Maruti Suzuki Ertiga’s 1.5-litre SHVS petrol engine making 104.7 PS and 138 Nm is well-received among customers
Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) retailed 65,263 units of the Ertiga in the period between April 2018 and March 2019. The MPV led the segment with authority but unlike Toyota Innova Crysta that sits higher up a segment, the sales of petrol and diesel variants were on par with each other. The largest automaker in the country sold 32,325 petrol Ertigas and 32,938 diesel Ertigas in FY2019.
Traditionally, the MPV segment sees diesel variants trumping the petrol models in sales but the Ertiga’s aggressive base price point and the wide range of offering played into its hands. The seven-seater is priced between Rs. 7.44 lakh and Rs. 11.20 lakh (ex-showroom) currently and is powered by 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and 1.3-litre diesel engines.
The second generation Ertiga made its way into the domestic market in November 2018 with a major overhaul in exterior as well as interior. It helped the brand to portray the Ertiga as a more upmarket offering but the pricing remained highly accessible to the discerning customers.
The 1.5-litre four-cylinder smart-hybrid petrol engine develops 104.7 PS and 138 Nm of peak torque and is connected to either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed torque automatic as option. It is the same engine introduced in the Ciaz back in August 2018. The SHVS technology enables the MPV to return good mileage as it is claimed to give 19.34 kmpl on MT and 18.69 kmpl on AT.
The 1.3-litre DDiS diesel engine will have to eventually let go ahead of March 31, 2020 deadline for BSVI emission regulations. Thus, the 1.5-litre DDiS 225 oil-burner was launched at the end of April 2019 and it kicks out 95.15 PS at 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 225 Nm from 1,500 to 2,500 rpm. The non-SHVS unit mated to a new six-speed MT is ARAI-certified to return 24.2 kmpl.
Maruti Suzuki will utilise the popularity of the Ertiga and launch the Cross variant most likely next month. It will have second-row captain seat configuration and will be sold through Nexa premium outlets.