Maruti Suzuki has pulled the covers off its eagerly awaited Ertiga, a Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV), at the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo. This is the first time that the car has been showcased at any event and marks the company's entry into the Utility Vehicle (UV) segment. It has been developed by the manufacturer after the excellent response it received for the R3 concept model that it showcased at Auto Expo 2010. This car will help the company make its presence felt in the booming UV segment of India.
According to Maruti Suzuki, the USP of the car is its compact size, which gives it an edge over the bulky SUVs currently present in the Indian market. The car will be placed by the company in the MPV sub-segment, which is responsible for 9 per cent market share of the Indian auto industry. Moreover, with the new Ertiga, the company has shown that it is not averse to taking risks and experimentation.
The car has been assimilated with 1.4 litre K-14 VVT petrol engine and high powered Super Turbo DDiS diesel engine. The Ertiga will be the first car in Suzuki's portfolio to have this petrol engine. In terms of designing, Maruti Suzuki has created the car such that it will appeal to youthful lifestyle of modern families of India, which are known for activeness, mobility and social connectivity. The compact size, ease of driving on city roads and judicious utilisation of space are the highlights of Ertiga. Indian families can use the new Ertiga for travelling in the cities for work, shopping and dining as well as for undertaking journeys to suburbs and long distance drives during holidays.
The manufacturer is expected to launch the car in a few months, with no indication of its pricing. As per Maruti Suzuki, the car will be manufactured at its Gurgaon plant and should be mass produced to cater to the demand of the buyers. The company has said that it may consider other such products depending upon the target audience's response to the Ertiga.
Internationally speaking, the new Ertiga will show the world that Suzuki can render ample space to a vehicle with compact dimensions. In fact, the manufacturer has created a new segment altogether with this car, compact MPV, giving the world its first small MPV. Apart from this compact MPV, Suzuki has also showcased three new compact vehicles, namely MR Wagon, Solio and Palette, along with the concept SUV XA Alpha.
