The Suzuki Ertiga has already gained favor and acceptance with Filipino car buyers. With this new Hybrid just launched, it’s sure to garner more interest in Suzuki and hybrids.
Suzuki Philippines is the first to offer a hybrid — or as they call it, a Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) — in the highly competitive MPV segment of the local market. As their first hybrid offering in the Philippines, this Ertiga’s published benchmark for fuel efficiency is 12.4-km / liter for city driving and we usually expect highway figures to be a little higher.
A real world test
Not long after Suzuki unveiled the it, we were invited to take it on a day trip out of town. We were sure this drive would give us more insight into its fuel economy figures in a variety of road and traffic situations.
Our drive began bright and early at Suzuki’s new dealership in Kawit, Cavite. Teamed up with colleagues from Business Mirror and Inquirer, we loaded up our bags into our assigned vehicles, and headed off at 9 a.m. The route would entail driving from Cavite to Laguna.
This new Ertiga Hybrid is actually a ‘mild hybrid,’ which means it has an electric motor which assists its internal combustion engine (ICE). The 12V electric motor is unique in that it’s powered by a lithium-ion battery, unlike other mild hybrids on the market which have a 48V motor. This keeps the mild hybrid system lightweight.
Its engine, in turn, is the familiar K15B 1.5-liter, four-cylinder, 16-valve DOHC gasoline engine. It puts out 103-Hp at 6,000 rpm with 138-Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. Our particular unit was mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.
This new Ertiga Hybrid we were assigned was the top of the line variant, whose amenities were not different from the current generation top-of-the-line Ertigas with ICE drivetrains. Having driven them in the past, we can say that this Hybrid Ertiga offers the same comfort and conveniences.
The first thing we noticed as we pulled out of the dealership’s parking was that the Ertiga easily accelerated from a full stop. Acceleration was smooth and linear, despite having the same 1.5L engine as other models in Suzuki’s line up.
Our route to Laguna involved getting on to the coastal road, causing us to catch up with the remaining rush hour vehicles making their way into Manila. As such, there were quite a few slow downs as we made our way to the toll plazas. The pace sped up again as we made our way up to NAIAX and further down Skyway.
As we made our way off SLEX, we encountered rural traffic through Calamba and onwards past Los Baños. Our destination was at a gas station near Lotus Pond, to top up our fuel and see how much we had consumed on the roughly 80-km trip from Cavite to Laguna.
The best fuel economy was recorded at 26.8-km/liter. This was accomplished by maintaining a constant speed on the expressways, using cruise control often. This allowed the vehicle to accurately control the throttle on long stretches.
The Ertiga Hybrid will automatically take care of the little things that help keep fuel consumption and emissions down without much fuss. If you make an effort to change to your driving style, you’ll be surprised at how much more fuel you can save. The savings will be incremental at first, but in the long run, as you get a better feel for the vehicle and become a more economical driver, you’ll realize that your fuel savings can increase substantially. As an added benefit, you’ll also produce considerably less CO2.
Mild hybrid benefits
The Ertiga Hybrid was less labored due to the assist offered by the electric motor. It comes in whenever you need extra power and this is where a mild hybrid offers you fuel savings. As take off from a full stop and accelerate, this is when the most gasoline is consumed.
In addition, the battery is charged passively so as not to add unnecessary load on the engine, typically happening during deceleration. By using a 12V system, the batteries are also easier to charge compared to 48V mild hybrids.
When the vehicle is stopped at an intersection or in traffic, the engine is automatically shut down, immediately stopping fuel consumption and emissions. When cruising, the mild hybrid system powers the Ertiga’s electrical equipment considerably lessening the load on gasoline engine, thereby increasing fuel efficiency as the engine output is maximized for the drive.
Priced at P1,153,000 the variant we drove was the GLX AT. Being the top-of-the-line, that price places it lower than those of other brands of MPVs.
For now, the Ertiga Hybrid is the only hybrid in its class. As some of you may have heard, hybrid vehicles are exempt from the MMDA’s number coding and are entitled to a 15% discount on vehicle registration among others. With these perks, It’s definitely a level up from the previous Ertiga and other MPVs in its class.