Maruti Suzuki Ertiga [2012-2015] User Reviews

I just received my Maruti ZDI after a lot of wait and agitation with Maruti. Anyways I had booked White ZDI but had to compromise for Silky silver. Its a good color and not a bad option of only changing color but getting the ZDI variant(considering many had to switch from ZDI to VDI).

I have no complaints against Maruti officials who have been really helpful. I just think dealers will be dealers and never improve.

I selected Ertiga as there is no car in Sedan or UV segment under Rs. 10-11 lakhs matching the features of Ertiga. I evaluated Hyundai Verna, Sunny Nissan, Toyota Etios, Mahindra Xylo, Skoda Rapid also (as I had got tired of waiting in interim period from booking till delivery). Only  Nissan Sunny came close as it matches nearly everything that Ertiga has (but After sales service was a big sore point and it was a  5 seater).  I liked Mahindra Xylo personally in MUV segment but mileage of 10-11 kms and ride quality ruled it out. Its inflation time and need to keep fuel cost low.

Ertiga has everything going for it

·         Twin AC,

·         Adjustable rear head rest (important for chauffeur driven car- missed in Toyota Etios),

·         Mileage (better than Xylo),

·         ABS/ Airbags,

·         7 seats,

·         Rear wiper,

·         Amazing space between head and car roof, etc.

So far I have got mileage of 13.67 kpl (after first full fuel tank). This is in peak Mumbai traffic where distance of my home to office of 38kms takes two hours daily. Twice I have taken my different families out on short trip and they been very comfortable (all three rows occupied- six adults and one child on both occasions). No complaints of any space crunch. In fact in last row 2 avg size adults and small kid can sit comfortably. AC has been really good so far (actual results can be known earliest in Mumbai October heat). Ride quality in driver seat and front seat is amazing.

Only concern is ride quality in middle row which is bouncy on highways at a speed. To stay firm I have to put on Seat belts.

I installed MGA like seat cover, sun film, mats etc as a token of appreciation to dealer Spectra Motors Thane for delivering the ZDI (though after a long fight). But they messed up even in that. On Day 1 they didn’t install Sun film and the seat covers weren’t cleaned with stain marks on it. Had to do 2 rounds of the dealership only for accessories. I had previous bad service experience with Spectra Motors for another Maruti car of mine my wife owned (this was post booking of Ertiga though). Hope Maruti Suzuki is listening somewhere and makes effort to improve Dealer service.

I hadn’t got the audio system remote control and during delivery TL / Branch Mgr of Spectra Motors lied to me that remote control for audio system doesn’t come. I came across an article accidentally on a forum and saw the image of remote control for Ertiga ZDI. I then checked with other dealers of Maruti Suzuki and people on social media and auto forums. They all confirmed that you get remote control with Ertiga ZDI. It was a horrifying experience as even after confronting them they continued to deny remote control comes with audio system. I finally got a remote and guess it was of test drive vehicle.

I swear never to go to Spectra Motors again and recommend everyone to avoid Spectra Motors.

To sum up there is no better Car/ LUV in sub 10-12 lac segment than Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. One has to patiently fight it out with dealer/ company to get timely delivery of the car and scratch your head to find a good dealer/ASS (thankfully in Maruti there are some good ASS).

Will post more reviews once I do more kms and use the car more.

Fuel economy and spaceRide in middle seat

Exterior

Good 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 Good

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 Poor engine performance - sudden power loss . Good Fuel economy

Ride Quality & Handling

 okay - Risky at times when the steering jams briefly for powerloss

Final Words

 I own an Ertiga Zdi for last 8 months(Bought in Feb 2013). Since last 4+ months, I am facing issue related to sudden loss of power while driving. The car has visited the service center 4 times for the same problem. Issue has recurred every time I took the car back. 

Below are the issues: 

1 - Loss of power at 1.7 to 2K rpm at 70 to 90 kmph speed followed by lot of smoke at exhaust - occurs when AC is switched on 

2 - considerable vibrations at 5th gear just before power loss 

3 - Steering jammed briefly while pressed the clutch to bring it back to lower gear followed by power loss from engine. After I engaged clutch, the power came back to steering.

