Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Cross spotted testing in Pune

Indian automobile manufacturer Maruti Suzuki seems to be working on redefining its signature MPV, the Ertiga. The car was recently spotted under heavy camouflage in a muscular, rugged avatar which suggests an Ertiga Cross is on the way.

The MPV was spotted near Pune while undergoing emission testing. The spy shots reveal that the MPV’s body panels were largely unchanged, with the exception of roof rails and flared wheel arches. The front end too looked more upright and had a beefier chrome grille. The car was also spotted with new headlamps with LED DRLs.

Maruti Suzuki also seems to have increased the Ertiga’s  ground clearance, perhaps to enhance is off-road capabilities. The car is also expected to come with captain seats in the middle row. The company could equip the Ertiga Cross with all-black interiors as the Black Edition Ertiga sold in Indonesia.

The company has not made any official announcement about the car’s next-gen powertrain. The current-gen Ertiga is powered by a 1.5-litre Smart Hybrid motor which makes 103 PS of maximum power and 138 Nm of peak torque. It also gets a 1.5-litre DDiS 225 diesel engine which makes 95 PS of maximum power and 225 Nm of peak torque. However, the new Ertiga will not carry forward the diesel engine as Maruti has already announced the discontinuation of its diesel engines due to the upcoming emission norms.

It is expected that the new Ertiga Cross will be sold through Maruti’s Nexa chain of dealerships. It will be placed above the standard Ertiga and is expected to be loaded with features. The car is expected to make its global debut by the end of 2019, though nothing can be confirmed yet.