It will not be the first time that Maruti will be launching a seven-seater passenger vehicle. But with the new Ertiga, Maruti Suzuki will attempt to reach a new matured class of buyers looking for a multi-purpose vehicle. The official launch and price announcement for the new seven-seater is scheduled for April 12.
Gearing up for the launch, Maruti is calling the Ertiga – the Life Utility Vehicle (LUV), to match its family-buyer focus and to give it a sheen of ‘upmarketness'. In fact, company officials claim that it is not a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in the traditional sense and so are persistent that the Ertiga should never be called a ‘van.'
With the Versa and then the EECO, Maruti had focused more on the van buyer. And despite the use of high-profile brand ambassadors in the Bachchan father and son duo, the pitch about the Versa's versatility alone couldn't find that many takers amongst the urban family car buyers.
The Ertiga, on the other hand, will be positioned as a compact seven-seater, one which will have a small footprint and a tight turning radius. This is key parameter for urban buyers who worry about manoeuvrability in crowded city conditions. But instead of the dowdy image of a functional van, Maruti hopes that the Ertiga's design and its plush interiors will enable it to position the new seven-seater as a alternative to a sedan and/ or as the nuclear family's second car.
Speaking to Business Line , Mayank Pareek, Managing Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales Division, Maruti Suzuki India, said that the company wants to look at three essential focuses for the Ertiga. “Being compact, yet roomy is one of them and so a lot of effort has gone into ensuring good legroom and space into a vehicle which is only 4.25 metres long.”
The other two areas that Maruti wants to built into the Ertiga's imagery is versatility with the three row flexi-seating, and more importantly stress on the point that it is not meant to be a commercial vehicle.
To that end, though the Ertiga is being offered with white body paint, it may not be immediately available for taxi registrations.
Based on the Suzuki Swift platform, the Ertiga will be offered with the new 1.4-litre K14 VVT petrol engine and the same 1.3-litre DDiS VGT that is already offered in the SX4.