SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get at home.
Unlike most car reports, what you read in these pages will not be a faithful reproduction, albeit slightly reworded, of what appeared in the manufacturer's press release. We look for background material, user experience and whatever else we can find that's beyond the obvious. Our guiding rule is that you will be able to tell that the car was actually driven.
*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.
*Pre-owned: Our tests go back quite a few years, so if you are looking for something pre-owned, you might well find a report on it in here.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted are those ruling at the time the reports were written.
Posted: 4 December 2014
Suzuki says LUV stands for Life Utility Vehicle – not lifestyle or leisure – Life. It was designed by Maruti Suzuki India for families needing, in the words of company CEO Shinzo Nakanishi, "a vehicle that offers more space and flexibility than a sedan, without being bulky, bland and expensive like a utility vehicle." So there you have it; and the billboard slogan over there reads: “Live life with LUV.”
My and many others’, first reaction on approaching it from the back and wandering around to one side was “Avanza.” They look very similar until you get to the front and they serve similar markets – small seven-seaters doing valiant service as baby carriers, Preschool to Junior Primary kiddie shuttlers and, in some areas, big-people taxis.
While they look much the same, there are differences. Avanza comes in three trim grades and two engines, while Ertiga boasts three equipment levels but one motor; the familiar 1400cc K14B unit used in some of the Swift hatchbacks. Rear suspension setups differ too; while Avanza uses a solid axle with trailing arms, lateral rod and coil springs, Ertiga goes more modern with a torsion beam axle and coils.
As for seating arrangements, Avanza’s third row is split while Suzuki sticks with a single backrest although the second row is divided. The Toyota’s seats tumble forward and fold while Ertiga’s only fold. As a result, the Suzuki’s load floor is not quite as flat as its opponent’s. Where the Maruti car wins is in slightly larger outer and inner dimensions, giving noticeably more room inside. Apart from that, appointments and features are much the same.
Before we leave the subject of similarities; if you are ever in Indonesia and see a Mazda VX-1, the answer is, “Yes it is an Ertiga – lightly disguised and smothered in Zoom-Zoom.”
We also discovered where this odd name, Ertiga, came from: It’s apparently”R3” in Indonesian. The R is pronounced “airr” (think in Nederlands or Afrikaans) and stands for “rows” while “tiga” means three. R3: Ertiga – three rows (of seats) – easy when you know.
Having dealt with the name, let’s get into what it is. Built on an extended version of the Swift platform and using its engine and beefed-up Swift suspension, the pedigree is good. It goes fairly quickly and handles nicely although the added height means it can’t be quite as sporty to drive. But it isn’t meant to be. It’s a small urban people carrier.
Out of its urban environment and on the freeway, the engine spins briskly at 3800 rpm for 120 km/h in fifth (top) gear. From there, roll-on acceleration is fair and it maintains speed comfortably up moderate inclines. Like its Toyota counterpart, it’s susceptible to wind and road noise at cruising speeds, while some droning from the fast-spinning engine could become tiresome on long journeys. Best call it a city car and use it as one.
Back on the school and shopping runs, its 10,4-metre turning circle makes parking easy, controls are light and easy to reach, pedals are well spaced and large left feet can get past the clutch easily. Big side windows provide an excellent view all around and there is sufficient, if not oodles of, storage space. That other car has many more cup holders for example. A further area in which the other one wins is in quality of fit and finish, but then it does cost about R30 000 more.
Rearmost accommodations are accessed by tilting and sliding one of the seats in the second row. Adults can use the space provided those in front of them have not been greedy, although head-, knee- and foot room is somewhat tight. If second-row passengers use up all 240 mm of adjustment, then those right at the back would need to be very small or have no shins. There is a pair each of head restraints and safety belts, two cup holders and two rectangular spaces that look as though they might accommodate small juice boxes.
The second row boasts far more head space, knee room ranges from fair to limousine-like, and there is more foot room than usual. There are two head restraints, two full belts and a lap strap. An armrest without cup holders folds out in the usual way. Door storage consists of narrow bins with holders for small bottles and a pair of pockets can be found on the backs of the front seats. Wallowing in luxury, rear seat passengers enjoy overhead ducting with four vents and a three-speed fan controller.
Naturally, luggage space is limited while the rearmost seat is being used, but there’s much more when it’s laid flat. The loading floor is at mid-thigh so it’s easy for petite parents to wrestle baby paraphernalia in and out, while the hatch doesn’t open unduly high. A 22-litre box under the loading floor hides personal stuff. Good or bad, depending on your point of view, the full-size spare is slung underneath as on a pickup. The jack and wheel spanner are in a compartment behind a panel on the right of the load area.
Standard equipment includes powered windows all around with one-touch down for the driver, electric mirrors, fog lamps in front, rear window demister and wiper, remote central locking with the key and a button inside, digital clock, onboard computer, outside temperature display, a pollen-filtered air conditioner, a six-speaker radio and CD player with USB, remote sound controls on the tilt-adjustable steering wheel, cloth seats, alloy wheels and a 12-volt socket.
Safety kit features dual airbags, ABS brakes with EBD, side-impact door beams, child proof locks, an immobiliser and a security alarm.
To get an MPV that can seat seven, keeps up with traffic, carries a fair load and is decently economical to run, all at a shade under R200 000 takes some doing these days. It’s just a pity that Indian build quality is still where the Chinese were a few years ago. Hopefully things will improve, without a huge cost surge, before too long.
Test car from Suzuki Auto SA press fleet
The numbers
Price: R192 900
Engine: 1373 cc, 16-valve, four-cylinder, petrol
Power: 70 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 130 Nm at 4000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 15,0 seconds
Maximum speed: 160 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7,0 l/100 km
Tank: 45 litres
Luggage: 135-482-736 litres Ground clearance: 185 mm
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km; with roadside assistance for 1 year
Service plan: 4 years/60 000 km; at 15 000 km intervals
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
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