Test drove Ertiga Petrol today, a few points from the drive.
1. 3rd row seat to floor ratio isn't bad, but when the seat is reclined, I found the headroom was less. My head was touching roof, not a good place for adults on rough roads. Last row is strictly for two adults. Two individuals my size wont fit in comfortably but can travel for a day without major discomfort. Strictly for kids and short adults, anybody over 5'5" and/or a heavy frame will be eager to jump out of that seat. Egress wasn't particularly easy for me. Marazzo remains the king I guess in this domain.
2. Visibility from drivers seat is very good if seat is in highest position, but it reveals another problem : Lack of steering wheel reach adjustment. Other ergonomics are typical Maruti, nothing to complain about. At driver's seat highest position, it was as if I am looking from top of windscreen. Headroom is quite nice though at front.
3. Fog lamp switch is now on light stalk itself. Thankfully. Headlamp level adjustment is tiny and not that easy to find while driving. Lights are much better than outgoing model. But they aren't a match to my Swift's 90/100 Philips Rally setup
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4. Suspension is good, slightly stiff. The test drive car had 120 km or so on odo. My 2012 Innova is better in ride department once speeds cross 50 kmph. But urban ride quality of Ertiga is something most will appreciate. Maruti's suspension tuning has got better with time. For covering long distances as a people mover, Ertiga ride will be comfortable for most roads. Marazzo has an edge in my view.
5. The part we all love : Engine. Its very refined upto around 2000 rpm or so. 20 kmph in 3rd gear isn't a problem with this engine. 2nd gear speed breaker test was a success too. Acceleration is smart for a car this size, but not sporty. This torque will be needed if the car is loaded, during my test drive there were only two individuals : me and the sales person. Engine isn't lethargic, but sufficient. When spending something in range of 10 lakhs, I expected something more energetic or eager. Note that K15 is much better motor in urban driving than Honda's 1.5. Hyundai 1.6 might not be as efficient, but its a better all rounder in my view for both its applications : Verna and Creta. IIRC, just above 20 kmph was observed at 1000 rpm in 3rd gear. Clutch is light but, dont know why, felt a bit spongy than my 2015 Swift petrol which has 307XX kms. on odo. Ertiga gearshift was noteworthy, smooth shifting and had precise gates. Throws are shorter than Marazzo. All in all, engine will be adequate for those looking forward to a relatively small 7 seater. It will do its job in city and on highway efficiently, but for enthusiasts Honda's 1.5 still holds numero-uno status. My experience with K12 suggests that engine will be better performing after 10,000 kms. But it wont be segment leader and all-rounder as K12.
6. Steering ratio is not as sharp as Swift, in tight corners, I always had around half a steering wheel's rotation available. May be am used to Swift too much. Feedback isn't a forte of this car. But steering wheel feels nice to hold. Maruti has learnt a lot in this department.
7. Outside noise filters a lot in cabin. This drains overall user experience in my view. There were two guys talking to each other on a bike next to me. Both of them were speaking a bit louder and were audible in the car. Salesperson himself checked twice if his window was open, and something I had checked more than twice if all windows were rolled up or not. When I mentioned this weakness to salesperson, he confessed to checking window open or not. This single factor can be hurting overall ownership experience in long run. Proof of Toyota doesn't age that fast : my Innova's overall insulation hasn't taken a large hit in 6.5+ years. At this price, Maruti could have done better.
8. While Ertiga isn't a whale in city, there was something peculiar about it. Felt that from driver's seat, the car extends disproportionately long behind driver. May be am more used to Swift and Innova, but even in case of Innova, the hood isn't that short. This should not be a deal breaker, in hardly 5 mins or a couple of U-turns, one would be aware of length behind him/her. Its like being aware of more length that wont shrink around you.
9. The slight hump on floor serving as dead pedal :
Marazzo would have been more VFM in my book were it not for a small diesel engine and not so well equipped M4 variant. Marazzo is built better, is more spacious and offers better ride which are prerequisites as a people mover. Ertiga will certainly sell in huge numbers and is certainly improved over outgoing one. But I expected better overall experience given the price.