New Maruti's Ertiga

Maruti's all-new mini-MPV known until now by its codename R III will be called the Ertiga. Our latest spy pictures of the Ertiga clearly show the badging which confirms the name.

Designed to appeal to big Indian families looking for an ideal blend of everyday usability and space, the Ertiga, however isn’t just a practical mono-volume with three rows of seats like the much more utilitarian Eeco. This front-wheel-drive, car-based mini-MPV has been designed to drive like a car and features quality interiors, making it an appealing family car.

The Ertiga’s design is immediately recognisable as a Suzuki. The nose looks very similar to that of the Ritz, with its slot-like grille and bulbous bonnet. The chin of the Ertiga is quite different. Much wider and bulkier than the hatchback. The air inlet under the bumper is larger and so are the enclosures that house the fog lights.

A corrugated roof has been used to increase strength, the rear windscreen wraps itself around the back for that ‘pillar-less’ look and the tiny tail-lamps seem to have been designed with cost rather than visibility in mind. This is a people-mover, and that means additional space, so Maruti has stretched the wheelbase to 2740mm, up by 380mm on the Ritz, and the roof is higher.

The interiors, although beige in colour, are almost identical to the new Swift. Bits like the steering wheel and dashboard are in fact shared with the hatch. However, there is no electronic climate control in the Ertiga, not even on the top-end ZDi and ZXi variants. Nonetheless, there is a roof-mounted blower to cool the second and third rows.

The stretched wheelbase and the additional third row seats have pushed the length of the Ertiga to 4265mm, well over the critical four-metre length. This has resulted in the Ertiga not qualifying for the lower excise duty benefit for small cars.

The pictures show that the Ertiga will also get a top-end diesel variant with all the bells and whistles. The big surprise is an all-new K14 petrol engine which makes its debut in the Ertiga. This is the largest version of the K-series yet and as a result, the power and torque figures are much higher. The 1372cc VVT motor makes a decent 95bhp and torque should be as high as 13kgm. Also on the cards is a diesel engine, the same Fiat-designed, 1.3-litre Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT)-equipped 89bhp DDiS motor from the SX4.

The Ertiga promises to drive and feel like a modern car rather than a transformed commercial vehicle. Plus, the addition of a modern diesel engine will only add to the appeal. Maruti’s mini-MPV will be competitively priced within a Rs 6-9 lakh range. Maruti will unveil the Ertiga at the Auto-Expo in January next year.

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All-New Swift

The new Swift has finally arrived on Indian roads and we’ve just driven it. At first glance, it looks just like the earlier model but the changes are difficult to tell immediately. The fact is that this car is a grounds-up new generation of the Swift.

The new Swift is based on an all-new platform and is now both longer and wider. It gains 90mm in overall length and the wheelbase is 40mm longer. While overall width has increased by 5mm, height remains unchanged.

The benefits of the increased dimensions can be seen in the improved cabin space and the Swift now feels bigger inside, with more knee room for the rear passengers. This is aided, in part, by the indents in the back of the front seats. However, just like the old Swift, the rear still feels claustrophobic due to the small window area.

The Swift’s interior styling, which is heavily borrowed from its Kizashi sibling, is now plusher. The new instruments look superb and the steering-mounted controls feel good to operate. However, material quality hasn’t been improved substantially and the tiny boot space continues to disappoint.

The car is now sportier to drive and the 1.2 K-series petrol gets variable valve timing (VVT) to bump up power to 86bhp. The engine, which was a gem earlier, is simply brilliant now. It loves to be revved and refinement levels are a lot better than before. The addition of VVT has now rid the engine of the slightly weak bottom end. The torque curve is now much flatter and the power delivery more linear. The engine revs cleanly and is vibe-free all the way to the red line, sounding nice near the limit. Maruti says VVT on the 1.2 K-series engine has improved fuel efficiency by four percent and the Indian driving cycle economy figure is an impressive 18.6kpl.

place is evident. The motor, which is still mated to a fixed geometry turbo and develops the same 74bhp, feels more refined than before. There is a bit of lag initially but once past that, it makes good progress. Surprisingly, the diesel has lost its strong mid-range and we found ourselves downshifting more often than we did before. Maruti informs us that the engines have been tuned more for efficiency, which has compromised their flexible nature to some extent but not so much that it would bother most Swift owners.

The 1.3 diesel Multi-jet engine remains largely unchanged but the carmaker’s effort to make the cabin a quieter 

Ride and handling is substantially improved. Turn-in is sharp, there’s grip to spare and body roll is progressive enough. The ride quality is much improved in terms of bump absorption over big road undulations and the car feels less fidgety at highway speeds as well.

Suzuki has also reworked the steering and the new Swift gets a new variable-gear ratio design and low-play joints. The steering now feels a lot more positive around the centre position and a quicker ratio allows for sharper directional changes. However, it still lacks consistency. It is quick enough but becomes very light and disconnected for a moment after turn-in before it weights up.

Overall, the all-new Swift is lighter, longer and more spacious than before, delivering improved performance, driver dynamics and enhanced fuel economy. Suzuki has done well to iron out most of the flaws in the earlier Swift while retaining all the really good bits. That’s an extremely practical and effective way to ensure that the new Swift will start from where the old one left – right on the top of its class. 

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