Ertiga vs Innova

 MARUTI ERTIGS vs TOYOTA INNOVA COMPARISION,MARUTI ERTIGA OR TOYOTA INNOVA

DESIGN & ENGINEERING

 

For large families wanting a well-built, slightly upmarket people mover, the Innova has always been the de-facto choice. It is car-like to drive, is very comfortable, has a diesel engine and comes with Toyota’s legendary reputation for reliability. It’s why it has beaten off all comers to the MPV crown over the years.

The only thing we Indians like more than legendary reliability is a tiny price tag. Maruti knows this well and is a master at making good cars for less. It’s the same with the new Ertiga diesel. At Rs 8.45 lakh for the ZDi model it is Rs 5 lakh cheaper than a similarly specced Innova. It has space for seven, a small, fuel-efficient diesel motor, proven mechanicals based on the Swift and, being a Maruti, it will be easy on the pocket. So, is it better than the Innova? We load them up and head out of town to find out.

Multi-purposeful design

There’s no masking the fact that they both look like vans, but the Ertiga, with its compact dimensions and aggressive nose, looks more dynamic and is more attractive than the all-too-familiar Innova. But while the front looks sporty, the rear isn’t. It’s a little plain and the tiny wraparound lamps don’t help matters either.

 Toyota, on the other hand, has just launched the face-lifted Innova with a new grille and front bumper that sport Corolla styling elements. Built on a C-in-C ladder frame (as opposed to the Ertiga’s monocoque construction), the Innova looks more van-like than the Maruti, and its sloping roof and curved D-pillar don’t do much to hide it. It does have a big advantage though, and that’s with its 4.6-metre length – that’s 320mm longer than the Ertiga. The Innova is also a fair bit wider than the Maruti.

Space for more?

The Ertiga is based on a stretched Swift platform, which means you sit much lower than in the Innova. This makes getting in and out much easier. The front seats from the Swift are big and accommodating andfeel more comfortable than the Innova’s too.

Thanks to the longer wheelbase, the Innova has a much better middle row in terms of space. The wide rear seat can sit three passengers with ease and seats are comfortable too. There is loads of legroom and if we were to nitpick, it would be about the seat squab, which is a tad short. However, the optional ‘Captain’ seats are supremely plush and offer a level of comfort the Ertiga can’t match. The Innova also has a second, dedicated air-con compressor for the rear passengers while the Ertiga makes do with a single one for the whole cabin. Still, the Ertiga’s middle row has good legroom and the soft seats are quite comfy, but the narrower cabin means three-abreast seating is more of a squeeze.

The Innova has the bigger cabin, but the flexible seating and clever packaging of the Ertiga’s cabin mean its third row is more usable than the Innova’s. The Ertiga’s sliding middle row helps generate more room at the back, and unless you’re travelling with a quartet of six-footers, the last row, for most practical purposes, is actually the comfier of the two. The Innova’s middle seat doesn’t slide as much but with all three rows up, it has more boot space. The Ertiga shares its dashboard with the Swift, so quality is quite good and the design is more appealing than the Innova’s dash. Still, quality is not as consistent as in the Innova.

Pulling people

The Ertiga is powered by the same 89bhp, Fiat-sourced 1.3-litre diesel engine you now universally find in cars like the Linea, SX4 and Manza. The Innova, on the other hand, uses a much bigger 2.5-litre unit that produces 100bhp and a healthy 20.40kgm torque.

It doesn’t take long to realise that the Ertiga is not the most comfortable car to drive in traffic. There is massive turbo lag below 2000rpm and you need to keep changing gears to extract respectable performance at low speeds. A full complement of seven passengers on-board further accentuates this drawback. Once past 2000rpm, the turbo spools up and there is a sudden burst of acceleration, which is typical of this engine. It gets better on the highway though, and displays enough grunt for reasonably rapid progress. This is also thanks to the 1.3-litre engine’s strong midrange.

