Switching to the family life

Suzuki, everyone's favourite Japanese-Indian manufacturer of bargain automobiles, has been doing rather well recently. The Swift (and its hotter sibling, the Swift Sport) has always been a fun little hatchback, the new Jimny mini-SUV is a funky little off-roader, while the Ciaz sedan is the sedan to look at if you're on a budget. With the 7-seater Ertiga, you can add one more notch under their belt.

Looks

The Ertiga is a deceptive thing—it looks like a top-heavy station wagon, a bit taller than your average Toyota Axio but nowhere near what you'd call a van or a microbus. From the profile, it's difficult to surmise that the Ertiga comes with three rows of seating—the third row is mostly for bags of costly onions with no feet, but there are seven seats nonetheless. The design is crisp and handsome, with none of the weirdness you'll find in competitors.

Behind the wheel

It's floaty. Handling is not a priority—the three-out-of-five star Global NCAP safety rating might not be great, but if family safety is top priority, you won't be pushing triple digit speeds anyway. The 1.5 litre 4-cylinder petrol/K15 mild-hybrid powertrain is more than capable of providing decent low-end torque and sate fuel economy concerns—103 HP and 102 lb-ft might not seem like much, but power delivery is decent.

On the inside

Rahbar Al Haq, our resident obscure car enthusiast, had this to say: "The Ertiga's interior is a mixture of great things paired with questionable compromises. The dashboard looks classy thanks to fake wood trim pieces and the plastics are better than what's found on most economy cars. The center console cup-holders have two air vents in them to help keep drinks cool. The instrument cluster features a fully digital screen that displays a plethora of information while oddly, the central infotainment system is basically a glorified radio with a tiny bitmap display and confusing operation—the lack of an infotainment screen is largely felt in the glaring omission of a backup camera. That said, the vehicle has Aux and USB ports up front and 12 volt sockets on all three rows—with help of a few chargers, up to seven people can plug in their phones and use them throughout the journey."

Verdict

If you want a decently put-together family car with a dash of good looks to make you feel good about being a family man, the Eritga is an exciting proposition. At BDT 23,50,000 the capable Suzuki doesn't break the bank either. Contact Uttara Motors Ltd. for details on pricing and availability.