KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — A new, compact 6-seater MPV is about to be launched any day now, by Proton.

This news is long awaited, ever since an MOU and License Agreement were signed between Proton Holdings and Suzuki Motor Corporation in May 2015. This led to much speculation as to which Suzuki models would be introduced as Protons.

One of the top favourites was the Ertiga, a compact MPV developed in India by Suzuki’s Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki. The Ertiga is sold in India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, and South Africa as a 7-seater Mini MPV.

For the Malaysian market, the Ertiga will retain its model name, but shall be called the Proton Ertiga, and will be a 6-seater.

In terms of overall dimensions, the Ertiga has approximately the same dimensions as the Perodua Alza and the Toyota Avanza, give or take a few millimetres here and there.

The Ertiga will be powered by a 1.4 litre DOHC Fuel, all-aluminium, fuel-injected engine with Variable Valve timing (VVT) featuring a drive-by-wire throttle.

This engine is said to be frugal on fuel, with a claimed fuel consumption of 15 km/litre for urban driving and 17.5 km/litre for extra-urban driving.

Drive is to the front wheels, and buyers will have a choice of either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. Steering is electrically powered.

A select group of motoring media were invited to a preview of the Ertiga ahead of its launch, and this included a short test drive on the Proton test track in the Shah Alam plant. No pictures were allowed except for the teaser pictures posted here, but as a hint, there are plenty on the internet if you ask Mr. Google.

In terms of looks, I think that the Ertiga has nice proportions, and looks neat, without any garish points. It is a decent, no nonsense family MPV.

The interior is intelligently designed and it offers great versatility, as most MPV’s do. There is plenty of interior room, and for the Malaysian climate, the rear air-cond blower is a definite plus point.

During my short stint with the Ertiga, I found that it drives pretty well, with sufficient power for the average family man who needs the versatility of a 6-seater MPV.

The engine pulls smoothly from standstill and pulls smoothly up to regular road speeds. The automatic transmission provides seamless gear changes, while the manual is just as easy to drive ― the pedals are placed close enough for heel and toe, making the manual quite fun to drive.

The interior is relatively quiet, while the interior trim is decent, and although I think a dark grey or black trim would be more practical, I do agree that the beige/light brown seat material with matching interior trim colour does make the Ertiga look a little more ‘premium’.

The centre and rear seats split and fold in many permutations to provide versatility for stowage and passenger-carrying capacity.

With due consideration given to the fact that it is designed by Suzuki, who are very experienced in the manufacturing of small and compact vehicles, I do not have any doubts about the Ertiga at all.

Now all that is left is for Proton to price it right, and unleash it.