The Innova engine, meanwhile, has loads of torque as soon as you get off the clutch and power delivery is very linear. This makes it extremely easy to drive in town. On the highway things are fine as long as you keep the speedo needle below three digits. Pass 100kph and the engine feels strained and is quite frenzied, even near the 120kph mark.

The Ertiga, thanks to its huge weight advantage (it’s nearly half a tonne lighter than the Innova!) is far more fleet-footed. Its punchy mid-range and strong top end also help. The 0-100kph takes a scant 13.89sec, which makes it nearly four seconds quicker than the Innova. In-gear times of 12.68sec for 20-80kph in third and 13.55sec for 40-100kph in fourth are much quicker too.

Ride and handling

Sharing the Swift platform, the Ertiga uses a modern monocoque chassis. This means its ride and  handling are pretty impressive. The soft suspension means irregularities are kept out of the cabin at low speeds. However, it doesn’t feel as settled as the Innova, and at high speeds the soft setup means the car bobs about – driving on uneven roads can be unsettling. It is not particularly uncomfortable, it’s just that the Innova is better. Even in corners there is a fair bit of body roll, but after the initial lean the Ertiga settles down and has predictable road manners.

The Innova, on the other hand, has a stiffer suspension setup and, despite its bulk, feels very car-like to drive. The low-speed ride though is not as good as the Ertiga and big bumps and potholes filter through to the cabin. But as the going gets faster, the Innova feels much better and straight-line stability is very impressive.

Final Verdict

As a personal family car, the Ertiga works better. It rides well, is less cumbersome in town and does almost everything the Innova does, with as much grace. It comes with all the features that the Innova has and is substantially cheaper too. In fact, the only significant place the Innova has a true advantage is if everyone in your large family is large – the Innova’s extra space will come in handy. Also, the Innova’s body-on-frame construction and superior ground clearance make the Toyota much better on rough roads. Where the dainty Ertiga bobs up and down, the Innova thumps through. However, in the final analysis, the Ertiga does almost as much as the Innova (and in some cases more) for just 60 percent of the price. You simply can’t argue with that.

Truth Be Revealed : Maruti Suzuki Alto vs Hyundai Eon Comparison

The Korean car maker Hyundai is known for sculpting beautiful shapes out of raw metal. But with launch of its new baby hatchback Eon, Hyundai has set a new benchmark in low cost car design. Now with the presence of Hyundai Eon in the Indian entry level car segment the other budget hatchbacks like Maruti Suzuki Alto, Alto k10, Maruti 800, Chevy Spark, Tata Nano etc suddenly seems to look boring and ancient in comparison. But does that mean all these cars will lose their market share overnight just because a smart looking car has been launched?

It is wake up time. In the Indian car market scene looks of a car is an important factor in its success but the deciding factors have always been: KKH- Kitne Ki Hai (Price), KDH – Kitna Deti Hai (Fuel economy/efficiency), product reliability plus ease and cost of maintenance and service. So no doubt Hyundai’s Eon can win fashion contests but can it crack the code of our unique small car space is yet to be seen.

Lots of reviewers are giving over importance to looks of new Eon as if it’s all that’s required. But as they say ‘looks don’t win battles’, here we will try and look at comparison between the ageless Maruti Suzuki Alto/Alto K10 versus new fluidic Hyundai Eon from a more practical, real life point of view.

Fuel Economy Comparison: Eon vs Alto: Kitna Deti Hai?

Mileage Comparison	Local (kmpl)	Highway (kmpl)	Overall (kmpl)	Fuel Tank (litre)
Hyundai Eon	15.6	24.3	17.7	32
Maruti Alto K10	16.3	26.3	18.8	35

All seem to be talking about how fuel efficient Hyundai Eon is, considering the official ARAI mileage figure of 21.1kmpl and Suzuki Alto K10’s 20.2kmpl. But as we all know ARAI gives only the ideal test condition figures and not the real world fuel efficiency numbers. So to know what average fuel consumption we can expect in our day to day driving, guys at Overdrive tested and found some actual figures which differs a lot from ARAI published mileage of Eon and Alto. Considering these figures (mentioned in above table) we note Alto has superior fuel efficiency over Eon in local as well as highway drive. Now taking into account the overall (local + highway) fuel economy and fuel tank size of both the cars we can get a usable result. In one tank full of petrol Eon can be driven 566.4 kilometers whereas Alto will keep running for 658 kilometers i.e. almost 91 km more that Eon.

