Beige, gray and satin-finished faux wood trim enforces an overall cabin theme of being in a premium or luxury vehicle.

The first generation 2014-2018 Suzuki Ertiga proved to be a sales hit.In fact, its last full year in the country resulted in the people carrier bagging 30 percent of the 19,740 Suzukis sold.

Do the math and the brand notched an eye-popping 5,922 Ertigas ending up with happy customers.

Buoyed by that fact — plus the Japanese automaker registering two percent positive growth for 2018 — Suzuki recently launched the second-generation Ertiga at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.

Still billed as a multi-purpose vehicle, MPV or people carrier, the Ertiga’s second iteration now sets its sights not only for those looking for a great sub-P 1 million seven-seater, but also for those who deem that the Honda Mobilio/BR-V, Toyota Rush or Mitsubishi XPander are simply too expensive. Suzuki claims that making the Ertiga become more upscale without going up to seven figures for a utility four-wheeler was the motto during its development.

That starts with the exterior. Sleek projector headlamps merge with a thick chrome grille to make the MPV seem wider. Upon further examination, the look is reminiscent of the Ertiga’s Swift and Dzire subcompact car relatives or even the 2016 Ford Explorer Sport (in terms of the front grille). The hood has been raised, with well-defined creases that enforce the muscular appeal of the 1.5L straight four in front of the cabin. Speaking of creases, there are prominent creases on either flank that start from the front fender, they extend to the middle and wraps around the tailights. A clacked-out c-pillar gives an impression of a floating roof, a design idea beginning to appear on vehicles with thick d-pillars. Last, the design of the light emitting diode tailights are similar to those on the current Volvo V90 Cross Country, further highlighting the faux premium approach of the outside design.

The cabin, particularly the front area, takes a page from the Swift and Dzire siblings. The steering wheel has a d-cut design and the dual binnacle gauge cluster has a layout similar to Suzuki’s subcompact car entries, making the one behind the wheel feel like the Ertiga is fun to drive. Train your eyes to the right of the cockpit and the dashboard displays elegance done the Suzuki way, not looking like a Grab unit or a public utility vehicle. Beige, gray and satin-finished faux wood trim enforces that notion, helped now by either an eight-inch in-car infotainment or ICI touchscreen display (for the mid-spec GL model) or a ten-inch ICI touchscreen (for the top end GLX). The GLX’s ICI reportedly has no Android Auto nor Apple CarPlay. However, the GLX’s ICI has Bluetooth connectivity not just for hands-free calls, but also for listening to music via smartphone.

Aft of the front row should offer seating for four to five average Filipinos. The third row has 50:50 split folding, wherein one can sit in either third row seat and the remaining seat can be folded flat and flush with the rearmost area for luggage. The second row has Isofix mounts for car child seats and can be moved forward or rearward for adequate knee room. Plus, either second row backrest can be folded flat and flush with the third row and the cargo hold for long, odd-shaped items. Last, adding to the comfort of rearbound occupants is individual airconditoning, with the controls and the vents mounted on the ceiling divider between the front row and the second row.

The K15B inline four that makes the Ertiga move forward and occasionally backward is 100 cc more than the 1.4L on the first generation unit. Now at 104 hp and 138 NM, the all-motor 1.5L is obviously a step up from the 94 hp and 130 NM of the previous Ertiga. Plus, it’s the same motor found in the 2019 Jimny, which is pretty much an indicator of how robust the mill can be, especially when it’s constantly loaded with people and things. Link the K15B with the offered five-speed stick shift or four-speed slushbox (read: automatic transmission) and you can scoot around town (or on the highway on occasion) without the engine straining to go forward.

Engine: K15B DOHC 16-valve 1.5L inline four gasoline (104 hp and 138 NM, 74.0 mm x 85.0 mm bore x stroke), with Suzuki Variable Valve Timing, naturally aspirated

Transmission: Five-speed manual and four-speed automatic (with overdrive off button), front wheel drive

Price: P728,000 (GA, manual transmission or M/T), P848,000 (GL M/T), P888,000 (GL, automatic transmission or A/T), P978,000 (GLX A/T)