Battle Between Maruti Ertiga vs Honda BR-V? Which Wins?

by Harish Kumar | 30/12/2019
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Which model should you choose from? A compact SUV with a 7-seater layout or a full-fledged MPV? A big badass Honda BR-V or the segment-leader Maruti Ertiga, instead? While each car is shining its own way in its area, we compare the Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga to see how they fare against each other in the competition?

1. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga: A Brief Introduction

The utility vehicle segment has been buzzing with a plethora of new model launches flooding the Indian market in the last several years. Maruti Suzuki introduced the new Ertiga in late 2018 then made it BSVI compliant in mid-2019 and the upgraded MPV has actually taken the market by storm ever since it hit the showrooms across India.

The Honda BR-V, albeit being pitched as a compact SUV, is a practical and easy-to-drive Honda car that emerges a better family mover rather than a sport utility vehicle in its traditional sense. Unlike the Maruti Ertiga, the Honda BR-V might not have set the sales chart on fire month after month, there are a couple of things that set the car apart from its rivals in the utility segment. Be it a compact SUV with an ability to seat seven, the Honda BR-V becomes a viable alternative to other MPV cars, including the Maruti Ertiga. Hence we pit the Honda BR-V against the Maruti Ertiga to see how these cars can stack up against each other in terms of dimensions, design, features, engine specifications and many more.

2. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga Dimensions: Which Is Bigger?

As far as the dimension goes, the Honda BR-V SUV fares better against the Maruti Ertiga in terms of length and ground clearance but loses out to the MPV rival in other aspects like width, height and wheelbase. Below are the specific dimensions of the Honda BR V vs Ertiga.

 Dimensions  Honda BR-V  Maruti Ertiga
 Length  4453 mm(E,S,V), 4456 mm(VX)  4395 mm
 Width  1735 mm  1735 mm
 Height  1666 mm  1690 mm
 Wheelbase  2662 mm  2740 mm
 Ground Clearance  210 mm (laden)  180 mm (unladen)
 Kerb Weight  1306 kg  1225 kg

While both the BRV and Ertiga are the good 7 seater car with three-row seating options, the Ertiga sees itself better in most of the dimensions as compared to the earlier counterpart. The Maruti offering now measures 4,395 mm in overall length, 1,735 mm in width, 1,690 mm in height while the wheelbase stands at 2,740 mm.

2019 maruti ertiga mpv side angle

Whereas, the Honda BR-V sits in the length of 4,453 mm (for E,S, V trims) and 4,456 mm (for VX trim), the width of 1,735 mm, the height of 1,666 along with 2,662 mm in the wheelbase. As you can see, the Honda BR-V is longer than the Maruti Ertiga by a marginal margin while the width is already the same at 1,753 mm.

honda brv front three quarters left side

It also gets a higher ground clearance as against the Ertiga by 30 mm.  However, in terms of height and wheelbase, the Honda SUV is radically shorter than the MPV by 24 mm and 78 mm, respectively. At a kerb weight of 1,306 kilograms, the Honda BR-V is also heavier than the Maruti Ertiga by 81 kg that is easily understandable since the Maruti Suzuki car is built on the strong yet lightweight HEARTECT platform

Honda BR-V Exterior Walkthrough Video

3. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga Design: Which Is Better Looking?

Exterior Design Comparison

At first glance, the Honda BR-V appears much like an MPV, especially with the third row of seats. That said, the BRV vs Ertiga shares something in common with regards to the appearance. Nevertheless, the Honda BR-V still has the quintessential SUV presence to stay in line with the SUV family.

honda brv 2019 front angle

Honda BR-V boasts of what we would call it, a “flashy” exterior design. The “urban utility vehicle” gets quite a commanding road presence with a grand design concept. The 4.5m-long SUV comes as a stylish SUV that doesn’t look so rugged and butch as compared to other competitors in its segment but enough to makes the opposite vehicle less daunting.

Honda BR-V side angle

To be honest, the Honda BR-V looks quite similar to the Mobilio which could have, says, hit the gym to bulk it up a bit. The car gets quite a complicated front face that features a thick chrome front grille housing a big Honda badge at the middle and merging with the LED projector headlamps at the outer ends. The honey-comb front grille, sculpted front bumper with angular fog lamps housings are some other highlights adding to the lavish front end of the vehicle. Still, the Honda BR-V gets the regular “outdoor treatment” of diamond-cut alloys, roof rails, body cladding and silver skid plates that enhances the “SUV-ish” styling package.

new maruti ertiga exterior front angle

On the other hand, the Maruti Ertiga gets off to a flyer with its aggressive-looking design. While the previous-gen Ertiga seems like an elongated Maruti Swift hatchback with a rather blander Van-like profile, the new-gen car looks a lot more desirable and handsome. The 2019 Maruti Ertiga looks premium with sleek projector headlamps and just like the BR-V, the headlamps come to merge with the thick chrome grille, giving a wider effect for the front face of the vehicle.

