Diesel lovers, Suzuki Ertiga to be gifted with your favourite motor soon

MANILA: The Philippine market has some real affection for diesel-powered cars, doesn’t it? So much so that the presence or absence of a car's diesel variant may make or break the performance of the vehicle in the market.

This affair becomes even more serious if the concerned vehicle is a 7-seater MPV. While not many small turbocharged diesel engines have made their way to the Filipino shores, we expect Suzuki to bring an Ertiga diesel trim to the country sooner than later.

Going by some reports floating on the internet, the new Suzuki Ertiga is expected to feature a diesel-fed motor under its hood very soon. However, whether the MPV will be hitting the Philippine roads or not, remains unknown.

Talking a little about the incoming diesel engine, the mill will be a homegrown 1.5-litre unit by Suzuki. The on-sale Ertiga has a 1.5-litre, gas-fed engine which produces 103 PS of maximum power and a peak torque of 138 Nm. The diesel engine is, however, expected to make a maximum power of 95 PS and 225 Nm of peak torque.

When asked about the possibilities of the Ertiga with a diesel engine making its way to the Philippines, Keiichi Suzuki, the Suzuki Philippines General Manager for Automobiles said, “We understand the appeal of diesel in the Philippines, particularly in the SUV and crossover market.

That is why we are currently studying whether we need to bring diesel technology to the Philippines. However, we are approaching this matter delicately as other countries besides the Philippines have already moved away from diesel”.

Something else that slims the chances of a diesel-powered Ertiga entering the Philippines is the MPV’s competitors themselves. The likes of Avanza and Mobilio are available with gas-fed engines only. If Suzuki Philippines still brings a diesel-fed Ertiga over here, the move would be a bold one. However, we’re pretty sure that the Philippine masses will only welcome the heavy fuel guzzler.

Also Read:- 2019 Suzuki Ertiga scores four-star rating in crash test assessment