[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by bsdbsd

But the car/UV is a FAIL without an automatic offering.

What does that mean. 25K bookings in a mere 15 days speaks on the contrary.

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Any idea about the waiting period for the DDiS Ertiga...

My BIL is promised a delivery of Vdi in around a month.

[supremeBaleno]

A for-sale mail on our office mailer - "2009 Nano and 2006 Baleno up for sale. Reason : Booked an Ertiga"

Regarding the rattling part, IMO it is illogical to say that the Ertiga will rattle because some Swifts rattle. Not an expert on rattling, but I would think there are a lot of factors causing rattling (not counting bad build) including mods done on the car for getting after-market fitments done - eg. opening up the door pads for fitting speakers or getting sun-film fixed and then the putting-back not being a good job.

[mooza]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Regarding the rattling part, IMO it is illogical to say that the Ertiga will rattle because some Swifts rattle.

+1 to this.

I feel the old gen Swifts used to rattle due to the tauter suspension / rougher ride quality compared to the new gen Swift and the Ertiga, which have softer suspensions.

[nurni76]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Any idea about the waiting period for the DDiS Ertiga... One of my friend has booked the Multijet Ertiga with a booking number 12, and yet has no confirmation on the delivery date.

I booked my Zdi 3 weeks back and was 6th in the waiting list. still no news on my delivery date. In Gurgaon, Zdi waiting is close to 5 months. Vdi is around 2 months

[fuel_addict]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Ertiga is predicted to rattle beyond 50K kms. cabbies would touch 50,000 kms in 1.25 years at the max. Innovas are known run as good as new even with 250,000 on the ODO.

I am sorry to say but i doubt whether the Japanese Suzuki is as reliable and niggle free as Japanese Toyota..

Predicted to rattle . Looks like an anti-Maruti campaign here. I have seen rattling Innovas which have done much less than 1L km. No car will feel like new after 2.5L on the odo. That is a highly exaggerated statement to make. The old Swift has had its share of rattles. The new one seems to be much improved in that respect. I expect the Ertiga to be the same.

Why the doubt on reliability? Both Suzuki & Toyota are equally reliable and niggle free IMO. Toyota vehicles have better build quality due to use of thicker sheet metal. And I am not referring to the Etios or Liva when I say this.

[prakash_ajp]

Went and had a look at the Ertiga yesterday. Didn't take a test drive since I have no intention of buying one any time soon. But since it's in the same price range as my Linea, I wanted to know if I would have bought it if it was available a year ago.

The car looks compact enough to my liking. Unfortunately it shows in the inside too. Obviously all three rows don't get enough space at the same time but that's a touch unfair to say considering the price.

I have two complaints, though:
1. The seat adjustments could have been more flexible, which would have made the car value-for-money.
2. The price difference between the petrol and diesel model is so high that suddenly it appears that the petrol car offers more saving. I think Maruti is trying to exploit the crazy demand for diesel cars. Thumbs down for that!

[gitartha]

Originally Posted by fuel_addict

Predicted to rattle . Looks like an anti-Maruti campaign here. I have seen rattling Innovas which have done much less than 1L km. No car will feel like new after 2.5L on the odo. That is a highly exaggerated statement to make. The old Swift has had its share of rattles. The new one seems to be much improved in that respect. I expect the Ertiga to be the same.

Why the doubt on reliability? Both Suzuki & Toyota are equally reliable and niggle free IMO. Toyota vehicles have better build quality due to use of thicker sheet metal. And I am not referring to the Etios or Liva when I say this.