Speed Test: Eon vs Alto: Who’s faster?

Performance Comparison	0-100 kmph (sec)	Top Speed (kmph)
Hyundai Eon	19.08	131
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10	15.2	153

Alto’s higher fuel efficiency has not been achieved by compromising on performance. In Overdrive’s 0 to 100 acceleration test Eon reached ton in a lazy 19.08 seconds whereas Alto reached 100 in just 15.2 seconds. Plus on an open highway run Hyundai’s small fluidic gives up on touching 131 kmph whereas Maruti’s old workhorse keep galloping till 153 kmph. In short Alto is more like a pocket rocket- small and fast.

Engine Comparison: Eon vs Alto: Who’s powerful?

Powertrain Comparison	Engine (CC)	Power (PS)	Torque (Nm)
Hyundai Eon	814	56	76.5
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10	998	68	90

Engine is said to be the soul of an automobile. Japanese have always been great at making amazing engines and Suzuki is no different. If you drive Eon and Alto back to back you’ll notice two prominent things immediately. One- Alto has way more powerful and refined engine and second- due to Eon’s narrower power-band you need change gears much more frequently than in Alto. Moreover in Alto you feel very less engine/transmission vibrations on control levers like accelerator, gear shift etc. than Eon. K10’s 998cc, 68bhp twin-cam engine is one of the best in this segment and goes on to show just how good a three-cylinder can be. Along with a precise-shifting gearbox it makes Alto an ideal car for people who love to drive.

Design and Ergonomics Comparison: Eon vs Alto.
Alto has been designed keeping in mind the practical needs and requirements for its user’s comfort whereas Eon’s shape has been crafted to make a style statement. Due to its rising shoulder line Eon has a small glass area at rear and thus limiting the amount of light coming in from the sides and making it claustrophobic. Further, the thick A-pillar decreases the overall frontal visibility. Also due to longer back seat base your legs may hit against the B-pillar while getting in and out of Eon. In contrast, Alto has much better all-round visibility with large window area, slimmer pillars and more ergonomic ingress & egress.

Price Comparison: Eon vs Alto: Kitne Ki Hai?

Price Comparison (KKH)	Price (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Maruti Suzuki Alto	2,32,000
Hyundai Eon	2,70,000
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10	3,04,000

Hyundai Eon starts from base price of 2.7 lakhs and goes upto 3.75 lakhs whereas Alto can be bought for 2.32 lakhs and Alto K10 for 3.04 lakhs. So you need to cough up atleast 38,000 rupees more to buy Eon base over Alto base. Also since Alto is not a new launch so you can expect to get some discounts at dealer level as well. In contrast Hyundai has already announced that it’s going to increase car prices in a months’ time thereby further diluting Eon’s value for money image.

Sales Comparison: Eon vs Alto: Who sells more?

Car Sales Comparison	Sept. 2011	Oct. 2011	Nov. 2011
Hyundai Eon	7188	6315	7418
Maruti Suzuki Alto	21198	15197	24422

A new car garners maximum sales in first 2-3 months of its launch after which the number of units being sold comes down to a comparatively lower but stable figure. Being a recent launch Hyundai has been managing to sell on average about 7000 units of Eon for the past three months which by any standard is a very health number till you compare it with Alto who has been getting 25,000 new customers month on month for past many years. Recent downfall in Alto’s sale has nothing to do with Eon but with production shutdowns and labour issues at Maruti’s factory for the past many months and it has been resolved now. Rather than making a dent in Maruti Alto’s market share, Eon has been eating into sales number of its elder sibling Santro Xing.

Another reason for Alto’s superstar performance all these year has been low cost of maintenance and service provided by Maruti throughout India. Even though Hyundai has been building a decent pan India dealer network but it pales in comparison to Maruti Suzuki's network. Also the average cost incurred on maintaining and servicing a Hyundai product in comparison to Maruti has always been higher.

Maruti Suzuki Alto/Alto K10 has been ruling the Indian automobile market for almost 11 years now and it’s no mean task to fulfill needs and meet expectations of generations of Indian masses. Ask Tata (‘Nano’) how difficult it is to earn trust of people no matter how good your product is. So it will never be easy for a new ‘fluidic’ boy to dethrone the King of Indian small car market in a hurry.

Disclaimer: This comparative analysis is done to remind and highlight the true positive aspects of Alto which seem to have be been ignored by one and all since the launch of Eon. It does not in any way intend to undermine the qualities and potential of Eon being a wonderful hatchback.

Hyundai Eon vs Maruti Alto

One is India's best-selling car and the other has the potential to be just that. But is the Eon good enough to be the Top of the pops?

  
 

The Maruti Alto is India’s best-selling car by far. An affordable price tag is just one of many reasons why, but the fact is the Alto gets the basics right. It’s fuel efficient, easy to use and requires minimal maintenance – with the comfort of knowing if anything does go wrong, a Maruti service station is never too far away. Last year’s K10 model only added cubic capacity and horsepower to the Alto’s cheap, cheerful and hassle-free charm.

However, just one glance at the new Hyundai Eon will have even die-hard Alto fans raising an eyebrow. After all, the Eon is priced close to the Alto K10, with a similar promise of low running costs and service backup second only to Maruti’s. But does the Eon deliver where the Alto excels?

It’s all in the look

The Maruti Alto K10 is the longer car, but the Eon is taller and its wheelbase is 20mm bigger too. But where the two cars really differ is in styling. The extroverted Eon looks designed for tomorrow with beautifully sculpted creases and cuts. The large rear wheel arches do make the wheels appear small but that’s about it. There’s little to find fault with in the design. Even the crescent-shaped tail lamps look great. The best part is that the Eon is distinctive without looking too radical.

Standing next to the Eon, the Alto looks several generations older. That’s because it is. Not much has been changed since the car was launched in 2000 except for a nip and tuck with the introduction of the K10 model in 2010. However, the basic shape is the same, and the thick C-pillars and smart creases over the rear wheels are the only talking points really. The Alto anonymously blends into the crowd while the Eon stands out, even in the company of larger, more expensive cars.

Inner strength

Fit and finish of the Eon’s cabin is midsize-saloon-car good and there are only a few bits that remind you of its small price. Dashboard styling is neat and the chunky AC controls are particularly nice to use, but the small central vents are fiddly and have limited spread. Frontal visibility is slightly hampered by the thick A-pillar and the small glass area at the rear doesn’t help either. The Alto, in contrast, affords better all-round visibility. The Eon’s front door pockets are large enough for bottles and the glovebox is big too.

Switching to the Alto is like going back in time. Plastic quality is a grade down on the Eon’s and panel gaps mean the Alto looks every bit the budget car it is. The front door pockets are narrow and shallow and items tend to slide around the dash-top recess. The glovebox is also small but you do get two cupholders, and the boot is a full size down on the Eon’s generous 215 litres.

The Eon’s rear seat has more kneeroom than the Alto’s and more space under the front seat to move your feet. The Alto’s shorter backrest equals insufficient support, while its protruding, fixed headrests are uncomfortable. The Alto does have slightly more headroom. Build quality is somewhat flimsy compared to what you get on the Eon.

Each CC Counts

The Eon is powered by a 3cyl version of the Santro’s 1.1-litre iRDE engine, reducing engine displacement to 814cc and power output to 55bhp. Expectedly, engine refinement isn’t great and vibrations shake the gear lever a fair bit. The Eon isn’t particularly quick off the blocks and only pulls well towards the top-end. There is adequate power for keeping up with typical city traffic but overtaking manoeuvres need some planning. Flooring the throttle doesn’t help as the engine simply doesn’t make power quick enough.

