December 2022 - Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Petrol, CNG Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: Maruti Suzuki discontinued the VXI petrol-automatic and ZXI petrol-automatic variants. This update of the Ertiga petrol and CNG variants explained article includes the buying recommendations based on the latest December 2022 prices.

Also Read: Kia Carens Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Maruti Nexa XL6 Facelift Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Petrol?

The pros or advantages of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga petrol/CNG are:

• Decent ground clearance of 180mm
• Maruti’s reliability and omnipresent service network
• Incredible mileage figures of 20kmpl+ with manual as well as automatic
• Option of CNG in a reasonably-loaded VXI and top recommended ZXI variants
• Top-notch survivability* score in GNCAP crash safety tests is right up there with the 5-star rated XUV300 and Nexon
• Automatic transmission now available in 3 of 4 variants and has 6 gears for relaxed cruising on the highways

*Survivability score depends on how well the car protects the driver and front passenger’s critical body parts like the head, neck and chest in the GNCAP crash tests.

The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga petrol/CNG has the following shortcomings or problems:

• No diesel engine option; no modern and efficient automatic transmission option like DCT or CVT
• Non-removable third-row seats make less boot space than the smaller Renault Triber in 2-row mode (550 litres vs 625 litres for Triber)
• LXI doesn’t get must-have features like rear AC vents, remote central locking, day/night mirror, etc.
• Missing features like curtain airbags, 360 camera, 16-inch wheels, LED headlamps
• Automatic transmission has only 4 gears - Addressed by Maruti Suzuki in 2022 April update
• Cab image may sway some buyers away from Ertiga

What Is The Price Of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Petrol & CNG Variants?

The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is available in 4 variants — LXI (O), VXI (O), ZXI (O) and ZXI Plus. all 4 variants get the petrol-manual powertrain option. The Ertiga petrol-manual range costs between Rs. 8.41 lakh and Rs. 11.29 lakh. The mid-spec VXI (O) and ZXI (O) variants are also available with CNG-manual powertrain option for an additional cost of Rs. 95,000. Only the top-spec ZXI Plus variant gets the petrol-automatic powertrain for an additional Rs. 1.50 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Ertiga gets a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission, which replaces the older 4-speed automatic gearbox. 2 extra gears help it deliver better drivability and mileage figures as is evident from the official specs. In our tests, we found out that the Ertiga automatic drives at a much lower RPM than the manual for a relaxed cruising experience. It also delivers better mileage at highway and expressway speeds. Still, Rs. 1.50 lakh asking price for the automatic is quite high. Unfortunately, it’s only available in the most expensive, ZXI Plus variant, further limiting its reach for petrol-automatic MPV buyers.

The Ertiga is also available in 2 CNG variants — VXI (O) and ZXI (O). The VXI (O) CNG and ZXI (O) CNG variants cost Rs. 10.50 lakh and Rs. 11.60 lakh, respectively. The CNG variants are Rs. 95,000 more expensive than the petrol models. This price difference for CNG is consistent across all Maruti Suzuki models. Considering the official mileage figures and the fuel prices at the time of publishing this article, you can expect to recover the higher upfront cost in about 45,000 to 50,000km. So, the 95,000 premium for the CNG model is reasonable, although you will lose some of the boot space to the CNG fuel tank.

Maruti Arena Ertiga Petrol LXI (O) - Base Model Features

The base LXI (O) variant of the Ertiga is only available with the manual transmission and it costs Rs. 8.41 (ex-showroom). The base model gets the following features as standard:

• Double-barrel headlamps with halogen projector for low beam
• 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
• Painted grille
• Black outside mirrors and door handles
• All power windows
• 4x bottle holders
• Split 2nd and 3rd row seat backs
• Manual AC
• Manual central locking
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors
• All power windows
• 6x adjustable headrests
• 2x cabin lamps
• 2x cooled cup holders
• ESC
• HSA

The most notable missing features of the base variant are:

• Day/night inside mirror
• Rear AC vents (must-have for a large car)
• Music system
• Steering-mounted controls
• Remote central locking
• Body-coloured outside mirror and door handles
• Power mirrors (must-have for a wide car like Ertiga)

Because of these missing features, we’ll not recommend buying the base LXI (O) variant even to budget-conscious buyers. Instead, you should compromise a little bit on the value and get the higher VXI (O) variant as it’ll offer far better ownership experience. The VXI (O) variant almost justifies the incremental asking price and adds a bunch of must-have features.

Maruti Arena Ertiga Petrol & CNG LXI (O) vs VXI (O) Variant - Features, Price Comparison

The VXI (O) variant of the Ertiga costs Rs. 9.55 lakh with the manual transmission. This price is Rs. 1.14 lakh more than the base LXI (O) variant. VXI (O) trim of the Ertiga is also available with CNG-manual for an additional Rs. 95,000. The Ertiga VXI (O) CNG-manual costs Rs. 10.50 lakh. For the additional sum, you get the following notable features with the VXI (O):

• Remote central locking
• Chrome grille
• Body-colour outside mirror and door handles
• Music system with 4x speakers and Bluetooth, AUX, USB
• Day/night inside mirror
• 2nd row armrest
• Steering-mounted controls
• Chrome accents inside cabin
• 2nd row AC vents
• Power mirrors with folding
• Rear AC vents with speed control

While the VXI (O) variant seems fairly loaded with must-have features, you might miss the following features in this variant:

• Rear camera
• Touchscreen
• Front armrest
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Auto AC

The VXI (O) variant nicely covers its bases with must-have features and for the features it adds, it isn’t too expensive either. So, we’ll suggest all Ertiga buyers to skip the LXI (O) variant and at least buy VXI (O). It’ll drastically improve your ownership experience for a small hit in terms of value for money.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Petrol & CNG VXI (O) vs ZXI (O) Variant - Features, Price Comparison

