New Maruti Ertiga to get a sporty, 6 seat variant soon

The all-new Maruti Ertiga MPV was just launched last week, and bookings for the people mover are said to be brisk. A new report states that the Ertiga will soon get a top-of-the-line variant that will not only be sporty but will also  be sold through NEXA line-up of dealerships. Currently, the new Maruti Ertiga is sold through the Arena dealerships.

Render courtesy Fauzi870

Reportedly, the sporty version of the new Maruti Ertiga will ditch the traditional 7 seat layout for 6 captain seats  spread across three rows. This is just one of the many changes that the sportier model is expected to get. A body  kit, revised headlamps and tail lamps, hatchlid spoiler and new alloy wheels are other changes likely.

Mechanically though, the sporty Ertiga is expected to be unchanged. The same petrol and diesel engines, along with  mild hybrid systems are expected to be on offer. As for gearboxes, 5 speed manual and 4 speed torque converter  automatic for the petrol and a 5 speed manual for the diesel will be carried over.

Maruti Suzuki offers a range of accessories through its vehicle personalization program. These accessories are also  on offer for the new Ertiga. Maruti dealers will handle fitment, and the Ertiga using these accessories will also  retain stock factory warranty.

It remains to be seen if the sporty version of the new Maruti Ertiga is merely an accessorized model along with a 6  seat layout. We would not be surprised if that happens as the Indian market has traditionally been indifferent to  sporty cars in the MPV segment. The low selling Honda Mobilio RS is a recent example that comes to mind. The sportier version of the Ertiga could gain a few features as well.

The all-new Ertiga is based on the HEARTECT platform that it shares with the Maruti Swift, Baleno, Ignis and Dzire.  This platform uses high tensile steel that’s much lighter, and allows the overall vehicle weight to dip. The new Ertiga is lighter than the older version despite getting larger in size.

While the new Ertiga is currently available only with petrol and diesel engines, a CNG-Petrol dual fuel option is in  the works. Maruti is expected to launch the CNG powered Ertiga in the Indian market within the next 6 months. The new Maruti Ertiga is also expected to gain a new diesel engine, developed in-house. The new diesel engine will make its appearance before April 2020, and will replace the present, 1.3 liter Fiat Multijet motor.