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A Brezza owner buys the Ertiga VXI BS-6: His unbiased impressions

26th April 2024, 14:13 by Ananth Iyer

The Ertiga is longer than most 5-seater SUVs (4 metre plus), it is shorter than most sedans, bigger SUVs and 7 seaters, but with a competitive wheelbase.

BHPian jessie007 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

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:

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.
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.
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.

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.