The heavily camouflaged test mule of the 2018 Maruti Ertiga has been spotted on the streets of Gurgaon ahead of its official launch on 21 November. Pre-bookings of the second generation MPV have reportedly commenced at select dealerships unofficially.
As per another report, series production of the 2018 Maruti Ertiga has been underway at the company's Gurgaon-based facility. Currently, the company is said to be producing roughly 100 units a day. Going by the current model's average monthly sales volume of 4,513 units (April-September 2018), Maruti should be required to produce approximately 165 units on a daily basis even if demand plateaus.
A set of images that surfaced online last month reveal that the Indian-spec second-generation Ertiga is not a photocopy of the Indonesian car. The local iteration will feature a thick chrome applique right below its rear windshield. The chrome work will also be found on the grille and the door handles, and is expected to be restricted to the top-spec models.
Powering the 2018 Maruti Ertiga will be the new K15B 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine first introduced on the Maruti Ciaz facelift. The new motor outputs a maximum power of 105 PS along with a peak torque of 138 Nm, which is an improvement of 11 PS and 8 Nm over the outgoing model's K14B 1.4-litre unit. Transmission options will comprise a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic unit.
The diesel engine for the new model will be carried over from its current version. The D13A 1.3-litre turbocharged motor outputs a maximum power of 90 PS along with a peak torque of 200 Nm. It comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. For the 2018 Maruti Ertiga, both the motors will be available with the SHVS dual-battery mild-hybrid system.
Underpinning the 2018 Maruti Ertiga is the Heartect platform. The lightweight architecture is currently used in supporting the Baleno, Swift, Dzire, and Ignis. Dimensionally, the Indian version of the second-gen MPV should mimic the Indonesia-spec model, which measures 4,395 mm in length, 1,735 mm in width and 1,690 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,740 mm and a boot space of 153-litres.
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The 2018 Maruti Ertiga is likely to be priced in a range of INR 7 lakh to INR 11.25 lakh (ex-showroom). It will be pitted against the Mahindra Marazzo. The current Maruti Ertiga, reports say, will be moved to the 'Tour' family that addresses the commercial market needs.
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