The new Ertiga is based on Suzuki’s Heartect platform, which Maruti says is more rigid yet lightweight than the previous platform. The new platform is the same one that underpins the current Dzire, Swift, Ignis and even the new WagonR. There is a noticeable improvement in the way the Ertiga maintains a straight line on highways at higher speeds, and one of the reasons for it could be the new chassis. While the Ertiga does feel as easy to drive as a regular hatchback or sedan thanks to its light controls, through the corners, use caution. This is a big and tall MPV and has the body roll you’d expect from something of this stature. In hilly-areas with twisty roads, it’s best to drive in a relaxed manner or risk making your passengers car sick.

A major highlight of the new Ertiga though, is the ride quality. There is a firmness in the suspension setup compared to the older version, but it’s just enough to not make the ride bumpy. The car settles down quickly after negotiating a bad patch and that should keep third-row occupants more happy in the new Ertiga than in the older model. It’s also good to see the suspension (front) not crashing when hitting a big pothole the way it did in the first-gen model. So you can drive over small speed breakers, potholes and rough patches at low to medium speeds without unsettling the cabin.

What’s even better? The ride stays equally planted at highway speeds exceeding 100kmph. A pleasant surprise is how the Ertiga brushes off badly made expansion joints (like on certain sections of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway) without losing composure. So the ride and handling mannerisms are consistent. There’s also strong braking performance on offer, with the car taking 44.49 metres to go from 100-0kmph. That’s less than a metre more than the Mahindra Marazzo that not only gets all wheel disc brakes but also has wider tyre tread.

Apart from the new platform, the Ertiga also benefits from a new petrol engine - a 1.5-litre unit that’s also accompanied with SHVS mild-hybrid technology. The engine is more powerful than the outgoing 1.4-litre unit by 13PS and makes 8Nm more torque. The increase in torque is not substantial on paper, but on the road it showcases a positive intent to lunge forward as soon as you leave your foot off the clutch. The availability of more torque throughout the range is also noticeable, making it better to drive with a full passenger load.

The older engine felt underpowered when going uphill with a full load of passengers, while this one is adequately powered. To clarify, this doesn’t mean it’s ideal for the hills. The power/torque output increase isn’t massive and with 30-80kmph (third gear) taking over 9 seconds, acceleration for overtakes isn’t brisk. You will still have to plan them, especially while driving with seven on board. The meat of the Ertiga’s muscle is between 4400-6000rpm, and because of the tall gearing, the engine doesn’t build up the revs very quickly.

What we really like about the Ertiga petrol is how usable it is in multiple drive conditions. Easy as it is to drive in the city, it’s also a very relaxed highway tourer. Sit at 80-100kmph and it’ll happily munch mile after mile, which is important. Several Ertiga buyers aren’t necessarily buying it to use seven seats all the time but want something that’ll be a good partner for road trips, which is why Maruti Suzuki really should’ve offered cruise control.

Maruti Ertiga Petrol MT Test Results 0-100kmph 12 seconds 30-80kmph (3rd gear) 9.25 seconds 40-100kmph (4th gear) 15.98 seconds

In our tests, the Ertiga petrol manual managed to deliver 13.40kmpl in the city and 16.03kmpl on the highway. Given that this is a fairly large people mover, these are strong mileage figures. With a fuel tank capacity of 45 litres, you can get a tank range of around 600-700km, depending on the driving conditions. However, we must note that these figures are only with the driver on board and they will drop with a full passenger load or in really heavy traffic.

The engine feels more lively with the 5-speed manual transmission than with the 4-speed automatic unit, which is a torque converter. The automatic transmission is more suited for relaxed and not spirited driving. It takes its own sweet time to respond (change gears) to accelerator inputs, so overtaking manoeuvres will require a bit of planning. Claimed fuel efficiency for the more powerful petrol engine is more than the 1.4-litre, 92PS engine, and that could be down to the mild-hybrid technology.