The latest-gen Ertiga recently received a 1.5-litre diesel engine option and here’s how it compares against Mahindra Marazzo
Recently, the second-gen Maruti Ertiga, which was launched with 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel engine, received the company’s new 1.5-litre E15A turbocharged diesel motor. The introduction of the new engine has given the buyers a more powerful option that isn’t too far behind in terms of fuel efficiency. The new model has a starting price of Rs 9.86 lakh (ex-showroom) and is available in VDi, ZDi and ZDi+ trims.
On the other hand, the Mahindra Marazzo is the latest MPV from M&M and is on sale for a base price of Rs 10.18 lakh (ex-showroom) and is a fairly advanced model that brings several firsts to the table. To start with, the Marazzo has been designed with inputs from Pininfarina, which is a globally famous car design house that is now owned by M&M.
It is the first model to have been jointly developed by the Mahindra North American Technical Centre in Troy, Michigan, and Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai. Finally, the new MPV is the first-ever vehicle to have a ladder on frame chassis that supports a transversely mounted engine that powers the front wheels.
Now, a big question arises. Armed with a bigger powerplant that is clearly more potent than the Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre diesel engine, is the Ertiga capable enough to take on the Marazzo, which has a 1.5-litre motor right from the onset? And it’s not just about the engines here. Compared to Marazzo, the new Ertiga is based on Suzuki’s lightweight Heartect platform, which gives it greater dynamics.
While both the manufacturers have extensive service support, it’s Maruti’s network that is unbeatable in terms of reach and also when it comes to providing well-priced high-quality spares. Our new Maruti Ertiga 1.5 vs Mahindra Marazzo comparison should give you a good idea about how these two MPVs stack up against each other.
Maruti Ertiga 1.5 vs Mahindra Marazzo Price Comparison
| Maruti Ertiga 1.5 Diesel Price | Mahindra Marazzo Price |
| Rs 9.85 lakh to Rs. 11.20 lakh | Rs 10.18 lakh to Rs 14.59 lakh |
While the Mahindra Marazzo was launched at an introductory starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom), it now retails for a base price of Rs 10.18 lakh (ex-showroom). The top-spec model, on the other hand, goes for as much as Rs 14.59 lakh (ex-showroom), which makes it only a wee bit cheaper than the entry-level Toyota Innova Crysta (starting price – INR 14.93 lakh).
In comparison, the prices of the 1.3-litre Ertiga are much lower than that of the Marazzo and even the new 1.5-litre variant holds a good advantage over the Marazzo. Its starting price of Rs 9.85 lakh clearly makes it a bit cheaper than the Marazzo. Plus, you can’t overlook that the lowest trim for the new variant is the mid-spec VDI variant, which gets quite a good number of features.
Even if you take into account the top-spec ZDI+ trim, it retails at Rs 11.20 lakh, which makes it a lot cheaper than the fully-loaded Mahindra Marazzo. Hence, the first round of this Maruti Ertiga 1.5 vs Mahindra Marazzo goes in favour of the former.
New Maruti Ertiga vs Mahindra Marazzo Specifications Comparison
| Specs | Maruti Ertiga 1.5 Diesel | Mahindra Marazzo |
| Engine | 1.5-litre DDiS 225 four-cylinder | 1.5-litre D15 transverse mounted four-cyl diesel |
| Power | 94 bhp | 121 bhp |
| Torque | 225 Nm | 300 Nm |
| Transmission | six-speed manual | six-speed manual |
While M&M might launch a petrol variant of its latest MPV in the future, right now it is available with only one diesel engine option. Powering the Marazzo is a newly developed 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine that is good for making a maximum power of 121 bhp and a peak torque of 300 Nm.
Currently, the only available gearbox option is that of a 6-speed manual transmission. However, in the near future, Mahindra might introduce an AMT. As we said, the MPV is underpinned by a ladder-on-frame chassis that supports a transversely mounted engine powering the front wheels.
This patented architecture is being regarded by Mahindra as the ‘Best of both worlds.’ This is because the ladder-on-frame construction gives the MPV the kind of robustness that a monocoque simply can’t match. It also results in a pliant ride.
On the other hand, the transverse layout with FWD configuration minimizes the transmission losses, thereby increasing the fuel efficiency and the power delivery of the vehicle. It also helps the company offer a low floor height and a lower centre of gravity.
On the other hand, the new 1.5-litre diesel engine for the Ertiga delivers a maximum power of 94 bhp and a peak torque of 225 Nm, thereby instantly making it more potent than the 1.3-litre diesel variant of the MPV. The engine comes mated to a six-speed manual transmission. It doesn’t look like the company has any plans of fielding an automatic option at the moment.
The new 1.5-litre diesel motor misses out on the Smart Hybrid system that is available on the 1.3-litre diesel engine. The company has made use of a Dual Mass Flywheel (DMS) and optimised compression ratio to keep the engine fluctuations under a check. This optimizes the refinement levels. 
Also, the high-efficiency turbocharger helps to extract the best-possible torque delivery at even lower engine speeds. The engine even benefits from the pendulum type engine mounting, which, as per the company, results in “superior ride quality” with low NVH levels.
