Last week, Maruti Suzuki left all of India shocked when it announced its decision to phase out all its diesel models by April 2020 ahead of the implementation of the BS-VI emission norms. Diesels form a big chunk of Maruti Suzuki sales, and this announcement was particularly surprising considering the company has just introduced its brand new, developed-in-house 1.5-litre DDiS 225 diesel engine on the Ciaz. Now, a month later, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5-litre diesel has been launched, and it brings more power to the table. But how does the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 diesel’s mileage compare to that of its rivals? We take a closer look.
Engine, gearbox and mileage per litre
For the Ertiga 1.5 diesel, the biggest step forward is in the power output department. Compared to the 1.3-litre, Fiat-sourced DDiS 200’s 90hp and 200Nm of torque, the 1.5-litre DDiS 225 produces 95hp and 225Nm of torque. But while it is an improvement and will add some pep to the Ertiga’s step, the DDiS 225 is still some way off matching the outputs of its bigger rivals. You see, the Renault Lodgy’s 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine is available in two states of tune – 85hp and 110hp. While the 85hp variant lags behind the Ertiga’s 1.5 diesel, the 110hp variant not only makes more power, but at 245Nm, has a good deal more torque, too. And then there’s the Mahindra Marazzo – its 1.5-litre diesel engine is the most powerful of the lot, with 121hp and 300Nm of torque. It’s worth noting that this motor also won the Engine of the Year title at the Autocar Awards 2019.
Transmission options are mostly the same for all MPVs listed here. It’s only the 85hp variant of the Lodgy that gets a 5-speed manual. The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 diesel gets a new 6-speed manual gearbox, much like the 110hp Lodgy and the Marazzo. Do note that neither of these MPVs get the option of a diesel-automatic.
It’s the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga that has always led on the mileage front, and that doesn’t change even with the arrival of the DDiS 225 diesel engine. Yes, the 1.5-litre DDiS225 isn’t as fuel-efficient as the existing 1.3-litre DDiS 200. The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 diesel’s official fuel efficiency figure is 24.2kpl, which is 1.27kpl down on the 1.3-litre diesel’s fuel efficiency figure of 25.47kpl. The 1.3-litre diesel’s mileage figure is aided by the fact that it comes with a mild-hybrid system; a feature that the Ertiga 1.5 diesel misses out on.
Despite the drop in mileage, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is still significantly more fuel-efficient than both the Lodgy and Marazzo. Official fuel efficiency figure for the 85hp Lodgy is rated at 21.04kpl, and at a marginally lower 19.98kpl for the 110hp variant. The Mahindra Marazzo’s fuel efficiency figure of 17.3kpl puts it right at the bottom of this list. One thing is clear – for those who value mileage above all else, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 diesel will remain the go-to MPV.
But, of course, we must talk about how much you’ll have to shell out for the new diesel engine. The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 diesel’s prices range from Rs 9.86-11.20 lakh, and while that means it’s about Rs 29,000 more expensive than the Ertiga’s 1.3-litre DDiS200 variants (and a fair bit more expensive than the base 85hp variant of the Renault Lodgy), the top-spec Ertiga ZDi+ is about Rs 91,000 cheaper than the 110hp Lodgy RXZ, and a massive Rs 3.3 lakh cheaper than the fully-loaded Marazzo M8.
What community is saying on the Ertiga?
Think the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga 1.5 diesel is an even more appealing proposition than its rivals? Let us know in the comments.
*Mahindra Marazzo prices are ex-showroom, pan-India
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Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Suraj Viswanathan
Hormazd Sorabjee
