THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Ertiga, a car for a growing family

Ertiga, a car for  a growing family

Suzuki’s MPV fits when you’ve outgrown the Swift and boasts roomy comfort for those upcountry jaunts

Small car expert Suzuki has been highly successful in the Thai market thanks to products that suit customer preferences.
While the Swift eco car has been its biggest hit, Suzuki also offers other types of “small” vehicles, including MPVs (multi purpose vehicles) like the Ertiga.
The Ertiga, which is made in Indonesia (the largest MPV market in this region), is priced at Bt655,000 for the GL and Bt695,000 for the GX featured today.
In many cases the Ertiga is actually the next step for Swift owners, Suzuki hopes. As Swift owners mature, get married and have children, the good old eco car may not be adequate for the whole family, which usually includes in-laws too, particularly in Asian countries. Here is where the Ertiga fits in – while the pricing is below Bt700,000, which is highly affordable – it offers a bunch of features, including a total of seven seats.
Those who prefer funky designs may shy away from the Ertiga (The Toyota Sienta is more eye-catching and the Mitsubishi Xpander looks like it comes from space), which has been designed with a more elegant and luxurious styling.
The Ertiga comes with smart entry system and a new remote unit that replaces the elliptical-shaped remote offered for all models in the past. The interior features good-looking wood trim and has pretty conventional design. There are also chrome door handles both inside and out.
Despite being a small MPV, there’s still plenty of space with good legroom and headroom. The third-row seats can be folded completely flat to give you 550 litres of luggage space. For more carrying capacity, fold the second row seats (with 240mm slide and recline function) and you get as much as 803 litres. The floor of the luggage compartment can be opened for additional covered storage.
The flat-bottomed wood/leather multifunction steering wheel has controls for the audio system and mobile phone, and appears pretty sporty. There is an infotainment system with Bluetooth plus information display screen with vehicle and trip data.
There are 10 bottle/cup holders located around the cabin, along with a front USB port and two 12V outlets for the front and rear. Rear passengers also get additional overhead air-conditioning with fan speed control. 
The dual cupholders in the centre console also come with air vents to cool the drinks. When there are no drinks to cool, you can close the vents and redirect all airflow to the air-con vents. Brilliant.
The four-cylinder, 16-valve engine pumps out 105 horsepower and 138Nm of torque, and is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, delivering an average fuel economy of 15.9km/litre (in real life I averaged about 13km/litre which is acceptable for a 1.1-tonne vehicle).
It’s easy to notice when the variable valve system kicks in, giving the Ertiga decent acceleration. Its strength is in the city, though – raise the speed on the highway and things start getting shaky.
The steering is pretty firm and the suspension doesn’t feel sloppy like many small MPVs, which is a surprise. The damping system works well too, soaking up shock from speed bumps and potholes effectively. The Ertiga maintains good stability while cornering too, making life easier for the driver.
But at 120km/h and above, MPVs like the Ertiga start to feel the aerodynamic downside due to their boxy profile. The effect from strong crosswinds can feel amplified, and wind noise is also more noticeable.
In terms of safety, there are dual front airbags, ABS brakes with Brake Assist, ESP (Electronic Stability Control), Hill Hold Control, two child seat anchors and seatbelts for all seven occupants. Unfortunately there are only audible parking sensors – the rear-view camera seems to be missing.
The Ertiga’s goal is to secure customers for Suzuki after they have grown out of the Swift age range and enter family life. Apart from seating for seven and lots of carrying capacity that makes it good for upcountry trips, the Ertiga also offers an improved ride quality over the previous model, and comes with the right amount of features for its price range.
Suzuki Ertiga GX AT
Engine: 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve
Displacement: 1,462cc
Bore and stroke: 74x86mm
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Max power: 105ps/6,000rpm
Max torque: 138Nm/4,400rpm
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Ratios: 2.875/1.568/1.000/0.696
Final drive ratio: 4.278
Average fuel economy: 15.9km/litre 
Average CO2: 146g/km
Suspension (f/r): McPherson strut, coil springs/torsion beam, coil springs
Steering: powered rack-and-pinion
Turning circle: 10.4 metres
Brakes (f/r): vented disc/disc

Dimensions (mm)
Length: 4,395
Width: 1,735
Height: 1,690
Wheelbase: 2,740
Track (f/r): 1,510/1,520
Weight: 1,135kgs
Wheels: 15-inch steel
Tyres: 185/65 R15
Fuel tank capacity: 45 litres
Price: Bt695,000
Distributor: Suzuki Motor Thailand Co Ltd

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