Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Facelift SHVS Review

[Akash1886]

Maruti Suzuki has launched the Ertiga Facelift at 5.99 Lakhs in India. Ertiga Facelift also comes with an AT in Petrol variant. The Diesel Variant of Ertiga Facelift now comes with SHVS Technology i.e 'Smart Hybrid Vehicle from Suzuki'.

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Maruti Suzuki's Ertiga was for the 1st time launched in 2012 to cater to the MPV segment in India. Being a car of one of the oldest and trusted brands in India, Ertiga tasted instant success by being a preferred choice of the buyers here. Ever since the launch, Maruti Suzuki as true to it's self has been providing Ertiga with cosmetic changes and rolling out limited additions like Feliz, Anniversary, Passio et al. All these versions of Ertiga had one thing in common and i.e added stickers and some minor aesthetic upgrades.

Coming to 2015, Maruti Suzuki rolled out it's first "Smart Hybrid" Vehicle i.e CIAZ Hybrid which boasted of being much more eco-friendly and FE wise also better than normal Diesel CIAZ. After tasting luke warm receiving to the CIAZ SHVS, Maruti tried out this technology on their ERTIGA MPV. Ertiga firstly in the name of facelift was given redesigned bumpers and a big chrome front grill and a rear chrome mustache. In the interiors, it came with smartplay touchscreen infotainment panel in top variant and push button start along with tweaks done to the IC Panel too.

Today, I am writing my review of the Ertiga SHVS diesel. The Variant driven by me is the ZDi+ which comes equipped with SHVS. Please be informed, at present Maruti Suzuki is providing the SHVS Technology to only Diesel Ertiga. So let us now see, if the SHVS enabled Ertiga does have something better to offer or is it just another way to further increase sales and avoid inventory of Diesel Ertiga in stockyards.

Now Before I start the review please allow me to add some important links here:

1) Brochure

2) Spy Shots

3) First Impression on Facelift Ertiga

 

[Akash1886]

The External Looks of Facelift Ertiga







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Looks are subjective i.e some might like it and some may actually reject. Maruti Suzuki is probably the only brand in India who's vehicles/models have the longest life cycle. Maruti Suzuki does not provide major face-lifts to it products as often as the others do. Even in case of Ertiga, after probably thinking a lot, they have given a 'Face-lift' to it. But personally I don't think this is a worthy face-lift in terms of the looks. Maruti Suzuki has to seriously look beyond the chrome and stickers i.e provide better and bigger engines and in-car features to actually help us call it a "All New" or a "Genuine Face-lift" version.

Front Profile: This is where Maruti Suzuki seems to have worked hard and after all the efforts the best they provided us was the reworked bumper and a fat Chrome grill. The Chrome grill has a triple slat this time and looks extremely pronounced. The pout of it's lips makes Ertiga look like photoshop-ed invention. If I compare the front grill of the out-going version, I would say, in true spirit, the elegance of Ertiga has been destroyed. Another upgarde you'll notice is the chrome eye-brows provided to the fog-lamps. Now, rather than working on giving better output foglamps which would have been a big help, Maruti provides the chrome eye brows in order to increase premium feel. I mean Really? Believe me, I had booked a pre-facelift Ertiga in 2014 and the only reason for me to call-off the deal was poor upkeep in Stockyard. Look wise, that one was way better. A small tweak has been done to the front bumper as well of the 2015 Ertiga and that is all because of the re-worked foglamp cluster.

Side Profile: Thankfully, from the side Ertiga still looks the same. The long lines and decent appearance has been retained in the 2015 model as well. You'll not find any difference as such in the side profile of this version.

Rear Profile: The rear profile of 2015 Ertiga boasts of 2 major changes i.e Chrome Mustache and a re-worked bumper. Firstly, the chrome mustache did not actually help that much in grabbing attention and looked purely stuck up job. The chrome mustache in engraved with the Ertiga badge on it and this very out-of-place stripe makes the rear profile appear too loud for my taste. Coming to the bumper, the bumper has been reworked and the reflector part has been re-designed on both the corners and that's all. So much for the face-lift! Apart from these 2 changes, the rear profile is pretty much the same as the out-going version.

So, if I summarize my views on the looks of the 2015 Ertiga Face-lift, I can surely say that "it is not to my liking at least from the external looks."

 

[Akash1886]

Interiors of the new Ertiga 2015

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The interiors of the new Ertiga 2015, boasts of roomy cabin design with ample use of Beige color. I personally feel it is tough for maintaining the beige interiors as stain-free for long time. The Beige themed interiors now days have started to look too obvious and sometimes feel boring. Right from the door pads to steering wheel, to the seats and water-fall like center console everything has been bathed with Beige. Premium feel equals to Beige is a misconception in my view as a decent 2-tone interior can also look good if executed properly. Considering our daily driving conditions and the atmosphere here, it is nothing less than an uphill task to keep the interior clean especially if it is Beige. The muck, dust and oil etc can’t be kept at bay always and are bound to enter your car whether you may like or not but the flip side is more than the car, you’ll have to be concerned about its interiors all the time. In simple words, Beige makes the dust and stains look much more pronounced. Moving to the front seats, the driver’s seat is adjustable in height. They offer liberal amount of seating comfort and I no issues in terms of under-thigh support, legroom and back-rest and for those who often drive on long trips and highways, the comfortable front seats will certainly ensure to give a stress free driving experience. Speaking of the visibility, the visibility of the front from the driver’s seat is quite good with no blind spots and this shall be plus point for the bumper to bumper traffic that we have. Coming to the steering wheel, the power steering is adjustable and is also in Beige and equipped with steering-mounted controls for easy accessibility to various features like Volume, Phone et al. It is a 3 Spoke steering wheel and feels good when held.