The lightweight Heartect platform has helped the company achieve a low kerb weight of just 1,200 kg. This optimizes fuel efficiency and performance. The more rigid platform even results in car-like dynamics, something that has worked well for the company’s MPV.
On paper, the Maruti Ertiga 1.5 has lesser power and torque than the Marazzo. However, one simply can’t ignore that the new model is almost 400 kg lighter, which mitigates any advantage the Mahindra MPV would have had over the Maruti MPV.
Also, the fact that the Ertiga is also available with a more affordable diesel option and a petrol variant tilts the result of this part of our Maruti Ertiga 1.5 vs Mahindra Marazzo comparison in the former’s favour. But as far as pure performance is concerned, the Marazzo comes on top.
New Maruti Ertiga vs Mahindra Marazzo Comparison of Mileage
All the cars from Maruti Suzuki are known to offer stellar fuel efficiency figures and the new generation of its popular MPV will be no different in this regard. The new engine, in spite of missing out on the excellent SHVS mild-hybrid technology, offers an ARAI-tested mileage of 24.20 kmpl.
For those who need even higher mileage, the company will continue to sell the earlier 1.3-litre diesel unit, which offers an amazing 24.52 kmpl. Even the petrol engine, which is sufficiently high on power delivers an ARAI-tested fuel economy of 21 kmpl, which is a fairly respectable figure. A great role in the enhanced fuel efficiency of the Ertiga is played by the lightweight Heartect platform and tuning of the engine-transmission combo.
In comparison, the Mahindra Marazzo offers an ARAI-tested fuel economy of 17.3 kmpl. Even if you take into account the petrol model of the Ertiga, it’s the Maruti MPV that ends up being far more fuel efficient. That said, the Marazzo still offers a decent mileage for an MPV of its size and weight.
A reason for the lower-than-Ertiga FE is basically the higher kerb weight, which is a result of the ladder on frame construction. Hence, even in this part of our Maruti Ertiga 1.5 vs Mahindra Marazzo comparison, it’s the former that emerges as the winner.
Maruti Ertiga 1.5 vs Mahindra Marazzo Comparison of Interior space and dimensions
A good thing about the Maruti Ertiga 1.5 is that it remains entirely unchanged when it comes to the design and the dimensions. Hence, it continues to offer a decent interior space and pleasant aesthetics. The second generation of the company’s top-selling MPV offers a length of 4,395 mm, a width of 1,735 mm, and a height of 1,690 mm.
It has a wheelbase of 2,750 mm, which is the same as that of the last-gen Ertiga. However, compared to the first-gen model, the latest MPV is 99 mm longer, 40 mm wider, and 5 mm taller. This leads to a remarkable increment in the cabin space, especially in the third row of seats.
In comparison, the Mahindra Marazzo turns out to be a much bigger MPV. It is 4,585 mm long, 1,866 mm wide, and 1,774 mm tall (has more width and wheelbase than Innova Crysta). Hence in spite of the fact that the new Ertiga is significantly larger than the previous version, it simply can’t match the Mahindra model. Hence, the Marazzo ends up being the winner of this part of our Maruti Ertiga 1.5 vs Mahindra Marazzo comparison review.
Maruti Ertiga vs Mahindra Marazzo 1.5 Comparison Review Verdict
Price – In spite of the fact that the new 1.5-litre variant is costlier than the 1.3-litre version, it holds a huge advantage over the Marazzo in the pricing stakes. The price gap further widens if you take into account the other variants.
Specifications – The Maruti Ertiga 1.5 is a more powerful model than its 1.3-litre sibling. Yet, at least on paper, it can’t match the higher figures delivered by the Marazzo. However, real-world performance should tilt the results in Ertiga’s favour. This is simply because the Maruti MPV is much lighter than the ladder-on-frame Marazzo.
Mileage – Now, this is another aspect in which the Maruti Ertiga 1.5 triumphs the Mahindra Marazzo. In spite of the power increment over the 1.3-litre unit, it is only marginally less fuel efficient. Hence, it continues to hold an edge over the Mahindra MPV in the fuel efficiency stakes. Moreover, even the other variants have a huge mileage advantage over the Marazzo.
Dimensions and interior space – Finally, this is the only part of the comparison where the Ertiga simply fails to put on a fight against the Marazzo. The larger dimensions of the Mahindra MPV lead to a higher cabin space, which is a huge factor for MPV buyers. The only saving grace for the Ertiga is that it’s significantly bigger than the earlier version.
One simply can’t ignore the fact that the Maruti Ertiga, thanks to the advent of the new 1.5-litre diesel variant, is a much more potent vehicle than before. Plus, its lightweight platform helps it bridge the performance gap with the Mahindra Marazzo. Also, the fact that it is far more fuel efficient than the Mahindra rival works in favour of the newcomer.
However, the Marazzo was rated four stars in Global NCAP – the first India-made MPV to achieve the feat and credits have to be given for its safety as well as more powerful diesel engine offering a smoother ride. From our overall analysis though, the new diesel variant of the Ertiga appears to be the clear winner of this Maruti Ertiga 1.5 vs Mahindra Marazzo comparison.