In contrast, the Alto K10’s 996cc, 67bhp twin-cam engine shows just how good a three-cylinder can be. There are some vibrations at idle but these fade as you accelerate. Both engines get quite loud when revved but the Alto’s precise-shifting gearbox feels a whole lot nicer to use than the Eon’s notchy unit. The two cars are neck-to-neck upto 60kph, but the Alto reaches 100kph nearly 2sec before the Eon.

But the numbers most buyers will be interested in are for fuel economy. The Eon’s narrower powerband means you change gears more often than on the Alto and that reflects in its slightly lower city economy figures. The Eon managed 13.7kpl while the Alto returned a 14kpl. Out on the highway, the Eon’s taller fifth gear allows the better fuel economy of 17.2kpl to the Alto’s 17kpl figure.

Rock and Roll

Their dinky dimensions, small turning radii and light controls make both cars very easy in the city. Suspension hardware is similar and both cars ride on 13-inch wheels. The Eon is softer-sprung and does the better job of shielding passengers from low-speed bumps. Go any faster and it is the Alto that feels far nicer, with less body movement and a much flatter ride. However, rear seat passengers do get thrown about a fair bit in the Alto.

Feature creature

The Alto VXi retails for Rs 3.2 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and comes with power steering, front power windows, central locking and internally adjustable outside rear-view mirrors. For Rs 20,000 more, you can get the Eon Magna variant that comes with all of the above and also a steering tilt adjust. This model, however, does without a parcel tray or tachometer, both of which are available on the Alto. At Rs 3.71 lakh, the Eon Sportz variant featured here is quite expensive but comes with a lot of kit. You get a driver-side airbag, keyless entry and also a CD player with Aux and USB functions.

Decision time

We really scratched our heads over this one. The thing is, the Alto is unquestionably the better car to drive. It has the more consistent ride, nimbler handling and zestier engine. If the engine’s ability holds more weight for you than the plush ambience in the driver’s seat, then the Alto is the car for you. It has a certain raw appeal that the Eon just can’t hope
to match.

No, the Eon’s performance won’t get your heart racing and engine refinement is rather mediocre too but for most buyers these are secondary considerations. The Eon delivers on more visible criteria. It looks futuristic, its better-finished interiors look and feel classier and it is that wee bit more spacious too. Fuel economy is really good as well.

In the final analysis, you do pay more for an Eon but in return get more bang for your buck. It’s just too hard to argue against its value quotient and it is for this the Eon is our choice.

Hyundai Eon Vs Maruti Alto – Which One Steal The Automobile Market 2011 | Performance, Features & Price Comparision

Hyundai Eon is the latest entrant into the small car market in India launched by Hyundai India on 13th of October 2011. We will soon be coming with some videos of this car. See, here we compare the newly launched Hyundai Eon with the king of this segment, Maruti Alto. The Maruti Suzuki Alto comes in two different models with various trims. One of these is a 800 CC Alto which is priced lower and another one is the Maruti Alto K10 which is an Alto with higher displacement 1 Litre K-Series engine. Lets compare these two cars on various aspects and find out which is a better bang for the buck.

Hyundai Eon Exteriors Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Exteriors

Hyundai Eon is a small form factor car with smaller length when compared to Alto K10 (but same as Alto 800 CC) but it slightly wider and more tall as well. In terms of exterior visual appeal, the Eon looks way better than the Alto. The Eon exterior design is based on the sculpted design language of Hyundai. From all angles, it looks more modern, sporty and more enthusiastic car compared to the Alto. The build quality and plastic quality of the Hyundai Eon seems better than the Alto.

