper incorporates four parking sensors - two placed higher on each end, and two near the middle at a slightly lower position – ideal placement of sensors for covering a larger area both height-wise and breadth-wise.
- Vanity Mirror on front passenger-side visor. Ticket holder on driver-side visor.
- Headlamp on warning in MID
- Decent sized door pockets with bottle holder in each door. Plus third row gets a cup-holder on each side.
- Small compartment for receipts etc with a spring loaded lid on the right side of the driver. (refer to image above under "Safety" section)
- Front seat-back pocket (passenger-side only) for storing reading material or perhaps mobile phone
- Neat place in the boot with fixed storage for jack (regular), handle, spanner & tow hook. The lid has thick insulating foam too.
Dislikes
- All seat-belts need to be buckled in, even when no-one is sitting (very weird & totally illogical – senseless cost-cutting by Maruti in not installing seat weight sensors) – still have to find solution for the same.
- Only 5 gears in MT (Carens has 6; now defunct BR-V also had 6)) – though gearbox is smooth and easy to operate
- No cubbyholes in the plastic panel between the front two seats – just the handbrake and some plastic housing – can’t keep anything in this area. (Zxi variant comes with armrest with some storage space inside)
- Really long middle row doors – have to be careful while opening them.
- Spare wheel stored under boot floor – not the most convenient area to access.
- Glove-box is on the smaller side, for a 7-seater vehicle - more passengers will mean more knick-knacks to keep.
- Don’t like the two crude sticks jutting from the driver console to change view and go to settings in the MID. Seems so last century. Even my base variant Punto had buttons on the centre console for settings, and a button at the end of the indicator stalk for toggling through views (Fuel Average, DTE, etc).
Engine & Driving
First of all, prefer having four cylinder engines, if one is getting in the same price range as 3 cylinder ones, even if the 3 cylinder ones are turbo-charged (as read about poor fuel economy related issues, premature fuel pump failures, plus their reliability & longevity is still to be proven in the congested & chaotic Indian driving conditions. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t think there is a review of any modern 3-cylinder turbo petrol having clocked more than 1 lakh kms without any engine / fuel pump related issues).
Am used to driving diesels, so this petrol motor certainly impresses in the NVH department. On starting with the key (old-fashioned way – no fancy push button start) the engines settles into a silent idle of approx 850-900 RPM – in winters the RPM initially surges to perhaps prevent stalling. Gearbox is light, smooth and slots into gears easily, even in reverse (our diesel Brezza rarely slots into reverse in first attempt – I’m talking after coming to a halt & then slotting into reverse, not even quick gear changing).
Power delivery is linear to say the least – no drama – sufficient but in no ways exciting even with the slight torque boost from the ISG on sudden acceleration. On sudden acceleration / pressing the accelerator pedal more than normal, one can see in the MID graphic when you are being provided the torque boost. But even though you can feel the boost (as compared to driving without the assist – can be turned off, by turning “on” ESC – another oddity), you will even appreciate the boost – but it is nothing to write home about or even exciting, when I compare to the slug of turbo boost received in turbo diesels, even those which are tuned for relatively linear turbo boost delivery, give a better feel of power.
Having said that, the characteristics of the engine are in tune with those of a 7 seater MUV which in the first place is meant to be an efficient people mover. 1500 CC seems like a decent capacity for moving 7 people in relative comfort at say 80-100 kph. Haven’t driven at more than 80 kph within Delhi NCR, and that also with only 3 persons on board – so can’t really comment. Till 80 kph almost all engines perform well with relatively low NVH levels. Since used to driving diesels, didn’t rev the motor beyond say about 3500 RPM, and it was still quite refined and barely audible inside.
Low speed drivability is quite good, can even go down to 20kmph in 4th gear & pick-up again, if feeling last to change gears. But the most noticeable (& even impressive) part for someone used to driving diesels is that, one can shift to 5th gear at even 40 kmph without any complain from the engine! Having said that, the low-end slug of torque provided by a modern turbo diesel with VGT is surely missing – which though not a drawback in daily city driving with upto 4 persons, but it would surely be more apparent when the vehicle is running fully-loaded on highways.
Idle start / stop feature is an irritating feature, as AC will also turn off and for 10 months AC usage is there in Delhi NCR. Even if weather is conducive, potential harm from air pollution makes one use the AC. But the thing is, if you don't want to use this feature, one needs to turn it off, every time the vehicle starts. Sometimes one forgets, and I must say the engine shutting has been intelligently timed - as soon as you come to a stop & put the gear in neutral. Re-start is also fuss free, as soon as one pushes the clutch - no shudder , no drama - coming from someone used to diesels.
Ride & Handling
Ride is fairly comfortable in the front two rows in city driving. Can’t say about ride in last row yet. Seats provide adequate support – nothing to complain about and getting into driving position is easy. Though one thing I need to mention about the driving position – the steering wheel at even the lowest position feels a bit more van-like than car-like. Might not be noticeable by everyone, but I felt it.
Handling can be termed as safe. Surprisingly the steering feel is nicer than I expected. Our Brezza being a diesel has a good steering feel, but was skeptical about a petrol Maurti as have read that the steering feedback is not great / very light in those. The steering weighs up nicely at idel, there is some play but can be termed a neutral. While the vehicle is running you get sufficient “weighted” feedback from the steering. Even U-turns were not unnerving, though not utmost confidence inspiring, as Maruti’s electronic power steering units are still not in the league of the modern Tata units.
It is relatively easy to navigate the vehicle in crowded city traffic as compared to say a longer and wider Innova. But one can always feel that one is driving a MUV, not a car or a SUV. Since I mentioned car, I remember doing a length comparison to see if the Ertiga could fit inside the house parking area (we had a Sumo Grande earlier which could just about fit & the house gates could be shut.
Braking
Front Dics & Rear Drum brakes seem fine and confidence inspiring. Haven\'t braked from speeds higher than 80 kph and that also not suddenly, so can\'t really say about the effectiveness - also not tested with full load. All I can say currently is that, it is confidence inspiring enough for day-to-day city drive.
