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2019 Suzuki Ertiga makes Philippine debut with new 1.5L engine

Underneath its better-looking design comes a new, more powerful mill.

Autodeal on Jan 23, 2019

The Suzuki Ertiga is probably one of those cars that continuously surprise us. It’s a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), a family vehicle, so to speak, so it isn’t a car that enthusiasts would go crazy for nor is it something that would make global headlines – but it’s definitely a well-loved nameplate, especially by Filipinos. In fact, the Ertiga is Suzuki Philippines (SPH)’s best-selling model for 2018, accounting to 30% of the brand’s sales pie for the year.

Well, teasers and anticipations behind, the pioneer seller of compact cars in the country decides to amp up its best-seller’s appeal to the Philippine market by bringing in the second generation 2019 Suzuki Ertiga – and it’s looking better than before, armed with a new engine, and now sits atop the brand’s new HEARTECT platform.

The 2019 Ertiga comes with a multitude of updates, primarily in its exterior design. Easily noticeable is the new shape of the projector halogen headlamps, along with the revamped multi-slat chrome grille, fog lamp setup, bumper, and chiseled hood. With this new fascia, it looks like the Ertiga is ready to go head to head against the new breed of MPVs such as the Mitsubishi Xpander and the Toyota Rush entry-level SUV.

On its side, the Ertiga bears a more defined character line and deeper curves to go with its redesigned 15-inch alloy wheels and repeaters embedded on the side mirrors. It also comes standard with LED rear combination lamps that extend upward towards the “floating” C-pillar. It’s a neat look – a nod to its aforementioned competitors.

The all-new Ertiga is significantly larger than the outgoing model, specifically 130mm (5.1 inches) longer, 40mm (1.6 inches) wider, and 5mm (0.2 inches) taller. Although, the wheelbase is retained at 2,740mm (107.9 inches).

2019 Suzuki Ertiga Philippines second row

2019 Suzuki Ertiga Philippines third row

Inside, the second-generation Ertiga has a new layout to its beige-themed cabin but the biggest change is with the GLX’s 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system (8-inch and 1DIN for the GL and GA variants, respectively) positioned higher on the dashboard. The Suzuki MPV also gets a flat-bottom steering wheel and chrome garnishing on the gauge clusters, while the fabric seats get a 3D effect.

Rear passengers will have more room at the back, while the distance between the second and third rows has been increased for better legroom. The backrests of the third-row seats can also be reclined by 16 degrees. Rear A/C vents still come standard, as are the coin holder, ventilated cup holder, improved center console, and door pockets.

Just like all-new Swift, the 2019 Ertiga is now sitting atop Suzuki’s new HEARTECT platform that’s lighter yet more rigid than before. It also comes with Total Effective Control Technology (TECT), which scatters collision energy across the vehicle frame to prevent damages to the car and passengers.

Among the biggest changes in the 2019 Ertiga is its power plant – a K15B DOHC 16V with Intake VVT 1.5L engine now powers the Suzuki MPV, which produces 103 hp at 6,000 RPM and 138 Nm of torque at 4,400 RPM. This is a great departure from the less-powerful 1.4L engine of its predecessor, albeit, it still comes with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions.

The 2019 Suzuki Ertiga has the following price tags and variants: P728,000 (GA MT), P848,000 (GL MT), P888,000 (GL AT) and P978,000 (GLX AT). It’s available in seven colors: Pearl Glorious Brown, Metallic Magma Gray, Pearl Burgundy Red, Prime Cool Black, Metallic Silky Silver, Pearl Radiant Red, and Pearl Snow White.