EXCLUSIVE: Maruti Ertiga Sport SPIED testing in India [Video]

The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Sport has been spied testing in India for the first time, ahead of its official launch by  the end of this year. The sportier variant of the MPV was first showcased in Indonesia, and is already on sale in that part of the world. Here is an exclusive video for you.

For the Indian market, Maruti is likely to position the Ertiga Sport as a luxurious, top-end  version with a 6 seats, in a 2+2+2 layout. The Ertiga Sport gets a slew of changes including sharper looking front  and rear bumpers, LED daytime running lights integrated into the front bumper, chrome studded grille and 15 inch  alloy wheels with a different design.

On the inside, the MPV gains wood trim, all-black interiors except for the roofliner, a new touchscreen infotainment  unit with a floating design and a sportier, flat-bottomed steering wheel. If you’re looking for major changes under  the hood, you’ll be disappointed.

The Ertiga Sport does not get any performance bump up, and on offer are the same 1.5 liter-4 cylinder K-Series petrol with 104 Bhp-138 Nm and the 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet diesel with 89 Bhp-200 Nm. Both engines run the Suzuki Hybrid Vehicle System (SHVS) mild hybrid configuration, and 5 speed manual gearboxes are standard. The Ertiga Petrol also gets a 4 speed torque converter automatic gearbox.

In the Sport edition of the car sold in India, the Maruti Ertiga MPV is expected to get a 1.5 liter-4 cylinder diesel engine as a replacement to the 1.3 liter Multijet unit. The new diesel motor has been developed in-house by Suzuki,  and is already available with the facelifted Ciaz sedan. The Ertiga Sport is likely to be about Rs. 50,000 pricier  than the current top-end Ertiga.

In the next few weeks, this motor will be offered on the Ertiga as well, and this means that the Sport variant of the MPV will also receive the same. The bigger diesel engine is in a conservative  state of tune, and makes 94 Bhp-225 Nm. Also, it gets a new 6 speed manual gearbox with a tall sixth gear for relaxed  highway cruising and high fuel efficiency at higher speeds.

The new Maruti Suzuki Ertiga was introduced in India earlier this year, and right from the word go, the MPV has  become a best seller. Currently, it’s India’s best selling MPV, overtaking even the mighty Toyota Innova Crysta in  the process. The new Ertiga is larger and more powerful than its predecessor. It also offers better equipment levels all around, and gets basic safety features as standard.

ABS, twin airbags, speed sensitive door locks, central  locking, reverse parking sensors, speed alerts and seat belt reminders are standard on the MPV. Higher variants also  get a reverse parking camera. Prices of the new Maruti Ertiga start from Rs. 7.45 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi, and many popular variants of the MPV command a waiting period of 2-3 months