 

I am lucky to have a very supporting dealer. They are working with Maruti engineers to solve the problem and provide me with a replacement car. But the frustrating part is the outcome of the repair. 

Areas of improvement  

Maruti/ Suzuki needs to improve their engineering division to troubleshoot and fix issues promptly to improve customer satisfaction. 

 

MilageEngineering

I am in LUV with this vehicle for several reasons. First, its Maruti, which understands Indian Roads more than any one in the industry. Secondly, its an option of 7 seater, and I have driven with 8 includng kids. It becomes a bit congested with so many peopkle, but, what the heck, we are all together. What better you culd ask for in a long drive of 700kms etc. Otherwise we had to split into two cars. 

The mileage is a plus plus here. It has been giving me a mileage of 15 in city. The pickup could have been better, but what the heck, it runs. For my usage, I drive it to my kid's school and office everyday, and I feel the comfort of driving a car like this would not have come in any other car. Now the surprising element here is, I sold my Honda City to buy this.... :),  yes and I have no regrets AT ALL. Honda never understood Indian conditions and they will never. They are a stubborn company and will continue to build cars with low ground clearance and so delicate parts. 

Now after driving 10000kms in the last 5 months(I know its high, but I did some 4-5 long drives too), I am really happy with my vehicle and trust me, its better than Honda City in many ways. Overall, I recommend it to all Family people.

Fuel Economy, seating capacity, Driving comfort , MUV in the size of a compact carNo Climate Control, Initial pick up till turbo hits, Boot space

Exterior        front portion resembles ritz with headlight of swift.back similar to innova.tail lights not upto the price.shape similar to innova but much smaller dimensions.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) same as swift,desire.biege steering wheel looks cheap.should have used black.middle row seats and back seats thin.less cup holders and storage bin

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox    potrol lacks top end performance.better is diesel.but dont have enough pulling power compared to other muv

 

Ride Quality & Handling  less body roll,but suspension set up not plush.passengers can feel the road irregularities.

 

Final Words  for a price tag of nearly 8 lakhs for diesel ldi its not worth.u can get a xylo for this price.xylo is more spacoius than ertiga and a value for money proposition.good for people who dont want a proper 7 seater but can waste their money for something with lesss space,less equipment but is easy to drive in city.nothing much.

 

Areas of improvement   price.should have been much less.it might have been worth with a price tag of 6.5lakh for diesel.all parts used are from other maruti range of cars.so company could have easily sold it for much less price.maruti thinks that they can sell any thing with any price tag they want.if u want a value for money vehicle go for xylo or even bolero which have more space,power and strong built.

Easy to drive in trafic when campared to anyMUVperformance is less when campared to any MUV

Exterior

 Looks appealing, a very compact hatchback design from front and back.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

Fully loaded with features, Split A/c duct is good, gives a pleasent feeling, control on the steering and road with good visibility.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 Meter showed Avg of 10km/lt in ZDI test drive vehicle, Some chattering/vibration on the clutch, gear shift hard.....all of these may be due to test vehicle? Establish the BHP/Wt ratio, Catalogue does not mention Kerb weight...keeping the finger crossed on committed 20.77 milage?

Ride Quality & Handling

Good, fully in control and handling on road.

 

Final Words

Overall a good car, a family car, It thinking of moving small Hatchback to Sedan, consider alternative - new category before taking up bigger SUV. A value for money.

Areas of improvement  

Additional 100-150mm would have added lot of space between the seats. The space between driver and non driver looks congested for medium build two adults, 3rd seat should have been split to add flexibility to boot space.

