Maruti has sent us a BYD for a new launch and we expect it to be the Ertiga Cross. It will be a 6-seater MPV, that will look a bit like an SUV.
For some time, we have been spying the Maruti Ertiga Cross testing on the Indian roads. It is already available in the Indonesian market and is reportedly launching here, on 21st August.
Overdrive reports that Maruti is going to launch a premium MPV in India, which will be retailed through the Nexa showrooms. The premium MPV is expected to be the Cross version of Ertiga.
As we see the international images of the Cross variant, it gets an SUV-type styling with plastic body cladding around the front and rear bumpers and the wheel arches. The ground clearance has also been increased.
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Additionally, the Ertiga cross will come with individual six captain seats, instead of the 7-seater Ertiga we have now. In the outgoing version, there are two captain seats in the second row and a 3-seater seat in the third row.
The exteriors will be redesigned to differentiate it from the regular model. So, it is likely to get a larger front grille, redesigned front and rear bumpers and a beefed up appearance.
Inside the cabin, we expect it to get an all-black dashboard and seats, for a premium look. New features could include auto headlamps, cruise control and a more premium sound system.
Reports suggest that it could get the new 1.5 Litre petrol engine, that produces 105 BHP and 138 Nm of peak torque. Could this engine be BS-6 compliance, provided that Maruti has updated its other 1.2 Litre petrol engine for the norms.
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The engine will come mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox likely with an option of a 4-speed torque converter. With all this additions, it is expected to demand some premium over the regular Ertiga.
We expect it to be priced from Rs 8.5 Lakhs (approx) onwards, going well above the 10 Lakh mark. Probably, it might be able to take on the likes Mahindra Marazzo and Renault Lodgy, being priced in a similar range.
