We are driving the all-new, second-generation Ertiga. And boy, do we love the changes.
Economical, compact, and loaded with features one would ever need in a family car, the 2019 Ertiga comes with all of the familiar features of the first-generation model but has been made sleeker, comfier and a bit more powerful. But what exactly are the things that make the 2019 Ertiga better?
Pricing and Warranty
- 1.5 GA MT R216 900.00inc
- 1.5 GL MT R241 900.00inc
- 1.5 GL AT R256 900.00inc
Price includes 5yr / 200 000km promotional warranty (till end Sept 2019)
Retail price includes a 4 yr / 60 000km service plan
Styling
No matter at which angle you look at the all-new Ertiga, the redesigned MPV looks better than before. Its no longer the Stretched Swift hatchback, it’s now come into its own unique design. Call it elegant or upscale, the new Ertiga leaps forward and far cooler than the previous generation.
The most obvious is that front fascia. Gone are the sweptback headlights borrowed from the Swift and in its place are sleek profiled projector units. The three-slat grill has been replaced as well by a bolder, more charming front grill reminiscent of high-end luxury sedans with just the right amount of chrome. Let’s not also forget that the 2019 Ertiga now comes with a heavily restyled front bumper and hood which further add to the MPV’s more striking looks we really love the air dam look around the fog lights makes it a little more aggressive.
We apprciete the redesigned L-shape tail lights, I’m glad Suzuki spent some extra time here and really completely changed the rear look.
Size, Space and Interior
The new Ertiga is actually larger than before. Measuring 4395mm long, 1735mm wide and 1690mm tall, so that’s an added 130mm longer and wider by 40mm, it also stands 5mm taller. Despite having the same 2740mm wheelbase as before, the increase in exterior dimensions translated to a more interior space. Suzuki claims that the Ertiga now has 70mm more legroom at the third row, and 90mm of additional luggage space even while the third-row seats are deployed.
Should you need more legroom at the back, the second-row seats can be slid forward to give third-row passengers a bit more space.
As for luggage space, it’s now capable of holding 199 liters worth of cargo with the third-row seats up (previous only had 113 liters worth of volume). How so? Well besides making the body longer, it now has additional storage beneath the floor which can hold small items. Should you have tall suitcases that need to stand upright, you can remove the collapsible floor in order to stow them properly. Fold all of the seats down and you have yourself a mini cargo hauler that can carry long loads with ease.
If you thought the exterior was nice, wait until you see the inside. Despite being just over R200 000, Suzuki paid special attention to making the interior classy and good-looking.
Immediately grabbing my attention was the new flowing dashboard design and the flat-bottomed steering wheel. All the controls are conveniently located and easy to use, all pretty basic in terms of
What we really liked with the Ertiga is how feature-packed it is for its price.
We liked the huge 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Available only on the GLX, it sits proudly on the center dashboard and comes with plenty of features like navigation, smartphone Mirrorlink, Bluetooth, USB, Aux, and AM/FM radio. It even doubles as a display for the reverse camera for when you’re backing up the MPV. Lesser models like the GL come with a smaller 8-inch display. However, it still comes with the same level of kit, save for the reverse camera as that is only available for the GLX.
Also worth mentioning on the Ertiga are the new cupholders which now come with cooling vents which keeps them icy cold and works much better than I expected.
Engine
Pop the bonnet and have a look at the new K15B, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Essentially a bored-out, upgraded version of the K14B found on the previous generation, it puts out slightly more Kws and torque; 77kws (+8) and 138 (+8) Nm of torque. Power is then sent to the front wheels via a 5 Speed Manual, a 6 Speed would have been a nice to have though.
As it is slightly more powerful, the new engine is quite Peppy especially on the highway but more on that later. Yes, there is a bit more noticeable torque at city speeds but it won’t exactly be setting the world ablaze. It’s smooth, quiet and does its job well.
At highway speeds, however, the 1.5 mill felt a bit livelier than the previous 1.4. There’s a bit more effort from the engine, especially when overtaking other cars, not to mention a bit more rev-happy when you bury your foot on the accelerator thanks to the VVTI.
Handling
So it has a nice smooth engine, a more elegant exterior, and a more stylish interior. But what about its ride quality? Again, just like the first-generation model, the new Ertiga rode soft and absorbed most of the rough stuff. It now also comes with Suzuki’s new Heartect platform which is also seeing use in the all-new Swift and Dzire and as we know its been very solid
Unlike the old platform, Suzuki claims that the new one is lighter, more rigid; resulting in an improved ride and better handling. Also, it’s not as wallowy as the first-generation Ertiga which meant less body roll through the corners.
Overall
Is the Ertiga family friendly?
What we really liked with the Ertiga is how feature packed it is for its price.
We liked the huge 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Available only on the GLX, it sits proudly on the center dashboard and comes with plenty of features like navigation, smartphone Mirrorlink, Bluetooth, USB, Aux, and AM/FM radio. It even doubles as a display for the reverse camera for when you’re backing up the MPV. Lesser models like the GL come with a smaller 8-inch display. However, it still comes with the same level of kit, save for the reverse camera as that is only available for the GLX.
Also worth mentioning on the Ertiga are the new cupholders which now come with cooling vents which keeps them icy cold and works much better than I expected.
Despite our short time with the new MPV, we were thoroughly impressed by its more stylish looks, improved cabin and luggage space, as well as its upgraded suite of features and amenities.
Make no mistake there are still some improvements that Suzuki can make, but all in all, the 2019 Ertiga will shake things up in the compact MPV segment. The Toyota Avanza, as well as the Honda Mobilio better watch their backs as the Ertiga is out to get a piece of the seven-seater market.
With a price range spanning from a budget-friendly R216 900 all the way to a fully-equipped R259 900 the new Ertiga has a lot going for it, and then some.