[prashanthyr]

It looks to be just the right size for India. I can think of 2 changes Maruti should consider making -
a. Get Automatic Climate Control - After all, no engineering is required - its a straight lift from the Swift parts bin
b. Split the 3d row of seats (similar to Innova) so that luggage space becomes more usable

Ofcourse, unsaid is the fact that all of us hope the top end diesel will come in at less than Rs 10 L on road!

[carwatcher]

Can anybody please tell amongst all the vehicles available in India which one is having comfortable third row seating.
If someone is looking for using third row all the time and also want it to be comfortable, then he should look somewhere else and not Ertiga.
As regards safety, we all will get a clear picture after T-BHP review. But I feel it will be atleast safer than 3-row Omni E and Eeco.

[Keralite]

Friends, for Maruti, they have only one engine, as far as diesel is concerned, 1.3 MJ.

They launched, such a heavy sedan like SX4 with the same engine!

Now, a Compact MPV, or whatever terminology we use for Ertiga, going to be launched, that too a 7 seater, with the same engine!

In future, they may, as well as, launch a Super Sports car with the same Engine.

And, the intersting thing would be, we will still be talking pro to it, being it from Maruti's Stable!

[ankurvirmani19]

Overall I think Ertiga is a pretty decent package.
Plus IMHO I think this would prove to be a much better product that Innova, as the cost would be around 20-25% less than Innova plus the features would be almost the same.

To take on Innova head on the only thing that Suzuki would need to look upon is price factor. If priced around 10Lakh (Zdi), it would definitely do wonders.

Guys, be ready for another waiting period vehicle from MSIL.

[Tommie]

It took some time for Maruti to realize the market requirement in India eventhough they had the run-away success with Omni couple of decades back. Do keep in mind that Indian consumer is very price sensitive.That is the same reason why Qualis, Xylo and Innova were a success.

I would have preferred a sliding door like the Omni though to save on the parking space concern for the last row (as door needs to be opened more to get into the last row)

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Thanks for the pics GTO.
If Ertiga is priced correctly, then definitely I'll consider this as a replacement for our 11 year old trustful OMNI. Ertiga will be ideal for us since it can accommodate my 5 family members plus occasional visitors for city runs.

Exactly, its targetted for you

Originally Posted by needforspeed88

Maruti knows the nuances of the market better than everybody.

1] Ertiga is a good looking vehicle when you keep in mind its a compact SUV where space takes precedence over design.

2]Swift platform , 15 inch wheels , ABS+EBD , Long wheelbase =good road manners .

3] Not too big to be a parking nightmare , not too small either .

4]Space for 7 people and beige interiors

5]Proven , adequately powerful,fuel-efficient K-series petrol and DDIS Diesel engines on offer.

6]Looks to be well put together , has a premium feel .

7]Maruti -Resale value , reliability, after-sales and service network .

8]Versatile- can be a city run-about and a highway mile-muncher as well .

Bit late to the market, some of them had already been swiped by Toyota & Mahindra. Agree with you on all the other points

Originally Posted by m8002?

I am sure it will be a hit among the family crowd.
Though I agree it will not seat 7 adults comfortably, i guess the target is 4-5 adults and 2-3 kids in comfort. The current sedans cannot do that. Most times, we are struck when we have guests and the regular hatchbacks and sedans dont suffice for airport/railway station trips or city sight seeing. This nicely fits in for those people.

Perfect said. For example, an Indian family consists of 2 grandparents, 2 parents, 1 sibling and 2 kids. A perfect car for a family dinner trip or a local marriage trip.

Originally Posted by viggienomad

++1 to both. We faced the situation many times before. Even if you have a family of 4 (or even 3), many times you have a strong need to move together with 2-3 of extended family.

Being in a smaller town, we often came across close friends/relatives along the way, who can hop in & join the fun. It's not a problem when we had an Omni in the 90s, but now with an Alto, we just have to wave hands with an embarrassing smile - but can't go back to Omni. Eeco was just not an answer. Er...tiga seem to be just right! (phew.. what a name!)

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

It looks to be just the right size for India. I can think of 2 changes Maruti should consider making -
b. Split the 3d row of seats (similar to Innova) so that luggage space becomes more usable

Ofcourse, unsaid is the fact that all of us hope the top end diesel will come in at less than Rs 10 L on road!

+1, Agree with the split 3rd row and OTR should not be more than SX-4 equivalant model.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by chevelle

Anyways, no more comparisons with Innova, its a given fact that both don't belong to same segment so no point going back and forth.