New segment for budget customers, a family car with overall balanced features2nd- 3rd row space, seat should not have been a bench, vibration on the clutch

After test drive

Look and Style Good look and stylle. Size wise ideal for indian roads. Definately a new segment since lower size with lower size engine with six seater and one kid (no head rest for the person in center mandatory safety feature)

Comfort Good comfort while hitting pot road or of road. ergo nomics steering location legspace etc. Sealing of cabin noise from road is poor for the segment. lot of vibrations and noise being transmitted to cabin for the diesel engine compared to SX4 and swift. No climate control which is the thing distracting driver from driving even in the highest VDI.

Pick up Pick up good for the size of engine and two persons sitting however with the pick up it seems will not be bad for six persons sitting unless some one wants a thrill.

Mileage Claims 17 in diesel with AC in delhi /NCR region

Best Features Higher number of passengers, with verstality in using new segment, greate average for the work it would do, side dedicated lever for moving seat for the second row to access the third row, putting the spare wheel under the chasis, over head blower simply sucks air from front and cerculates to back, smooth movement of head rests, right coloured upholstery,

Needs to improve To claim seating with safety feature of head rest only, cabin noise , vibration of diesel engine transmitted to steering and body, no climate control, no space for fridge, no CNG /LPG, no option for individual seats in second row, poor plastic music system in the lower variant, no foot rest for the last seat full grown ups to come out difficult to place foot with bent back to the ground directly, multiple cabin lights (three atleast), the foam density could have been better for better support,

Overall Experience Good for the price however the diesel variant vibration too much to bear . petrol version could not be test drived.

higher no of passengers, with verstality in using new segment, greate average for the work it wouldto claim seating with safety feature of head rest only, cabin noise , vibration of diesel engine tra

Exterior Average.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Lacks ACC, Dashboard Storage Area.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Good.

Ride Quality & Handling Good.

Final Words Good Family Car.

Areas of improvement Automatic Climate Control. DashBoard Space like underseat pockets; dash hidden pockets, Lumbar Support for Front Seats, Dark Interior Color (Beige is tough to maintain). Wheel Change; requires the person to kneel down; could be avoided with better tools. Now the Complete Review.

Hey Viewers,

I bought an Ertiga ZDI on Dec 2012; luckily the dealer had few vehicles before hand; so I did not have to wait more than 5 working days to get my car delivered with registration :-).

Previous Driving Experience

I owned

1. used Opel Astra Club for more than 2 years

2. used Maruti 800 5Speed for more than 3 years

3. Used to be a driver before 2003 (drove lots of ambassadors)

hold atleast 250000 - 300000 kms driving experience in various four wheelers (diesel, petrol, hatchback, sedan, suv)

Now about the Humble & Smooth Beast

With this Ertiga I have clocked just over 2000 KM (mostly highways around 1500 km)

Bought the following accessories to fit the humble beast.

1. Changed the seat covers to Tan Brown leather

2. Front and Rear Bumper

3. Bluetooth

4. Video Player with SD, USB Playback & 7" LCD Screen

5. Reverse View Camera with 7" LCD Screen

6. Floor PVC Mat Cover (I have kids and wanted to avoid any spills spoil my car's floor)

7. Door Sil Guard

8. Bumper & Door Guard *(Just for Look)

Pros

1. Good Family carrier

2. Good Mileage - Able to clock around 18.5 KMPL (Smooth drive)

3. Accommodate-able space for 7 (My kids actually play inside the car while I am driving)

4. Easy Maneuver in City traffic.

5. Feels like a Car than a MPV

6. Cup Holders (2), Bottle Holders (4) comes in handy

ons

1. Not Comfortable seats (actually discussing with the dealer and other accessories shop to change the seats both front and middle)

2. Lacks power when I require; requires more amount of downshift during takeovers on highways. Which feels like a less pleasure driving

3. Noise in the cabin is high; though not like an Ambassador but equivalent to an Indica. Am actually surprised in this area since its a Fiat powered engine (was expecting low noise).

