Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ready to mark its presence in MPV segment

Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the country's largest car maker, is all set to venture into the Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) segment of the domestic auto industry. After witnessing labour issues throughout 2011, the company is keen to showcase itself as the country's foremost auto maker in 2012 and, thus, recover from the unfortunate incident.

The company showcased the MPV Ertiga at the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo in January. Its price will be conveyed when it will hit the showrooms of the car maker on 11th April 2012. However, auto analysts expect that the seven seater will be offered with a price tag close to Rs. 7 lacs. With the launch of this car, the company will the introduce country’s first seven seater MPV, though a five seater version may also be in the offing.

As far as engine configuration of this MPV is concerned, it is assimilated with a 1.4 litre K14 VVT petrol engine that generates maximum power of 94 bhp and peak torque of 130 Nm. On the other hand, the diesel engine of this car holds a 1.3 litre DDiS super turbo diesel engine, which is already present in the Maruti Suzuki SX4 diesel. The peak power churned by this engine is 89 bhp, whereas it generates maximum torque is 200 Nm. Its performance oriented engine also delivers decent mileage of 16.02 kmpl (petrol variant) and 20.77 kmpl (diesel version). The operating cost of this vehicle is further reduced by the company, as it is expected to have low maintenance cost and boast of long service intervals.

Senior officials at MSIL believe that post launch, the car will offer stiff competition to cars like Chevrolet Tavera, Toyota Innova, Mahindra Xylo and Tata Sumo. The platform on which Ertiga is based is that of Swift, but stands 4.2 metres in length. In order to offer a hassle free drive, the car is incorporated with efficient strut suspensions system with a wheelbase of 2740 mm. The interiors of Ertiga are designed with patterns of Maruti Ritz and Maruti Swift. Moreover, most of the parts at interiors, including dashboard, are taken from Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire, the company's compact sedan.

Following into the footsteps of Maruti, Hyundai is also set to introduce its new car, Sonata, in the sedan segment of the Indian automobile sector, though it will target a completely different class of buyers. The model will feature a 2.4 litre engine that has the potential to produce maximum power of 165 bhp. In addition to a power-packed engine, the car will also possess a number of luxury features, which will add to the convenience of its passengers. The appealing new interiors of Sonata will deliver tough competition to other cars of the same segment, such as Volkswagen Passat, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.