Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Diesel SHVS ZDi: Long Term review introduction

Maruti Suzuki’s all-new Ertiga remained a highly anticipated car in the Indian market until it was launched in November 2018. The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga never really faced a downtime in the market since its launch in 2012 but the second-generation Ertiga has made a strong statement with highest-ever sales figures! Wonder why? Because the new Ertiga is bigger, stronger and has got the looks to get a second look from most! We decided to spend some time with the all-new Ertiga and understand the formula of success behind it. The all-new Ertiga joined our long-term fleet on 14th March and is here to stay for three months!

Ertiga as a daily car

Since the Ertiga has grown much bigger than the outgoing version in the terms of dimensions, we initially thought it may cause trouble in the overcrowded roads of Delhi-NCR, especially during the office hours. Since the day Ertiga has arrived, we have done more than 1,500 kilometres on it and 90% of the total distance has been covered inside city limits. It is safe to say that the increased dimensions will no make you a nervous driver thanks to the extremely good visibility. Also, the diesel version is only available with a manual transmission and the clutch is surprisingly lightweight, which again makes it super easy to go through the congested city roads.

The all-new Ertiga carries forward the SHVS mild hybrid system, which has been gone through improvements and has become better with the time, just like the Ertiga itself. The system detects of the car is in neutral and as soon as the clutch pedal is released, the engine shuts down leaving all the electrically powered equipment like the infotainment system, AC fan and even the charging socket switched on. The engine comes to life with the slightest touch on the clutch pedal. This definitely saves a lot of fuel, especially when you’re a law-abiding citizen and would stop at all the traffic signals that flash a red light at you.

We have mostly used the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga for our daily commute to work, which is around 70 km round trip. Maruti Suzuki cars need no introduction when it comes to the fuel efficiency and according to the ARAI, the Ertiga diesel returns a phenomenal 25.47 km/l of mileage. Well, we cannot re-create the certified mileage figure inside the city limits but we came to a pretty close 23.6 km/l and that too with the AC on full blast setting. The Ertiga also made a short and quick trip to Punjab and returned more than 24 km/l with four adults and two children on board.

Also, the all-new Ertiga’s redesigned cabin makes it a winner. The faux wooden inserts on the steering wheel and the dashboard gives a premium feel to the occupants, something which is a must for customers who spend long hours inside a vehicle. With the rising temperature in Delhi, the new Ertiga can cater to the comfort the rear passengers directly by giving an unlimited supply of cold air through roof-mounted AC vents! The 60: 40-second row split with proper recline and a slide feature was a boon on this trip for middle row passengers.

But how is it to drive? Well, the 1.3-litre Multijet engine is an alright engine, but it lacks enthusiasm. It produces a maximum power of 89 Bhp and 200 Nm of torque. You may feel the power inadequate every now on then on the highways, but it is more than enough inside the city limits! Also, the Ertiga is not targetted at the enthusiasts who love to drive; it is a people mover that gets all the bling and a long list of features! What’s more? Well, we are soon taking the 7-seater out for some fun activities, and we will bring you updates right here, next week.