4. Shoulder Space in Middle row when 3 well built adults sit (could see the difference with my previous Astra  where we were enjoying the shoulder space)

5. Boot Space when all rows are used for sitting. (Planning for a over head carriage)

6. Tough to change the Wheels; the default jackie kit requires lots or me crouching and landing on the floor to change the wheels, which I hate to the most.  I like to change the wheels by just getting my palms dirty, not my knee, thigh, elbows etc.  (Planning to buy a different tools set that suits my taste)

7. Beige Color finish; requires lot of effort to have it clean that too with four kids playing in the cabin, its a nightmare.

8. No space for placing the documents (like I had in my Maruti 800)

    Being a Family MPV car; designers should have thought about having under seat tray, Dash board pockets, over head pockets to have multiple storage area, than just seat packets and dash board tray.

Now with the Comparison of my Previous Cars With Astra

1. Ertiga is Good in Mileage :-)

2. Ertiga is bad in Comfort

3. Ertiga is bad in Performance

4. Ertiga is Bad in Sitting Space

5. Ertiga is Equal in Boot Space & Sitting Space put together

6. Ertiga occupies the same space what my Astra use to take in Garage.

7. Ertiga is good with my Wallet when it comes to service.

8. Ertiga is bad when it comes to look (which i never consider)

9. Ertiga is equal with the controls and gadgets.

10. Ertiga is good with its Power Steering

11. Ertiga is bad with the space for gadgets for the driver

12. Ertiga is bad when it comes to interior color

Overall, I could not lay my hands on either of the vehicle; I miss few with Ertiga which I enjoyed in Astra and vice versa.

But I could still say that I am happy that I do not need to rent or hire another vehicle to take my family (Me, my wife, my father & mother and four kids).  Now I can always stick with my family even when driving. So taking closeness and family into consideration I like Ertiga.

Fuel EconomyComfort & Performance

Straight to the points :

I Own a white Ertiga Zdi alloy wheel, got it delivered on 25th june. Delivery within 12 days. Dealer : Spectra Motors Thane, dealer experience - very good.

LUV is excellent in ride comfort which is very important for a family, you get a good thigh support and the middle row (60:40) can be easily slided front and back according to requirement.

Test drove Nissan Sunny, Scala, Amaze, Vento and many others found Ertiga to be much much better (personal views)

No drag with 7 people on board, 5 adults and 2 kids, climbs slopes easily.

Easy to maneuver, handling is very easy, Audio system HU is very good, plastic quality is upmarket.

Beige interior and the Dashboard brown gives the interior an upclass feel, makes the cabin look roomy.

Breaks are very good ABS- EBD, cluth is very smooth, steering feels well balanced and gives confidence in handling, drivers height adjuster is very good and it helps in getting different riding positions ofcourse with the tilt steering.

F.E. achieved in the first 300kms is 14kmpl range (distance to empty) is another 300kms, driven 90% in  city traffic (of which 50% bumper to bumper) 10% on highway. I have yet to take it for a long drive.

Tip to prospective buyers : read the reviews of the people who own the car, note down the pros and cons from the reviews, goto the showroom test drive LUV yourself and find out the facts.

Drive safe and enjoy!!!

 

 

 

Space management, Performance, F.E., Comfortable Seats, HandlingACC is missing but one can live without it as the AC is v good

I bought Ertiga Zdi (CH 01 AR 8638)  in December 2012 and have faced problem of SUDDEN INTERMITTENT POWER LOSS. The company personnel acknowledge the existence of such a problem but refuse to do anything for it unless demontrated in front of them. When they themselves know that the problem in intermittent and unpredictable, why they insist for demonstration in front of them. They must instead rectify all possible 5-6 causes they say exist for such a problem or at lease give a written assurance of covering this PARTICULAR PROBLEM even in post warranty period. But they are doing none of them and seem tio be just waiting for expiry of warranty. Maruti has turned so unprofessional in its conduct that now they even refuse to give a complaint number.  Perhaps all disappointed ertiga owners should noew resort to legal recourse collectively and join the case of people who are already in courts against Maruti.

 

 

Comfort and spaceSudden power loss and pathetic customer care from Maruti