2016 Suzuki Ertiga ‘Life Utility Vehicle’ - Best Family Car Under Php 1,000,000

We recently had a chance to drive the 2016 Suzuki Ertiga and although the vehicle seemed pretty standard initially, it slowly won us over through its fine mix of comfort, power and affordability. Yes it is a regular looking MPV in the Philippine market that competes with the likes of Honda Mobilio, Chevrolet Spin and Toyota Avanza. But for some reason, the brand promotes the Ertiga as a life utility vehicle (LUV), which is specially designed for large families. Despite of the average demand for MPVs in the Philippines, the Ertiga still faces a tough competition from its rivals that also offer a fair deal of luxury and comfort along with several advanced features. So what makes Ertiga so special? People might complain that the vehicle looks too generic, but there are several attributes to Suzuki’s LUV that make it a potential market winner. Let us take a look at what it has to offer.

1. Affordability

This is certainly Suzuki Philippines’ ace in the deck as the Ertiga 2016 is certainly what one can call a ‘neat bargain’. The base variant for the vehicle is available at as low as Php 665,000 and only the top end GLX variant is available at Php 918,000. This not only makes the Ertiga much lower priced than its competitors, but offers a much higher value for money. Its exterior design might feel simplistic and boring but it still appears really elegant for the price tag it’s available at. Not to mention that the Datsun Go+ is priced under Php 300,000 and it looks like a lunchbox on wheels.

2. Fuel Economy

Fuel economy has always been a speciality when talking about Suzuki engines. The Ertiga is equipped with a 1.4-litre K14B engine that is slightly low powered than its competition. Regardless of its size, the engine puts out an impressive 95 hp with a torque of 130 Nm that helps the vehicle cruise efficiently. Yes its competitors offer larger engines, but what the Ertiga loses with the engine output, it makes it up with its fuel economy. Suzuki Philippines claims a mileage of 17-18 kmpl, which is certainly a feat for an engine of this size. The rising fuel prices has led to more and more people buying smaller engines so that they do not have to make regular visits to the refueling stations.

3. Auto Transmission At A Low Price

Toyota Avanza is the only competitor for new Ertiga that makes an automatic transmission available for Php 805,000, but also comes equipped with a 1.3-litre VVT-i engine. Compared to that the Ertiga is definitely a sweeter deal with its marginally heavier drivetrain and automatic transmission all under the Php 800,000 mark. Compared to this, the Honda Mobilio with CVT sounds like a much expensive affair, even though a CVT performs better than a regular automatic transmission.

4. No Dearth of Safety Features

Unless you’re keen on buying the base variant for the 2016 Ertiga, you will have several advanced safety for the price it is offered at. The top two variants offer dual front airbags to keep the front passengers away from harm’s way. The GLX variant is also offered with ABS and EBD that enhances the vehicle’s braking performance and makes it far more reliable. Yes these features are also available on the Ertiga’s competitors, but none of them come close to the price that these advanced features are being offered at by Suzuki Motors.

The above points certainly make a lot of difference in how buyers would view the 2016 Ertiga. This MPV carries a lot of features that offer you value for money aspect which you can also check on our detailed review page. Despite being a regular MPV and not the gimmicky LUV as explained by its manufacturer, it still fares far better than its competition.