Make / Specification	Hyundai Eon	Maruti Alto K10	Maruti Alto 800 CC
Overall Length	3495 mm	3620 mm	3495 mm
Overall Height	1500 mm	1460 mm	1475 mm
Overall Width	1550 mm	1475 mm	1460 mm
Overall Wheelbase	2380 mm	2360 mm	2360 mm

Alto is a contemporary and old design by Maruti which is known for its subtle elegance and pleasing looks in its segment. With Alto K10, Maruti Suzuki did add some good elements in the front fascia and improved it quite a lot in terms of appearance, but overall, the Alto looks quite plain in front of a Hyundai Eon. Eon is smaller in length, but makes up for the loss if length by having a smaller engine compartment in length compared to the Alto.

So our vote goes to Eon in terms of exterior looks.

Hyundai Eon Interiors Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Interiors

Hyundai Eon interiors don’t seem to belong to a 3 Lakhs rupees car, they look better than that, for the price segment, the quality, visual appeal and aesthetics on the inside of Eon are much better compare to simple and subtle interior styling of the Alto.

Alto has simple and sensible Interiors, but the quality of the material is just about average, but good enough for the entry level segment, but when we compare it with Eon Interiors, they seem quite plain and too subtle.

In terms of Interiors, Hyundai Eon is better compared to Maruti Alto and Alto K10.

Engine Specification:

Make / Specification	Hyundai Eon	Maruti Alto K10	Maruti Alto 800 CC
Displacement (cc)	814	998	798
No. of cylinders	3 / MPFI	3 / K108	3
Max. Power (hp)	55.2BHp @ 5500rpm	67BHP @ 6200rpm	46.4BHP @ 6200rpm
Max. Torque	75Nm @ 4000rpm	90Nm @ 3500rpm	62Nm @ 3000rpm
Transmission	5 speed - Manual	5 speed - Manual	5 speed - Manual
Mileage (Kmpl)	21.1	20.20	19.73
Type Of Fuel	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol

Comparing the engine specifications, Eon seem to much better in terms of power, torque and mileage for the 800 CC Engine when compared with the Alto 800 CC. The mileage of Eon is also better than that of Maruti Alto as per the ARAI data. For entry level car, the Eon is much more peppier than the Maruti Alto.

On the higher price segment, if we compared the engine of Alto K10, it performs better than the Eon engine in terms of power and torque with slightly less fuel mileage. However, the K10 starts at Rs. 3.07 Lakhs, so if you are looking for a 3.1 Lakhs Plus car, then Alto K10 engine seems to be a netter option in terms of engine specs.

Handling and Performance:

Hyundai Eon is comfortable car to drive. The power steering is light and has been tuned for city driving, the feel of the steering weight is kind of consistent and the Eon is quite stable at cornering. The Suspension has been tuned keeping a balance between the ride and handling characteristics.

Maruti Alto on the other side is also quite comfortable for city driving, slightly soft suspensions, good ride comfort and decent handling with slight body roll at high speed cornering. For an entry level car, Alto does quite well.

For an entry level car, both Eon and Alto have got good ride and handling characteristics which make them comfortable for city commuting.

Indian Price Lists:

The ex-showroom Delhi price of Maruti Alto & Hyundai Eon in India is as follows:

Maruti Alto	Hyundai
Standard - Rs. 2.35 Lakhs	EON D-Lite - Rs.2.69 Lakhs
Alto 800 LX - Rs. 2.67 Lakhs	EON D-Lite (O) - Rs.2.92 Lakhs
Alto 800 LXi - Rs. 2.84 Lakhs	EON Era - Rs. 3.11 Lakhs
Alto K10 LXi - Rs. 3.07 Lakhs	EON Magna - Rs. 3.37 Lakhs
Alto K10 VXi - Rs. 3.20 Lakhs	Magna (O) - Rs. 3.47 Lakhs
-	Sportz - Rs. 3.71 Lakhs

Opinion - Hyundai Eon Petrol Vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Petrol

If you are buying a car on tight budget, Alto gives much more lucrative pricing compared to the Hyundai Eon, but if you are looking for a better looking and more premium looking car by spending some extra money, Hyundai Eon is a better choice because of much better interior feel, exterior looks and design.