Maruti Suzuki Ertiga base (LXi/LDi) variants discontinued in India

-The base variants of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga have been discontinued as a result of lower demands.

-Mid (V) and top-spec (Z & Z+) trims account for most of the sales.

-The move will reduce the existing waiting period, which stands at four months.

-Maruti Suzuki will soon introduce a new 1.5-litre diesel engine in the Ertiga.

According to CarWale’s dealer sources, Maruti Suzuki has discontinued the base variants of its all-new MPV, the second-generation Ertiga. Maruti Suzuki has asked its dealers to not take orders for the base LXi and LDi variants of the new Ertiga from 1st March. However, it will fulfill the pending orders of customers who have already booked the MPV till now. When contacted, Maruti Suzuki remained unavailable for comment.

According to our sources, the decision has been taken because most of the sales are coming in from the higher variants. For instance, the V trims account for roughly 30 percent of the sales, while half of the total sales come from the Z and Z+ models. Furthermore, the move will also result in reducing the waiting period as the company will have its production lines free to manufacture higher variants.

Sources further reveal that dealerships have unsold inventories of the LDi/LXi variants of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. The company could be looking to liquidate its existing stocks, and we might also witness discounts being offered on the base variants of the Ertiga. Currently, the Ertiga is the bestselling MPV in India with sales of 7975 units, comfortably beating the Toyota Innova Crysta and the Mahindra Marazzo in February.

The company is also gearing up to introduce the indigenously developed 1.5-litre diesel engine on the new Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. The new oil burner will reportedly churn out 94 bhp of power and 225 Nm of peak torque, and will be available with a six-speed manual transmission. Closer to the April 2020 BS-VI deadline, Maruti Suzuki will replace the Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre diesel motor with the new 1.5-litre motor.