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Suzuki Thailand launches the 2023 Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid

This makes Thailand the second country in the ASEAN region to get the hybrid Ertiga.

Autodeal on Dec 05, 2022

The Suzuki Ertiga hybrid made its debut in the Philippine market during the 8th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS). While the hybrid MPV did not officially launch at the said event, it was just a teaser for the brand’s plans for electrified vehicles in the country. Despite showcasing the new hybrid model, Suzuki Philippines did not give an official launch date at the time.

However, in Thailand, the Japanese automaker has already launched the car making them the second country in the ASEAN to do so—after it made its global debut in Indonesia last June 2022. It gets a new front grille, an updated taillight garnish, a new set of 15-inch wheels, projector headlights, and auto-folding mirrors.

As for its interior, it's the same as the regular Ertiga albeit the hybrid version comes with a revised instrument cluster design, new fabric seats, new trim, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Related: 2023 Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid makes local debut at PIMS 2022

Its Thailand version is similar to what was showcased at PIMS 2022. It comes with the same Smart Hybrid powertrain which consists of a 1.5-liter K15B four-cylinder gasoline engine that is mated to an integrated starter generator with a lithium-ion battery pack. While its power figures remain similar to its non-hybrid counterpart, it still pushes out 103 hp and 138 Nm of torque. Despite the no added power, Suzuki says that it comes with the technology that will make the MPV even more fuel efficient than ever before. The battery even comes with 5-year warranty coverage for the Thailand market.

Aside from this the 2023 Suzuki Ertiga hybrid also gets an automatic start/stop system while idle, regenerative braking, and a torque-assist feature that helps give you extra power when accelerating. Just like what debuted at PIMS 2022, it still shifts via a four-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels.

Now, the biggest question is, when will Suzuki Philippines officially launch the Ertiga hybrid in the country? Are they waiting for the EVIDA law to be sorted out to make the electrified MPV more competitive for the market or are they sorting out other things for the model? For now, it's a waiting game to see what Suzuki has for these questions.