LUV at First Sight!

“It requires a lot of courage, skill and emotions involved at the time when you propose to a
woman. We are sure most men out there would agree! If successful then it’s a Happily Ever
After story. This proposal of LUV from Maruti Suzuki to the Indian car buyers has been
accepted almost immediately resulting in the ERTIGA story”!

32000 bookings within the first month of launch without an ad print for that matter any kind
of communication. Truly a rock star born from the stable of Maruti. But is it the right kind of
car for you to buy? Let’s find out.

Design and Styling:

A quick glance at the car nosewards and you would mistake it for a Ritz with tweaked
headlamps and bumpers. It is only that you realize it’s a (Life Utility Vehicle that Maruti
claim that they have created a whole new segment undoubtedly) 7 seater urban vehicle that
is made of different flesh and blood. Styling is typically Suzuki, with swept-back headlights
like the new Swift’s, and a grille and bonnet that resemble the Ritz. The overall design is
pleasing, but not what you would call eye-catching. Its urban, it’s contemporary and it’s a
design that can be liked by all.

Interior and Comfort:

It’s on familiar territory with the likes of its smaller siblings Dezire and Swift sharing the
same layout and feel. Except in Ertiga it gets a nice feel of Beige and Brown dual shade
interiors which gives a roomier feeling. Because of its car like feel and set up getting in and
getting out is that much easier compared to the competition. The front and mid row seats are
very comfortable and supportive even on the long drives. The layout for the rear 3+2 seats
has been done smartly by giving a reclining and sliding option for the 3 seater which allows
enough knee room even for passengers sitting in last row.

The steering wheel gets mounted controls, a 2 din music system with USB and AUX options.
The driver also gets to adjust the position he/she sits with the height adj. lever. Maruti knows
we love chrome and there is nice touch of it on the inside door handles, AC vents (rear as
well). Overall it’s a very well packaged interior space to be in because of the sea of beige
added on and makes this BIG car like feel.

Engine, Performance and Handling:
Due to popular demand, this review focuses only on the diesel option. The petrol would
follow suit soon.

A people mover which isn’t diesel doesn’t quite go well in our country. This 1.3-litre variable
geometry turbo puts out 89bhp and 200Nm of very usable torque. A very practical engine
under the hood which munches miles very easily at the same time consuming so meagerly.
The turbo kicks in at 1800rpm making it available at lower revs. But at times when the car
is fully loaded with passengers the turbo lag becomes more noticeable and thus makes intra
city commuting a little nagging. Surprisingly there is no much diesel clatter from the hood,
you won’t come to know that it’s a diesel when cruising at speeds of 130kmph. 0-100 figures
comes up under 14 seconds which is rather surprising for this size of a vehicle. Frugal diesel
engine churns out 16-17kmpl of mileage under ideal city driving conditions tested by us. The
gear box and the clutch feel light and thus make it a very capable intra city mover as well.

The reasonable amount of handling comes from the fact that the Ertiga gets a long wheel base
(2740mm) which makes it very poised and car like. Although it doesn’t feel good if you push
her around corners. Due to the soft suspension set up the Ertiga is able to absorb bumps and
city pot holes very well which also translates in highway driving dynamics. Although its an
MPV on paper it does not roll around as compared to competition and the light steering also
enables maneuverability within city.

Judgment Day:

“Hey you know what I have decided to buy Swift diesel top end variant. But man I can’t
carry a lot of luggage and my buddies in it. Ok may be the Duster would do the Job. Nice off
roader with loads of space but boy it’s very expensive. ERTIGA? Why didn’t I think of this
before? Multi tasker which does that occasional bad roading with its ground clearance and
can carry all the luggage I need along with my pals. The LUV of my life”.

So if you are out there looking for a urban stylish car which can do a little bit of this and a
little bit of that, then it’s time to fall in LUV with the Maruti Suzuki ERTIGA.

Shades of LUV: