Ertiga - From Suzuki with LUV

A LUV you will love!

As branded by its maker, the seven-seater 2015 Suzuki Ertiga LUV (Lifestyle Utility Vehicle) can best be described as functional. At best, it is for the mom and dad transporting a lot of children, or for persons making deliveries or doing business. Aimed at providing a satisfying relationship with those it transports, the Ertiga is built with passengers in mind.

With a strong resemblance to the Suzuki Swift, the exterior is clean and employs aerodynamic design, making the Ertiga light enough to enjoy the road and boost fuel economy. The 16-inch alloy wheels and shocks provide a nice ride. This is especially useful dealing with bumps and cracks in the road like the ones we encountered on our test drive.

Having a seven-seater means that you will have to pull and push seats and doors a little more to get people to the back, but this is where the Ertiga’s practicality steps in. The rear passenger doors are significantly larger when compared to others in its class, so forget the struggles of squeezing people around. The placement of the controls to move the seats forward and backwards, as well as to adjust the reclining level, are well within reach and in plain sight, allowing the passengers to help themselves comfortably.

The Ertiga's seating provides each passenger with enough room to enjoy the ride without getting in their neighbour's way. The seats are firm enough to stand up to the expected wear and have sufficient leg and head room for comfort.

In today’s economy and with government having tacked on more to our gas bill, the Ertiga's 1.4-litre VVT engine is a major plus. It makes  the engine flexible and able to deal with varying conditions, resulting in better driving and fuel performance - and less emission for the environmentally friendly driver.

It’s impressive to note that despite its status as a family car the Ertiga hugs the corners nicely. I have tried it and it is proven.

The car gives a good run and accelerates well. Even with a sudden stop the braking system gives a smooth feel, which is great. After all, you wouldn’t want to throw your precious cargo forward.

With all that’s happening on a busy road, the Ertiga allows the driver to concentrate on the road, as radio controls are within a thumb's reach. Through the dealer, a Bluetooth and reverse sensors are added.

Despite the Ertiga's length, the rear windows allows the to avoid the guessing game when reversing, as they are large enough to give a good view of how close you are to objects and then nicely fit into parking spaces.

The Ertiga's only drawback is the trunk space. If you were to go on a picnic with the car at passenger capacity, then you would have to do a bit of strategising on what not to take. With all the seats being used, the trunk space can only hold a few things.

However, for deliveries, the seats can be folded flat to accommodate suitcases or boxes.

The Suzuki Ertiga good buy if you are into practicality, functionality and low maintenance. Being a multi-purpose vehicle, it adjusts to your lifestyle.

Kawain.fearon@gleanerjm.com