Did the LUV run out?

In spite of the segment it competes in having waned since its local debut in 2014, the Indian-built Ertiga has become an all too familiar sight on our roads, and thanks to its seven-seat layout, a worthy alternative to the top-selling Toyota Avanza. As well as the Avanza, the Ertiga has also had to face stiff competition from another competition in recent years, the Honda BR-V, which quickly led to it being found wanting in terms of its design, coarse gearbox and somewhat underpowered 1.4-litre petrol engine.

First shown in Indonesia last year, Suzuki has now made the all-new second-generation Ertiga available in South Africa, which not only utilises a new look outlined in a familiar silhouette, but which is fresh underneath, comes with a more modern interior and most crucially, more power.

An improvement inside and out

Joining the Swift and DZire in being based on Suzuki’s new Heartect platform, the Ertiga dispenses with the friendly-faced front facia design of its predecessor in favour of a more aggressive touch characterised by the new, thinner headlights, reshaped bumper with a wider lower air intake, a curve-accented bonnet and a blacked-out C-pillar that now connects with the new L-shaped taillights that cut in the concave bootlid.

Step inside, and the biggest change becomes prominent with a completely revised dashboard housing a horizontal air vent panel split by what Suzuki calls a touch-panel display as opposed to the old LCD audio system, the same D-shaped steering wheel as the Swift and cooled twin cupholders in front of the leather wrapped gear lever.

The most important change, however, is that Suzuki now specifies the Ertiga with a black interior as opposed to the horrid and impractical beige hue from before, while second and third row passengers have access to a separate air-conditioning panel with vents located in the roof.

More LUV for seven

It is however in the space department where the Ertiga shines. Along with the new platform, Suzuki has stretched the overall length by 130mm to 4 395mm, but without any changes to the wheelbase that still measures 2 740mm.

With dimensions of 1 735mm and 1690mm, the Ertiga is 40mm wider and five millimetres than before, which, according to Suzuki, has resulted in 10mm more space in the second row and a 15mm improvement in third-row shoulder room. While the third row is best described as a snug fit for adults, the second row rated as impressive with excellent levels of head-and-legroom, while the boot has grown from 135-litres to 199-litres with all seven seats up.

For South Africa, the Ertiga is offered in two trim levels, GA and GL with a more upmarket GLX arriving later. Equipment-wise, the GA comes with electric windows all around, air-conditioning, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, dual front airbags, ABS and EBD, with the GL adding the aforementioned audio system with four-speakers, Bluetooth and USB, colour-coded door handles and bumpers, the blacked-out C-pillar, chrome grille, colour folding electric mirrors, steering wheel mounted audio controls and rear parking sensors. Standard on both models is 15-inch steel wheels with plastic caps available on the GL.

The drive

At the local media launch, we were able to sample only the latter model equipped with the five-speed manual gearbox, teamed to Suzuki’s new 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine that replaces the old 1.4-litre unit.

Essentially the same four-pot powering the Jimny, it produces 77kW/138Nm and made for sufficient progress in hauling the 1 130kg Ertiga along. That said, expect it to struggle when fully loaded and with the air-conditioning blasting, meaning that the slick five-speed gearbox will have to be stirred regularly to keep the momentum up, though it rates as a big improvement over its predecessor.

What’s more, the light clutch action resulted in some slip while setting off, though the ride on the launch route leading out of Johannesburg to Soweto and back was smooth and comfortable, no doubt helped by the Ertiga being set up for the poorer roads of its home markets and the notable 180mm ground clearance.

Conclusion

Suzuki’s recent trend of snapping-up industry awards and turning out value-for-money offerings, some with a good dose of character, has filtered through to the Ertiga in what undoubtedly rates as the most accomplished, compact seven-seater on the market today. Add in the standard five-year/200 000km warranty and four-year/60 000km service plan, its original LUV designation will likely remain intact for years to come.

Pricing

Ertiga 1.5 GA - R214 900

Ertiga 1.5 GL - R239 900

Ertiga 1.5 GL AT - R254 900