The 2018 Maruti
Ertiga was launched on 21 November and is on sale in a price bracket of INR
7.44 lakh to INR 10.90 lakh. Unlike its predecessor, the new model misses out
on a factory-fitted CNG kit and is available only in 1.5-litre petrol and
1.3-litre diesel engine variants. The CNG kit is a part of the
official accessories kit and can be retrofitted at the authorised dealership.
Reportedly, a
factory-fitted CNG variant will be launched next year, but the company could
have decided to include the CNG kit in the optional accessories after
witnessing a spike in demand for the last-gen Ertiga CNG around the launch of
the latest generation model. It's said that dealerships saw a sudden rise in
the queries for the CNG version of the outgoing model after it became public
that the latest generation would miss out on the dual-fuel option.
The
optional CNG kit for the 2018 Maruti Ertiga has been priced at INR 65,000
(inclusive of RTO and insurance charges) and has a one-year warranty. It has a
fuel tank capacity of 14 kg, which is the same as that of the earlier model's
CNG variant. It's noteworthy that the availability of a factory-fitted CNG kit
on the last-gen model made it immensely popular in the commercial vehicle
market. Similarly, the introduction of a CNG kit as a dealership-level fitment
on the new MPV should ensure similar results as there's currently no other
7-seater model to be available with a company-authorised CNG hardware.
The second-generation
of the Swift-based MPV is 99 mm longer, 40 mm wider, and 5 mm taller than its
predecessor, while its wheelbase, at 2,740 mm, remains unchanged. The new model
is underpinned by the lightweight HEARTECT platform, which, along with the SHVS
mild-hybrid system on both fuel variants, leads to a significant increase in
the fuel economy.
The CNG
kit-equipped last-gen Maruti Ertiga offered a claimed fuel efficiency of 22.8
km/kg. The new model, on the other hand, is said to be capable of delivering up
to 25 km/kg.
