The announcement of the day when Eritga will be launched has been made now. This much anticipated MUV which was unveiled at the 11th International Auto Expo in New Delhi on the 6th of January earlier this year is now all set to come into the market on 12th April 2012. This new MUV by Maruti will be available to the customers in both petrol and diesel versions with three variants to each fuel category making a total of six impressive metal chariots for all multiple utilities one may require to take it to the roads. The availability in seven different colors adds to a very charming color options for the proposed owners. The Ertiga’s petrol variants will be accommodating an all-new K-series 1.4 liter engine beneath its hood while the diesel variant will be having a DDiS 1.3 liter engine to suit the need of diesel lovers. Mahindra Xylo and Toyota Innova, which are the top selling vehicles in the MUV segment of Indian automobile market, will be going in for a neck-to-neck competition with Maruti Ertiga once it is launched.
Not much has been said about the engine specifications of the Maruti Ertiga lately, but going by whatever meager information we got, it seems that the K-series 1.4 liter 1372cc petrol engine pumps out 94 bhp at 6000 rpm while at 4000 rpm it delivers a peak torque of 14 kgm, which comes up to 16.02 kmpl of mileage. The DDiS 1.3 liter 1196cc diesel engine churns out 89 bhp at 4000 rpm and gives a maximum torque of 14 kgm at 4000 rpm resulting in a commendable 20.77 kmpl mileage
The Maruti Ertiga will have controls for audio on the steering wheel, along with ABS system, beige themed plush duel tone interiors with a provision for key-less entry for the high-end model. Acuminous peeled back headlights beside a slim grille slated with chrome and the body colored front bumpers makes the exterior very impressive. With three spacious rows in a layout of 2x3x2 for seating, the Ertiga offers a good amount of legroom, comfort, shoulder support and headroom. For additional boot space one can always fold the second and third rows as per convenience.
Mayank Pareek, Managing Executive Officer of Sales and Marketing, Maruti Suzuki India, commented that the company is concentrating on the Indian automobile market as Ertiga’s introductory market from where it may think upon releasing the car in the countries of ASEAN. It is important to mention here that the SUVs contributes about 14 per cent of the total passenger vehicles in the Indian automobile market, where it has a CAGR of 15 per cent with a sales of 30,000 units on an average every month. It is evident that the firm has seen devaluation around 12.6 per cent in its annual sales where small-size cars saw a peak of 14 per cent until February 2012. Hence the firm is now contemplating to expand its hoof print in SUV category as well where it shall increase its sales with the ingress of Maruti Ertiga.