The car which was code-named as Maruti R3, from Maruti Suzuki has made a grand entry in the automobile world, which made every car in all of the segments, to compete with them. Maruti R3 is commonly known as Maruti Ertiga. Robust branding and low maintenance makes the car to be a fine MPV and a great success in the Indian market. It is a seven seater car and the associated price tag makes the car craving for the customers. The irresistible look and features makes them to be positioned in a sub-segment of Utility Vehicles, known as LUV or the Life Utility Vehicle. The Ex-showroom price for this car ranges from 6-8.7 lakhs.
Although Maruti Ertiga is a new hybrid from Maruti Suzuki, they have a look similar to that of Ritz and Swift from its front view, and it resembles to Honda Jazz from its sideways profile. The rear view of the car is rather bland which is devoid of any creases or cuts. The tail lights are comparatively small and the designing of the car makes one conclude that the designers at the parent company had been run out of ideas. The overall length of the car is 4265mm, width of 1695mm and height of 1685mm. The car offers an overall ground clearance of 185mm.
The interior of the Maruti Ertiga is similar to that of the Swift DZire. The only difference between the dashboards of this car and that of Swift DZire is that they have used beige color to differentiate themselves from Swift DZire. This color gives a completely calm, light and airy feeling to the cabin. The clever packaging of features in the interior makes the car to obtain a large internal space. The increased wheel base of 2740mm provides a maximized interior space. Since the car is low weight, the car is easy to drive and it feels lightweight. The overall weight of the car is just 170kgs more than that of Swift. The middle leg room of this car is obtained by sliding the seats by 240mm. They have a generous glass area which opens with wide angle and separate AC vents ensures that the middle seat passengers are in complete comfort. The last row of the car is suitable for children since the thigh support and the glass are low and offers the adults rather claustrophobic feeling. Hence it is suitable for children rather than adults. The boot space offered by it is 300 liters.
Maruti Ertiga gets two variants; petrol and diesel. Both the variants are equipped with five speed manual transmission and boast the new generation BS-IV emission norms. The petrol variant is packed with the fuel efficient K14B engine with 1.4 liter VVT power train, which produces a displacement of 1373cc along with a peak power of 93.7bhp at 6000rpm and a peak torque of 130Nm at 4000rpm. The diesel variant is powered by a 1.3 liter multijet turbo diesel engine integrated with DDiS (Direct Diesel Inspection System). This engine produces a displacement of 1248cc generating a maximum power of 88.7bhp at 4000rpm and a maximum torque of 200Nm at 1750rpm. The engine features Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) and Variable Valve Timing (VVT) to increase efficiency and performance.
Maruti Ertiga has a lot of standard and modern safety features like Anti-lock Braking System with EBD, engine immobilizer, high tensile roof and two airbags in the front, for both the driver and the co-driver. The ABS with EBD and brake assist facility ensures that the car has the right braking balance between the front and the rear axle. These features add onto the safety quotient of the MUV. This may also be quoted as being an LUV. The electrical steering facility makes the car easier to handle and is comfortable to drive through tight spaces. The front disc and rear drum brakes ensure that comfort and sudden breaking are made possible. Equal distribution of seat belts makes sure that the passengers are safe.