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The re-worked Instrument Cluster, now come with the SHVS illumination and a host of other important warning signals. There is a MID screen in between the Speedometer and Tacho meter. The overall layout of the IC panel is pretty neat and decently spaced out. It is very easy to toggle between the MID displays with the help of the switch that is provided in Instrument cluster and can other one control the Infotainment system’s lighting too.

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The infotainment system provided to the new Ertiga is a touch-screen. The screen layout resembles to that of Baleno and in functioning it was fairly easy to operate and is compatible to smartphones. It supports Bluetooth, Voice Command and is enabled with Navigation and becomes a reverse parking display as well because the ZDi+ variant comes with the reverse parking camera and sensors.

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Seating wise Ertiga can be called as a standard 5+2 seater with 3 row seating, 2 rows of AC. The seats too have Beige fabric which highly prone to stains and both 2 and 3rd are foldable as per need. The 2nd row is 60:40 split where as the 3rd row is 50:50 Split there by giving better boot space as and when needed. The 2nd row seats to me felt comfortable in terms of volumes of legroom and headroom and with the easy ingress and egress, the experience was very good. For long journeys the seats are good enough but could be slightly better in terms of under-thigh support. Being winters in North, the AC effectiveness wasn't checked. If I speak about the 3rd row seats, they come with seat belts and as usual it is a compromise. Be it any 7 seater at large in India, the 3rd is never pleases me in terms of space. For elderly people and tall giants like me, 3rd row is the biggest problem and will certainly be tough to be seated in it for a long journey. The 3rd row is best suited for the kids.

 

[Akash1886]

Important External Aspects of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 2015.​

Front Chrome Grill



Front Air-Dam



Center mounted roof antenna.



Flimsy quality wipers and washer



Swept back headlamps



Chrome Eye-Brow Fog Lamp



Electrically adjustable ORVMs with in-built side markers and decent viewing space.





Old-style Tail lamp retained.



Apparent gap between rear windshield and tail lamp for water to seep.



High mounted brake lamp



Smart Key Sensor.



Reversing Camera.



Rear Chrome Mustache



New Design reflectors.



Rubber Lining neatly placed on the roof corners



Neatly tucked exhaust.



Important Internal Aspects of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 2015.

Mediocre spaced Glove Box



Start-Stop Push Button placed below driver side AC Vent.

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[Akash1886]

Engine Performance, Braking, Steering, Transmission, Tyre and Ride & Handling







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Maruti Suzuki even this time continues with the same old 1.3 L DDIS (D13A SHVS) engine sourced from FIAT that is mated to a 5 speed MT Box. There is no difference in the DDIS from the earlier model. It still continues to produce 66Kw at 4000 rpm and 200NM torque at 1750rpm and the compression ratio of diesel being 17.6 but the actual difference is the SHVS technology which helps the engine upto 2000-2500 rpm by storing the energy generated while braking in the electrical setup and initiates the start-stop feature in stop-and-go traffic. I was also informed by TD coordinator who accompanied me today that the SHVS system works only if you wear seatbelt, close the driver’s door properly and put the AC on the Auto mode among many other pre-requisites. Being diesel, I could make out from the idling vibration that what this Ertiga had to offer. Though the NVH levels are modulated due to under-hood cladding but still you’ll be hearing the diesel mill’s sound in the cabin. If I speak of the drivability, the turbo kicks in at around 1700-2000 rpm range and as an individual car I would say that the driving manners are decent enough but can’t be compared to the big daddy i.e Innova.

About the ride, not much appealing as I was the only passenger along with the coordinator in the rear seat but I have travelled in a Ertiga Taxi with my family for good 250 km at that time I felt the ride to be much more balanced so lack of passengers could be one reason but somehow, the ride could be better. Speaking of the suspension I can say that the rear suspension is not that well groomed and it becomes quite evident on rough patches. For brief period today I sat as a passenger too and then I felt, the rear suspension needs improvement for enhancing the comfort for the passengers. The Ertiga owners can also share their views here. Overall, it is a decent car with livable riding manners.

Talking about the steering, the grip was quite good and it was responding nicely while driving. The turning and maneuvering were easy enough. Moving on to the brakes and tyre(s), the ZDi+ comes with same 185 Section Tyres (My TD car had JK Tyre) and R15 Alloys. The design of the alloy was just average and did not appeal to me. Talking about the braking, I felt they were a bit soft and even now Maruti did not provide rear disc brakes even as option to top variant. Braking is responsive thanks to the ABS and EBD. I can’t comment here on high speed braking because I did not drive it on high speeds.