+1, nyways the exterior sheet metal is just the "SKIN" of the car, and has not relation at all with the perceived sturdiness or safety aspect of the vehicle. The inherent so-called "BUILD QUALITY" of a vehicle has more to do with the strength/design of the monoque chassis which in todays modern cars includes stategically placed toughened steel members at various pillars and underbody. Perhaps the only exterior surface where the sheet metal need to be thick is the bonnet and front fenders. Compared to yesteryears ambassador which didn't get a dent even after hitting a tree, crumble zones with a less that THICK sheet metals are omnipresent in todays cars to ensure better crash safety for the passengers - rather than for the car . Doors anyways have inbuilt side impact beams and roofs have started getting ribbed designs for more structural integrity at lower weight. It is ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY to used thick sheet metal body surfaces elsewhere as it would increase the weight of the vehicle without serving any specific purpose. And increased weight obviously has its effect on the performance, fuel efficiency, handling and what not of the vehicle. Just because the fords or the fiats give a sound with more bass while opening/closing doors doesn't mean they are inherently safer (new swift has a 5-Star NCAP rating). But yes they are neither fuel-efficient nor offer the spunky performance of a so called "rattle prone" swift.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by prakash_ajp

So, do you think you will be making the booking any time soon? You sound impressed.

Hi Prakash
I did indeed book a ZDI within 2 days of the bookings being open. At that time they did not know the waiting period. I was recently informed that it will take no less than 3 months. I am in no tearing hurry. I just hope that it does have niggles and i don't have to take it to the service station every few days with some problem or the other. This to my mind leaves a really bad impression not just for the user but has a dent on the brand image of the manufacturer. I am actually a convert from XUV and after having read all the reports about the niggles I decided against buying it.
Thank you

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by gitartha

+1, nyways the exterior sheet metal is just the "SKIN" of the car, and has not relation at all with the perceived sturdiness or safety aspect of the vehicle.

Agreed!

Originally Posted by gitartha

But yes they are neither fuel-efficient nor offer the spunky performance of a so called "rattle prone" swift.

I owned a previous gen Swift and it did rattle. The rattles were mostly because of the plastic parts - door panels, dash, glovebox, etc. Like someone mentioned above, it could also be because of improper fitment. But I had reported this issue to the A.S.S. owned by my friend and he made sure to remove and check everything. That is when we concluded it is because of the plastic bits. Like I said, the harder suspension in the previous gen could have also played spoil sport.

I still loved the 50k odd kms I put on my beloved Swift and cherished driving it every bit. I'm glad and relieved that the new gen doesn't give troubles, as my next vehicle will be the Ertiga.

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by gitartha

It is ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY to used thick sheet metal body surfaces elsewhere as it would increase the weight of the vehicle without serving any specific purpose.

My 10 year old Fiat has been hit by numerous bikes, cyclists, etc all around and all those deformations are confined to a smaller area. On the contrary, My i10 also picked up numerous dents, and all those look very *ugly* - like crumpled paper. Trust me, you can see it around by looking the dents on different cars on the road. Yes, I agree, its excess weight, but at the end of the day, my Fiat has maintained a better shape.

Also a thicker sheet metal means better noise insulation. Though these are small things, it makes a lot of difference once you start experiencing them, especially when you switch the rides often.

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by prakash_ajp

The price difference between the petrol and diesel model is so high that suddenly it appears that the petrol car offers more saving. I think Maruti is trying to exploit the crazy demand for diesel cars. Thumbs down for that!

Why blame only Maruti for this? What stopped our Central government from doing just the same: "exploit the crazy demand for diesel cars?" If car manufacturers decide to cash in on the huge demand for diesel vehicles and if there are truckloads of buyers even for the "overpriced" diesel variant, so be it.

It appears that the demand for certain diesel variants (Swift, etc.) is so high, that both Maruti/Suzuki and its engine partner, Fiat, are the main beneficiaries. Only a few buyers are actually working out cost-benefit calculations to ascertain if they really need a diesel over a petrol variant.

See it the other way: With Maruti charging a huge premium for the diesel Ertiga, many customers would seriously start looking at the the petrol Ertiga as a VFM option. With more buyers for the petrol Ertiga, Maruti/Suzuki could be indirectly aiding the government in luring people away from subsidized diesel-powered engines and closer towards the less subsidized petrol-consuming engines. What an idea, MS-ji!

