If you have a large family and do not want to spend a fortune on large sized crossovers or sports utility vehicle, then Family Cars or MPVs are the best option. Although the Philippine automotive sales are inclined towards executive style cars and sedans, they cannot become a family car that can fit more than 5 passengers. The Philippine market has plenty of choices when it comes to these medium sized minivans such as the Toyota Avanza, Honda Mobilio and Chevrolet Spin. Toyota’s premium entry, the new Innova drives the most of the sales in this segment, with others providing some degree of competition. But the New Suzuki Ertiga is another tough contender that provides a highly incendiary mix of cabin space, fuel-economy and affordability. Even though the Datsun brand’s Go+ is far more cheap in terms of price, the Ertiga clearly outshines every other sphere and is quite capable of becoming a leader in its segment. But what makes the Ertiga such a great vehicle for larger families over its competitors? Let’s have a look at some of its major strengths.
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1. Diesel Engine Means More Savings
While it is always great to have a petrol engine due to its green quotient and low maintenance, it wouldn’t serve the purpose if you’re constantly on the move with your family. Surprisingly, the new Suzuki Ertiga has been provided with a 1.4-litre diesel drivetrain with VVT. This adds more cargo pulling power to the Ertiga, which means it take still cruise regularly even though all the seats are occupied. Suzuki‘s diesel engines certainly deserve some level of appreciation as they manage to churn out a decent amount of power without causing any unnaturally high emissions. The engine is available with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.
2. Extremely Large Boot Space
You cannot hope to travel with a lot of passengers without worrying about where to store the extra luggage. While several other vehicles offer a 7-seating capacity as the Ertiga, not many offer a larger boot space. The vehicle is certainly an exception as you can store nearly 810 litres of luggage in this minivan with all the seats folded.
The default trunk space in the rear is also 113 litres that will be enough to store most items for atleast 2-3 passengers. Apart from the luggage space, the Ertiga also offers tremendous leg and head space even for the 3 rd row passengers.
3. Tough Exteriors Add Safety
Do not confuse the Ertiga’s affordability on the same terms as the Datsun Go+. While the latter was panned for its poor crash test performance and zero concern for occupant safety, the Ertiga is a name you can trust. Its highly robust frame absorbs even the heaviest of shocks from collisions, effectively distributing the force of impact through its crumple zones. Other than that, it is also loaded with advanced safety features such as Anti-lock braking system, ventilated discs at front, child door locks, keyless entry, and seatbelts with load limiters.
4. Good For City Touring
You cannot hope to own a petrol engine and then afford to take it on long rides everyday. Even if you could afford such a luxury, you wouldn’t do it with your family car. The Ertiga’s diesel drivetrain provides a marvellous fuel-economy that makes it perfect for long routes.
Its smooth handling especially with the 4-speed automatic transmission takes the best out of its diesel engine creating a highly smooth driving experience as you cruise the highways. Although the bulky exteriors do add a little extra weight to the drive, the torque generated by the diesel engine is enough to handle the vehicle efficiently at high speeds.
5. Facelift Adds Some Luxury to Its Exterior
Looks are the most highlighted aspect of the new Suzuki Ertiga, the new design is far more appealing than the outgoing model. Although the body structure remains largely unchanged, subtle additions such as blacked B and C pillars along with the marvellous new front fascia provides a much needed breath of fresh air.
Unlike the older model, we get a lot of chrome accents in the front grille and redesigned fog lamp housing, also with a lot of chrome and front lower intake. 15-inch alloys on the higher trims also give the vehicle a burst of premiumness to this vehicle and look really great.
These above points totally prove how the Ertiga is not only a great offering for the Philippine market, but has everything that a family requires. The sales are sure currently in favor of the Innova, but given the new Ertiga’s price, it has the potential to upset Toyota‘s winning streak in the country.