Now about the transmission, the Ertiga diesel SHVS as stated is mated to 5 Speed MT and it works smoothly and with the SHVS in place, the gear indicator in MID ensures the right gear at the right speed is slotted so that maximum FE is extracted. As per OEM claim, SHVS Ertiga is capable of giving 24.52 Km/l and comes with a 45 L fuel tank. The gear slotting is good enough and does not need up-shifts often and people like me can cruise in a relaxed way.

 

[Akash1886]

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Diesel SHVS Facts



Salient Features of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Face-lift ZDi+​

* Idle Start Stop

* Gear Shift Indicator

* Dual Airbags and ABS with EBD

* Brake Energy Regeneration

* Front Fog Lamps

* Adjustable Headrests

* 2nd and 3rd Row folding seats

* Alloy Wheels

* Touchscreen Infotainment

* Electrically Foldable and Adjustable ORVMs

* Smart Key and Push Button.

* Chrome Grill

* Front Disc and Rear Drum Brakes

* Steering mounted controls.

* Silver Garnish on door trims and steering.

* 1 Lt Bottle holders

* Cup Holder in front

* 2nd Row Accessory Socket

* Rear Wiper and Washer

Positives

* Seating comfort of 1st 2 rows.

* Maruti's Reliability

* Value For Money MPV

* Good After-sales.

* Touch Screen Infotainment system

* Decent Sound Quality.

Negatives

Same design with added chrome

No DRL in Headlamps

Interiors in Beige attract more dust.

Rear Suspension is bit harsh on rough roads.

No Rear Disc Brakes. Not Even as option.

Not a full Hybrid Vehicle

Same old 1.3 L DDiS no engine upgrade.

AT option available in only Petrol not in Diesel

3rd Row seating is uncomfortable.

Boot Space quite less with all rows upright.

No Automatic AC in top variant. Can't understand what's the Auto mode in Manual AC!

No Provision of the Dead Pedal for driver.

No Front Armrest

Transmission still is the same 5 Speed MT no upgrade to that too.

Some Parting shots​

All pics of this review are only for The Automotive India. Any Re-use needs full credit to TAI.​

Regards

Akash

 

[350Z]

Note: Thread now live. Thanks Akash!

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[DJ bro]

New model isn't as handsome as the old one definitely.
Not addressing to the "Sea of Beige woes" is very disappointing.
True, the rear suspension is a bit harsh over bad roads.
In-spite of adding that stupid push-button start and smart entry, I would have preferred a driver center armrest.
3rd row legroom and luggage space depends on the height and build of passengers. Afterall the car is only 4.2m long.
Akash bro, there is actually a dead-pedal sort of raised section in the footwell to rest the left foot.
I didn't get a call from the dealership yet, regarding the AT test drive car. Did you get?
I read an ownership report of the AT variant in tbhp though. Why aren't the dealers getting it yet?

 

[Akash1886]

Akash bro, there is actually a dead-pedal sort of raised section in the footwell to rest the left foot.

But to be precise buddy, an actual dead pedal is sorely missed. Also there isn't any point in hiding the dead pedal because it looses out its utility.

I didn't get a call from the dealership yet, regarding the AT test drive car. Did you get?

2 month waiting is there for AT in my uncle's dealership. AT Ertiga for test drive is not available in most of the outlets because people run more towards manual be it petrol or diesel. AT has a selected few buyers only and the TD guys always say, "Sir ride is not any different in AT from MT Ertiga". I am in touch lets see if I get one and by this I mean, even in the stockyard I'll see one, I will definitely share it here.

Why aren't the dealers getting it yet?

As I said, only few buyers are there and secondly waiting period is high.

Regards

Akash

 

[tripranav]

@akash1886

Thanks a lot bro for completing my test drive review request.
5 Stars for a very detailed review. It made my day.
Next time I am in Delhi, we`ll have a beer (Treat`s on me).

 

[dr.Munendra]

Nice report there Akash . Do you have any wild idea if Maruti will introduce 1.6L DDiS in Ertiga in near future? I will jump on Ertiga on the very same day .

 

[Akash1886]

Nice report there Akash. Do you have any wild idea if Maruti will introduce 1.6L DDiS in Ertiga in near future? I will jump on Ertiga on the very same day.

Thanks Dr. Saab. I think there was a rumor of 1.5L Engine in testing but till now nothing concrete has surfaced. At present it is the same DDIS engine with SHVS now.

Regards

Akash

 

[NM9488]

Went to meet my friend at Maruti Showroom where he works, Found New Ertiga (not so new) with New bumpers. Actually it is with front bumper skirts. I like that Model very much with that new front bumper. First I thought person who brought Ertiga added that extra accessory but later found 4-5 Ertiga in that yard with same New bumper Skirts. As per my friend Maruti has added that with upcoming models.

Adding photos for reference.