Maruti Suzuki is set to introduce the new Ertiga in the Indian market on November 21, 2018. While a lot has already been said about the second generation of the popular MPV, there has been ambiguity over Maruti’s choice of retail network for the model. We can now confirm that the new Ertiga will be sold from Maruti Suzuki’s Arena dealer network and not the premium Nexa outlets as has been speculated.
The outgoing Ertiga has been a strong seller for Maruti since its launch in 2012 and has been sold via the manufacturer's Arena outlets. While the second-gen MPV will be more premium in terms of looks, fit and finish and equipment levels, Maruti has opted against retailing it from the upmarket Nexa network. The decision is said to be centred around the Arena network’s wider reach. There are 332 Nexa dealerships across India at the moment, while the Arena network includes a whopping 2,192 outlets. Maruti is currently upgrading its standard chain of dealerships into more attractive Arena outlets that include facilities like a dedicated relationship manager.
Maruti Suzuki will sell the new model with a new 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel engine option.
Bookings for the new Ertiga unofficially commenced a few days ago. Maruti Suzuki is expected to formally announce the acceptance of bookings for the new MPV in the coming days, ahead of its price announcement on November 21, 2018. Key rivals to the new Ertiga include the recently launched Mahindra Marazzo, the Honda BR-V and lower trims of the Toyota Innova Crysta.
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