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by bejoy

My 10 year old Fiat has been hit by numerous bikes, cyclists, etc all around and all those deformations are confined to a smaller area.

I would like to second bejoy's statement! My uncle in Kolkata recently sold his defunct 12 years + Fiat Uno as he has bought a Grand Punto (no prizes for guessing which car manufacturer he loves ).

Believe it or not, he made a tidy packet on the bodyshell from various car scrap dealers because the original Uno sheet metal was rock solid and still in demand from body-shops who reuse the same for other body repair. Amazing fact as he was resigned to PAY someone to remove his beloved Uno from his garage. Instead he made a good amount of money!

Even today, no one doubts the sheet metal of the Grand Punto when compared to 'lighter' rivals.

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by misquitas

See it the other way: With Maruti charging a huge premium for the diesel Ertiga, many customers would seriously start looking at the the petrol Ertiga as a VFM option. With more buyers for the petrol Ertiga, Maruti/Suzuki could be indirectly aiding the government in luring people away from subsidized diesel-powered engines and closer towards the less subsidized petrol-consuming engines. What an idea, MS-ji!

It's true that it the case of Ertiga, more people might be inclined to go for the Petrol vehicle. Can't deny that it will be helping the government and people in general. However, I highly doubt that is what motivated the MS to do the pricing this way.

I quickly checked at the pricing of similarly priced cars - Linea, Verna, Fiesta and Sunny. Fiat, Ford and Nissan all have priced their diesel cars about 1 lakh more than the diesel equivalent across models. And the Verna diesels are about 1.3x Lakh more than the petrol equivalents. At least, they are consistent across models. Interestingly in the case of Ertiga, higher the variant, lower the price difference between petrol and diesel versions. The difference is approximately INR 142884, 131737 and 116538 for L, D and Z respectively.

[amalji]

The car being light or heavy has to do with the design methodology of the manufacturer and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Japanese and Korean Manufacturers prefer lighter cars while the European, American and Indian manufacturers prefer heavier cars.

Light weight cars offers better performance, efficiency, lower maintenance cost and easy drivability.
Heavier cars offers better comfort especially on bad roads and also reduces the chance of a dent in case of small accidents.

Which one to go for is a person's choice. I personally prefer a light weight car to a heavier one as long as the stability part is taken care of. Thankfully, the Japanese and Korean manufacturers we have in India are very good in ensuring good dynamics for the car even when they make the car light as a feather.

It's better that FIAT, Chevrolet, TATA, Ford etc concentrate on heavier cars while Maruti, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai etc continue to manufacture lighter cars. As a customer, we have the power to purchase the one which suits our requirements better.

[krish82]

Just back from a Ertiga test drive. Me and dad both drove the diesel version.
Frankly speaking its a great car, and there is nothing we could find against it. We were amazed the diesel felt like driving a petrol. Ride quality ingress out- -gress was good too. Visibility, interiors were also good. My dad is interested on the basic petrol variant as i can get it for 7.17 onroad, the diesel has a whopping difference of 1.65 lakhs onroad which i think is not justifiable.

Have to wait for a petrol test drive. Any idea whats the mileage of the petrol, it should give at least 10 in my opinion. Over all very much impressed with Maruti and this car, I am specifically looking for Maruti as next car because i own a Hyundai and know how exorbitant the service and spare parts are for Hyundai.

The main points which inclines us towards this car is:
1. Its a Maruti (Service and spares not an issue).
2. Resale would be better in future.
3. Drives like a car.
4. Looks good.
5. Loads of space with the 2nd row back, with occasionally using the third row.
6. Very practical i can move lot of things from A to B without renting a mini truck.
7.Group of family / friends can travel together.
8. 7 lakhs for base version petrol i am not complaining, I can just add a remote lock outside, other features are not much use for me, i would have appreciated airbags and abs, but wanting them will make me spends 2 lakhs more. I wonder why they cant have a base version with Airbag and ABS, i dont even need power windows, central locking, display, rpm meter etc...thats what i feel.

Overall we are very much impressed!