The country’s largest car maker in terms of volumes, Maruti Suzuki, is going to launch its new MPV at the upcoming 1th Auto Expo to be held from 7th to 11th January, 2012 at Pragati Maida, New Delhi. However, before the launch, uncamouflaged images of the vehicle have already surfaced on the internet. The Ertiga MPV from Maruti is going to be a 7 seater vehicle based on the existing Ritz platform whose concept; the RIII was showcased by the company at the last Auto Expo. The transition from the concept to the final production model has taken the company almost 2 years and looking at the spy pictures, it evident that the car doesn’t resemble the original concept to a great deal.
The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is going to be offered in both petrol and diesel variants. the 1.3 litre Fiat engine that produces about 90 BHP of power and 200 Nm of torque will be doing duty on the diesel powered Ertiga while a new 1.4 litre K series engine that produces 94 BHP of power and 130 Nm of torque will be powering the petrol variants. The car is likely to be offered in 3 variants, each in the petrol and the diesel versions. The petrol engine will be featuring technologies like variable valve timing while the diesel will be using the variable turbo like in the SX4. The Ertiga, though looking like an extended Ritz is not expected to drive like a big bulky van considering the platform it is based on. The car is likely to be targeted for those people who want a cost effective alternative to the existing Mahindra Xylo and the Toyota Innova for their needs.
Spy Pictures Source – Facebook