JUNE 27 — If you are looking for a 6-seater SUV under RM65,000, Proton has a model that would fit your requirement – the Ertiga, which offers three variants, one with manual transmission and two with automatic transmissions, priced between RM58,800 and RM64,800.

You would probably be considering the Perodua Alza too, which offers two manual transmission variants and three automatic variants, priced between RM52,300 and RM64,900. The two models are very close in specifications, and it really becomes a matter of personal choice - with the Ertiga being the fresher of the two.

When the Ertiga was launched, I was away, and missed the media drive, but now that I am back, I managed to get one off the Proton PR team, and I took it on a drive route very similar to that organised by Proton – I went on a fish and mango buying mission to Sekinchan in Kuala Selangor.

The Proton Ertiga is based on the Suzuki Ertiga, designed by Maruti Suzuki for the Indian market. First launched in 2012, it is now also sold in the Philippines, Myanmar, South Africa and in Indonesia, it is rebadged as a Mazda VX-1. In Malaysia, it is basically a re-badging exercise with no mechanical changes.

The handling of the Ertiga is as expected, the front axle is supported by Macpherson struts and coil springs.— Photo by YS Khong
The handling of the Ertiga is as expected, the front axle is supported by Macpherson struts and coil springs.— Photo by YS Khong

The Ertiga is powered by a 1,373 cc DOHC gasoline engine with VVT (Variable Valve Timing) made of aluminium. Power output is 95PS at 6,000 rpm, and maximum torque is 130Nm at 4,000 rpm. Drive is to the front wheels through a4-speed automatic, and the claimed fuel consumption is 6.0 litres per 100 kilometres or 16.6 kilometres per litre.

The Ertiga uses the same engine s that found in the Suzuki Swift 1.4, which is a well-proven engine. Its aluminium construction makes it lightweight and with VVT and DOHC, it is one of the best engines in its class.

Safety-wise, the Ertiga gets ABS with EBD, two airbags and side impact beams – it gets a 4-Star Asean NCAP rating.

Back to the road trip – the Ertiga’s engine power is adequate for the job – the four-speed auto is well-balanced to provide good take-off, acceleration, and good fuel economy. In top gear, the speed is slightly over 30 km/h per 1000 rpm.

Driven normally, which means you generally stay within the speed limits, I got an average fuel economy of 12.2 kilometres per litre (8.19 litres per 100 kilometres) for the entire journey that covered approximately 200 kilometres. The route was over a mixture of highway and trunk roads – I had the air-conditioner on, including the rear blower, and there were two of us, plus a large icebox filled with fish and ice for the return journey.

We did hit a high of 13.0 kilometres per litre (which translates into 7.69 litres per 100 kilometres). This fuel consumption was garnered with a driving style in simulation of how a ‘normal’ driver would be doing, so you can take it from me that this is what you would get on a day to day basis, on similar road conditions.

The handling of the Ertiga is as expected – the front axle is supported by Macpherson struts and coil springs, while the rear is a torsion beam arrangement. This arrangement is quite common amongst compact vehicles and the handling is pretty ‘standard’ – in other words, you will get no surprises in the Ertiga.

One of my concerns was the high speed stability, and in this department, my fears were put to rest. The Ertiga is fine at high speeds, and is quite enjoyable to drive – top speed is around 160 km/h, which should be adequate for such a vehicle.

In terms of versatility, the Ertiga’s interior has the expected split and folding seats that allow for various combinations, and is as flexible as any six- or seven-seater MPV. The rear-most seats split and fold flat, and the second row’s split seats allow for long articles to occupy the last row and half of the second row while retaining one seat in the second row. If you had one long item, you could fold just half of the rear-most row, and half of the second row, thus retaining four seats.

Would I buy one of these vehicles? Well, I have used a very similar vehicle (7-seater, compact MPV), and after 12 years, it remains in the family as a very loyal run-about. It served me well, and it was something that suited my limited budget for a vehicle at that time. Today, I can afford something bigger and more powerful, but yes, if I were to need a compact MPV and I only have a budget of RM65,000, the Proton Ertiga would be it.