Vietnam - India-made Suzuki Ertiga launched

Only an automatic gearbox is available.

Suzuki of Vietnam have launched the Ertiga with prices starting at 599 million Vietnamese Dong (INR 17.32 lakhs).

Marketed as "Much more than a sedan", the Suzuki Ertiga in Vietnam is offered with the 1.4-liter four-cylinder K-Series petrol engine which is capable of producing 95 PS (93.66 bhp) at 6,000 rpm and 130 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. It comes matched to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The petrol MT, or the diesel variant is not sold in Vietnam.

As only a top-end variant is offered, the Ertiga is equipped with features like dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, alloy wheels, music system, rear AC, front and rear power windows and power steering. A total of five colors are offered on the Swift-based MPV.

With the Ertiga, Suzuki of Vietnam has three products in its portfolio, the others being the Swift and the Grand Vitara. The MPV is seen as a cheaper alternative to the Toyota Innova, one of the most popular people carriers in the country, which is offered with a 2-liter petrol engine, in manual and automatic transmission guises.

In the Indian market, Maruti has sold over 150,000 units of the Ertiga since its launch in April 2012 and is exporting the car to South East Asia and Africa. While the MPV continues to sell in good volumes, reports say that a smaller compact MPV is under development, and that a launch would take place in 2016.

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The smaller compact MPV could be based a stretched Wagon R with a third row, as such a concept was shown at the 2013 edition of the IIMS.