Maruti Ertiga SHVS will be the facelift model in India, coming in October.

The festival season is just around the corner and automobile manufacturers are gearing up for it with updates across their model range. The market leader, Maruti-Suzuki have just launched the 2015 Ertiga facelift at the Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS).

Keeping the engines untouched, the popular MPV gets a boost in the cosmetics department instead. This approach, the manufacturer feels, should hold the Ertiga in good stead as it takes on some spirited competition from the Honda Mobilio, Chevrolet Enjoy & Renault’s Lodgy. Indian consumers love the shiny-bling effect and as expected, the 2015 Ertiga facelift gets a new, triple-slat chrome grille. The air-dam too has been revised to give that front end a bolder look. There’s also an updated grille for the radiator, the bumper has been modified a bit and there’s new chrome bezels on the fog lamp surrounds. The bonnet continues to be the same as earlier, as this would have entailed added tooling costs.

You do get new 15 inch alloys with a distinctive 10-spoke design. Maruti has tweaked the taillight cluster by giving it new reflector elements. The bumper at the back is reworked too, to bring it in line with the changes up front. There’s more chrome now, courtesy that thick surround for the registration plate. Rear parking sensors round up the package at the rear.

On the inside, the dashboard in the Ertiga facelift takes on a dual-tone effect in Black & Brown. The seat fabric and upholstery follows a similar theme while one gets silver accents for the steering wheel. Other features include electric ORVMs, single push power window on the driver’s side, 12V sockets to power up various devices and the third row seats split 50:50. On the safety front, the Ertiga gets dual air-bags up-front along with ABS.

While both, the petrol and the diesel engine options are to remain unchanged, Maruti has worked on the engine damping, so expect better NVH levels overall. A key feature that the Ertiga facelift shall borrow from its cousin, the Ciaz, is the SHVS or the Smart Hybrid System by Suzuki. Using an integrated starter generator the Ertiga SHVS shall deploy an electric motor for effective power regeneration, and fuel savings. This masterstroke from Maruti should ensure that the Ertiga SHVS should become the most energy efficient MUV, achieving best ever fuel efficiency figures in its class.

The 2015 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga facelift is expected to drive into showrooms this October, in time for the festive season, at a price-tag of Rs. 7 Lakh to 11 Lakh (on-road).