Once bitten, twice shy might be the reason for MSIL to go slow on launching a people mover of this nature for offering an MPV isn’t a new idea to the company. They have witnessed success with the Omni, but that vehicle has finally dwindled to being a last mile courier operator or a taxi. The second vehicle MSIL tried their luck with was the Versa, and while it did offer numerous creature comforts, being based on a van platform and not really catering to the private buyer market led to its demise. Yes, MSIL has managed to resurrect the Versa as the Eeco, but that is solely for the commercial segment and has found few takers in the private space.
Having said that, there was a moment of brilliance that caught our eye at the 2010 Auto Expo in Delhi. Maruti showcased a prototype van, namely the RIII, which boasted everything that one might desire from a people mover while keeping the private buyer in mind. While the RIII isn’t the direct concept that has resulted in the Ertiga, it definitely is the ‘idea car’ which allowed MSIL to gauge customer interest in such a vehicle. With a lot of positive response and the desire for a car-like MPV, the decision to make the Ertiga finally received the green light and the result is an exciting new car from MSIL which has a lot of potential, both at winning the private buyer’s heart as well as market dominance.
To ensure a brand connect and play a safer game than announcing a whole new line, MSIL has stated that the Ertiga is part of the Swift family of cars. While it does share the same floorpan as the Swift, albeit with an added extension close to 300mm in order to factor in the extra space needed to incorporate the third row, it looks like the result of designers dipping deep into the MSIL parts bin and putting together a vehicle that should look the part. Surprisingly, the Ertiga has turned out to be quite a head turner.