The ZXI (O) variant of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga costs Rs. 10.65 lakh with the petrol-manual, Rs. 11.60 lakh with CNG-manual. These prices are Rs. 1.10 lakh higher than the lower VXI variant. For this additional sum, you get the following features:

• 7-inch touchscreen
• Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• +2x tweeters
• Front fog lamps
• Rear defogger
• Rear washer wiper
• Wood grain finish on dashboard and door trim
• Machined alloy wheels
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Front armrest
• Auto AC
• Telematics
• Chrome door handles
• Dual-tone upholstery

The only notable missing features in this variant are rear camera and cruise control. The ZXI (O) variant will look distinct from the outside as well as inside compared to the lower VXI (O) variant. It adds a lot of style and some good-to-have features, which will make it suitable for personal buyers as well. The ZXI variant justifies the incremental asking price over the lower variants and is our top recommendation for all Ertiga buyers. Thankfully, it’s available with all 3 powertrain options so you can buy this variant with your preferred engine-transmission combination.

Only petrol-manual buyers will have to look closely at the on-road price difference between VXI and ZXI to see how much it swells because of the Rs. 10.0 lakh+ ex-showroom price tag. For up to Rs. 1.5 lakh on-road price difference between VXI and ZXI variants, we’ll suggest the ZXI variant over the VXI.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Petrol ZXI (O) vs ZXI Plus Variant - Features, Price Comparison

The ZXI Plus variant of the Ertiga is available with petrol-manual and petrol-automatic options costing Rs. 11.29 lakh and Rs. 12.79 lakh, respectively. This variant is Rs. 64,000 more expensive than the lower ZXI (O) variant. For this additional sum, you get the following features:

• Cruise control
• Leather steering with wood finish
• Auto headlamps
• 2x side thorax airbags
• Rear camera
• Paddle shifters (Automatic only)

Even in the top variant, you don’t get LED headlamps, 360 camera and curtain airbags. It also gets fairly small 15-inch wheels with 185-section tyres. It’s surprising because even the smaller Baleno hatchback gets 195-section tyres with 16-inch wheels. However, from a value perspective, this variant seems like a slightly expensive upgrade and for most buyers. You can still consider upgrading to the ZXI Plus trim if you want these features for a small compromise in terms of value for money.

Which Variant Of The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Petrol Should You Buy?

First let’s address the Ertiga petrol-manual buyers. The LXI (O) variant is too basic to offer a decent ownership experience and is not recommended at all. Even if you’re on a tight budget, we’ll suggest buying at least the VXI (O) variant. With this option, you’re only slightly compromising on value for a far superior ownership experience. If you can stretch your budget a bit, then the ZXI (O) variant is our top recommendation as it offers better value for money.

The only problem with buying the Ertiga ZXI (O) petrol-manual is its Rs. 10.0 lakh ex-showroom price tag, which will drastically increase the on-road price. Still if the on-road price jump to the ZXI (O) variant is up to Rs. 1.50 lakh, we’ll still suggest getting the ZXI (O) variant over the VXI (O). The top model is slightly expensive for the additional good-to-have features it offers. You can still consider buying it if you are comfortable spending a little more for the features.

For petrol-automatic buyers, there’s only 1 option - ZXI Plus.

The Ertiga CNG is available in 2 variants. If you don’t want to stretch your budget, then the VXI variant is a suitable choice. For most personal buyers, the ZXI variant will offer better ownership experience and value for money. It also offers visual differentiation to help shed some of the ‘cab’ image with features like alloy wheels and chrome elements.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Petrol, CNG?

After the 2022 update, the Ertiga is now more efficient than the older one. It now gives 20.51kmpl mileage with the manual transmission and 20.30kmpl with the automatic. Speaking of automatic, the car now gets a new 6-speed torque converter, which probably also helps with improving the efficiency of the engine, especially on the highways. These fuel efficiency numbers are significantly better than the Carens 1.5L, which only promises 15.7kmpl mileage. However, it makes up for the lower efficiency figures with better power and torque output.

In terms of performance figures, the Ertiga and XL6 are slightly down but the tradeoff is more than worth the slight compromise as the mileage figures are considerably better. Shockingly, the XL6 manages to deliver slightly better mileage figures despite larger alloy wheels. This is because the XL6 has different, low-rolling resistance tyres.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

*Estimated

The Ertiga CNG makes the same power and torque output as the XL6 CNG. After all, they share the powertrain. However, the XL6 CNG has a nominal advantage of about 0.21kmpkg in the mileage over the Ertiga CNG.

If you’re considering buying the Ertiga CNG, then you’ll have to pay an additional Rs. 95,000. While it seems a little high in one glance, you can recover this with just 45,000 - 50,000km of driving.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

V3Cars Fuel Cost Calculator

What Are The Dimensions Of The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga?

The Carens is a larger car than the Ertiga and XL6 and you’ll notice the difference without a measuring tape when you see these cars on the road next to one another. The Ertiga is even slightly smaller than the XL6 in all exterior aspects. Still, the Ertiga and XL6 manage to deliver about the same boot space with all seats upright. After the 2022 update, the Ertiga continues to get 15-inch wheels with 185-section tyres while the XL6 now gets larger, 16-inch wheels with 1-size wider tyres.

*Estimated

What Are The Colour Options Of The Maruti Arena Ertiga Petrol & CNG?

The Ertiga is available in the following 6 monotone exterior colours:

• White
• Silver
• Grey
• Brown
• Red
• Blue

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we classify cars based on their size.