I am just wondering how well will this do in taxi segment and threaten current taxi king - innova.

well, why does it have to prove itself to taxi segment? why is it automatically assumed that it has to cater to the taxi segment? by the way, which maruti vehicle caters to the taxi segment??

maruti is a passenger car manufacturer that mostly caters to household segment, personal vehicles. most of their cars are quite compact but r still much loved as they are decently reliable, cheap to maintain and compact enough to drive/park in our congested cities/towns.

taxi segment is broadly addressed by tata, toyota and mahindra as of today. i still dont think ertiga will find much favors with taxiwallas (and maybe maruti themselves might not want to be tagged with taxi image themselves - just like Honda in US).

Originally Posted by Keralite

Friends, for Maruti, they have only one engine, as far as diesel is concerned, 1.3 MJ.

They launched, such a heavy sedan like SX4 with the same engine!

Now, a Compact MPV, or whatever terminology we use for Ertiga, going to be launched, that too a 7 seater, with the same engine!

In future, they may, as well as, launch a Super Sports car with the same Engine.

And, the intersting thing would be, we will still be talking pro to it, being it from Maruti's Stable!

What is bad with having one engine that is ridiculously good, reliable and decently powerful, certainly good enough for our roads. if u ask me we desperately need better safety features, not any more powerful engines, given the accident rates in india. in bangalore and all u cant even drive above 60 or otherwise u get a ticket!!!

[amateurpro]

Originally Posted by mooza

Yes, I agree.

I feel this has been done to liberate legroom.

Seeing the pics of the Innova and the Ertiga placed together (courtesy Romeomidhun's post on the Ertiga SCOOP pics thread), it is quite evident that the boot seems to be chopped off by at least 200 to 250 mm, which accounts for a major chunk of the 320mm length difference between the Innova and the Ertiga.

This means that we can expect the overall legroom to be lesser by only around 75 to 100 mm than the Innova, and this 75 to 100mm legroom shortfall would have been distributed over the 3 rows (an inch or thereabouts for each row).

Going by the above reasoning, I expect the legroom in the Ertiga to be pretty decent.

Pretty nice observations. But my doubt is, the legroom in the first two rows are not compromised leaving only the third row a bit cramped.

[amateurpro]

Ertiga seems shorter and smaller compared to other MPVs. Does it pose any safety issue (visibility of driver)? Even Eco is taller, leave alone Xylo's and Innova's.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by joslicx

well, why does it have to prove itself to taxi segment? why is it automatically assumed that it has to cater to the taxi segment? by the way, which maruti vehicle caters to the taxi segment??

maruti is a passenger car manufacturer that mostly caters to household segment, personal vehicles. most of their cars are quite compact but r still much loved as they are decently reliable, cheap to maintain and compact enough to drive/park in our congested cities/towns.

taxi segment is broadly addressed by tata, toyota and mahindra as of today. i still dont think ertiga will find much favors with taxiwallas (and maybe maruti themselves might not want to be tagged with taxi image themselves - just like Honda in US).

Aaah come on!!! I am just raising a valid question. I didn't even said it has to prove anything, anywhere. Why can't it do well in a taxi segment? So you mean to say, since no other maruti vehicle is in taxi segment, Ertiga can't do the same? This is taking it too far.

Honda do give cars as rental fleets, so your notion about not tagging them as taxi is wrong. BTW, I have seen plenty of wagon-r and sx4 used as taxis. So again, if some company or taxi owners feels Ertiga will do well as a compact MPV, what's wrong in that? Why not applaud. Is being in a taxi segment a bad thing? You certainly is showing taxi segment in bad light as if its a big deal.

Since it is a MPV, most taxi owners will be interested in this. The qualities that you described for household segment is true for taxi segment too. They need something reliable, cheap to maintain and since you yourself said, Indians are least interested in space, it shouldn't be a big deal. Right?

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by chevelle

I am just raising a valid question. I didn't even said it has to prove anything, anywhere. Why can't it do well in a taxi segment?

Since it is a MPV, most taxi owners will be interested in this.

Though a valid question, I feel this will NOT be a hit with people mover taxi segment. I mean, it could be used as a spacious 5 seater with GOOD luggage space, but not as a 7 seater.

The problem with catering to carry 7 people is that, the space is at a premium for 7 adults [especially if the middle row is not sliding]. Am sure the travel companies don't want to ask for the size of passengers when some one calls in to book the car. This is exactly where Innova or Xylo takes the cake - accommodating 7 adults are a sure shot win while Ertiga may be able to do it some times.

I don't want to comment on the luggage space since taxi fleets usually have the roof rack for additional luggage, even Ertiga could come with one - so luggage space problem is rectified with 7 people on-board.

[silverado]

I feel this one to be better alternative to SWIFT DZIRE.
It is slightly longer than DZIRE ( Dzire - 4160mm ), similar width, better ingress/egress and much more flexible loading /seating option.

Agreed the last row might not be comfortable on long hauls, but i feel it is better than last row of Bolero, isnt it? and the last row can be used atleast in city effectively.

It can compete with Bolero IMO, esp the diesel version, though i might be wrong to compare both.
Do we have any vehicle in Compact MPV segment?
Also the biggest USP for this vehicle is DDiS

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by chevelle

Aaah come on!!! I am just raising a valid question. I didn't even said it has to prove anything, anywhere. Why can't it do well in a taxi segment? So you mean to say, since no other maruti vehicle is in taxi segment, Ertiga can't do the same? This is taking it too far.

Honda do give cars as rental fleets, so your notion about not tagging them as taxi is wrong. BTW, I have seen plenty of wagon-r and sx4 used as taxis. So again, if some company or taxi owners feels Ertiga will do well as a compact MPV, what's wrong in that? Why not applaud. Is being in a taxi segment a bad thing? You certainly is showing taxi segment in bad light as if its a big deal.

Since it is a MPV, most taxi owners will be interested in this. The qualities that you described for household segment is true for taxi segment too. They need something reliable, cheap to maintain and since you yourself said, Indians are least interested in space, it shouldn't be a big deal. Right?

Well it cant do well in the taxi segment as in that segment space is very very important. All cars that ply as taxis have space in abundance. If Ertiga hasnt got that it wont find favors in that segment.

That said, space doesnt seem to be so important for normal car buyers! I mean otherwise why would the likes of Alto, i10, Swift etc sell more than Indica/Vista? As Indicas run a lot as taxis, they should be fairly reliable, cheap to maintain etc and also have resonably good diesel engines. All what we all in India want! Still they dont sell as much as other small cars like i10/Swift or even i20!

Indica has a very distinctive "taxi" image (and probably same is shared across board by other tata cars as well, otherwise why would Manza not sell as much as Dzire despite oodles of space inside!) and lot of people here in india dont even consider them precisely because of that! Its more pronounced in North India than down here in South but it still is a very valid consideration! Perception matters a lot in India (thats why Fiat cant sell cars even as good as Punto/Linea etc.) Maruti still does not have taxi image. If I gets one, I doubt they will sell as many cars as they do today!

[shivasuma]

Originally Posted by mooza

Yes, I agree.

I feel this has been done to liberate legroom.

Seeing the pics of the Innova and the Ertiga placed together (courtesy Romeomidhun's post on the Ertiga SCOOP pics thread), it is quite evident that the boot seems to be chopped off by at least 200 to 250 mm, which accounts for a major chunk of the 320mm length difference between the Innova and the Ertiga.

This means that we can expect the overall legroom to be lesser by only around 75 to 100 mm than the Innova, and this 75 to 100mm legroom shortfall would have been distributed over the 3 rows (an inch or thereabouts for each row).

Going by the above reasoning, I expect the legroom in the Ertiga to be pretty decent.


Attached Images

We cannot say that just the boot (majority of it) has been chopped off by looking at the above pictures. Put them side by side in the same picture and you will notice how big the innova is compared to the Ertiga. Even the innova barely has any luggage space with all 3 rows up. There is infinitely more space in an innova than the ertiga. The legroom is really good for 2 6 footers, with one sitting behind the other. Also not to forget, since its based on the ritz, the ertiga would be a comfortable 4 seater(neglecting the 3rd row), with the 5th being not so comfortable. I speak this from experience since we have a ritz in the family. And the rear leg space in ritz is nothing to speak of.

These 2 cannot be considered as competitors, but you never know how we Indians think. But one thing is for sure, the Ertiga will sell well, because its a maruti and it has a diesel.

[Nilesh5417]

I've seen so many people owning an Innova saying they need a family vehicle and mostly driving it alone to work. The family vehicle is used like that only once in a while. My neighbour ended up buying an activa as well since it just didn't make financial sense to drive around that bulk everyday all alone.
Keeping this fact in light, i think Maruti may have hit the sweet spot if it prices it well. How many innova owners (read individuals and not taxi) drive their innova fully loaded out on highways or even in the city every single day to justify the price or the size? I'm not even talking performance or economy, just plain ease of use in everyday city conditions where i live. I see many folks in my office who own a single vehicle and thats an innova and drive it work every day! Don't make sense to me.

I personally am ok with a tighter & lighter vehicle, the size of jazz, that allows me to fold away the rear seats most of the days, provides ease of use everyday, decent fuel economy and "sufficient" space and grunt for those occasional highway runs with family. A "caar" of sorts that can double up as MPV once in a while when i need to.
Price it right and don't make me feel cheated by cutting down on essentials such as rear wiper, dead pedals etc and i think its a winner given Maruti's A.S.S.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by silverado

I feel this one to be better alternative to SWIFT DZIRE.
It is slightly longer than DZIRE ( Dzire - 4160mm ), similar width, better ingress/egress and much more flexible loading /seating option.

Yeah. I'd actually prefer to call it the estate version of the DZIRE. Or DZIRE Estate L (long wheelbase)