2019 maruti ertiga side profile

While the Honda BR-V’s thick-chrome grille becomes a controversial design element for the model, the Ertiga’s horizontal-slat front grille looks more premium and is mostly appreciated by the Indian car buyers, indeed. The raised-bonnet sports well-defined character lines and creases. The body-coloured fangs above the fog lamps give more SUV-styled flavour to the car’s design.

Also Read - Upcoming 7 Seater Cars In India 2020: 10 Hot New MPVs and SUVs Arrive Next Year

The MPV silhouette is more apparent over the sides of the Ertiga. The creases now look more prominent on the side profile, stretching all ways from the front fenders to the wrap-around tail lamps. The set of 16 or 17-inch alloy wheels also looks sportier and more sophisticated than the Honda BR-V’s unit. The blacked-out C-pillar also lends the car an impressive floating roof effect. The well-executed tail end design is, to say, the frosting on the cake here. It has the Volvo V90 Cross Country-inspired LED tail lamps which are connected by a chrome strip.

All in all, the Maruti Ertiga turns out to be more upmarket and aspirational than the Honda BR-V when talking about the exterior styling.

Interior Design Comparison

honda brv interior dashboard layout

As with the exterior, the interior of the Ertiga has scored well at the premium quotient. The dual-tone beige-grey colour theme exudes a premium feel all around the corners of the cabin. The dashboard is elegantly designed that grabs any attention once stepped inside the vehicle. The free-standing touchscreen infotainment system (for the top-spec trim only) blends nicely with the flat-bottom steering wheel and other design factors. The instrument cluster boasts of a simple layout with blue dials. The Audi-like AC vents run to the breadth of the dash and the artificial wooden trims appear to up the cabin’s upmarket feel.

2019 maruti ertiga interior dasboard

When we hopped inside the Honda BR-V SUV, the first thing impressed us so much is the good visibility generated by the massive glass area, thus giving the cabin an airier feel. The Honda BR-V’s cabin, the Japanese SUV enjoys the premium from the all-black colour theme and the silver accents come to work in favour of it.

Also Read - Upcoming Honda Cars at Auto Expo 2020 | Maruti Cars at Auto Expo 2020

The dashboard layout of the BR-V looks a bit dated compared to the one in the Ertiga. Like the Ertiga, the BR-V makes use of a touchscreen infotainment system for the top-spec model only. The lower-spec variants come with a 2-DIN integrated audio system. The instrument cluster comes with three gauges while the steering wheel is a conventional three-spoke unit. The BR-V also gets traditional air vents placed above the audio system with two other vents flank either ends of the dashboard.

4. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga Features: Which Is Safer & More Convenient?

While both vehicles here are the good 7 seater cars, the companies have chosen their own ways to pack their car with features.

Comfort Features Comparison

Maruti Suzuki has covered all the essential comfort goodies with the Ertiga. The 7-seater MPV gets two comfortable rows of seats in the form of bench seats at the rear and provides roomy interior space for the passengers. The complete list of the comfort features of the Ertiga is long enough to appeal you. It is offered with many features like engine start/stop push button, air-cooled twin cup-holder, remote keyless entry, accessory socket, power windows with auto-down functions, day/night adjustable IRVM, power and tilt steering, electrically-adjustable and foldable ORVM, centre armrests for both front and rear, 4-speaker sound system among others.

maruti ertiga 2019 cabin layout

The Honda BR-V, in the meantime, causes a bit letdown as the SUV will ask us to compromise a lot in truth. Yes, it is fairly equipped with a range of feature bits but by no means a feature-laden offering. Keyless entry with engine start push-button, auto climate control and rear AC vents are some major highlights on the interior features package of the SUV. However, some must-have items such as the infotainment touchscreen, automatic day/night IRVM, cruise control, front armrest, etc. are not available on the BR-V that makes it lose out to other modern competitors in both SUV and MPV departments.

honda br-v rear seat legroom

Safety and Security Features Comparison

As standard, the Honda BR-V does offer the dual front airbags across all its variants while the anti-lock braking system is standard for all models save for the base E petrol variant. Rear parking sensors and rear defogger are available for most of the variants too, barring the base E trim. Driver seatbelt reminder, front seatbelt pre-tensioner with load limiter, high-mount stop lamps, engine immobilizer are also standard variants on the Honda BR-V. Rear parking camera is equipped with the top-spec VX variant only.

maruti ertiga 2019 front view

Meanwhile, the Maruti Ertiga is truly a vehicle of safety. The Ertiga deserves a huge applause for a wide range of safety and security kits it gets on offer. The safety suite of the MPV comprises of dual airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, Isofix child seat anchorages, front seatbelts with pre-tensioner & force limiter, seatbelt reminder lamp with buzzer, high-speed alert, speed-sensing auto door lock, rear parking sensors and central locking, standard across all the variants of the Ertiga. Other than that, the electronic stability program is available for the automatic versions of the mid-spec trims. Front frog lamps and front seatbelt height adjuster can be had with the higher-spec trims only. Obviously then, the Maruti Ertiga totally towers over the Honda BR-V in this part of the comparison.

Also Read - Best Off-Road Cars in India | Upcoming 7 seater cars in India

5. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga Engine Specs: Which Is Better In Terms Of Performance?

 Specifications Honda BR-V   Maruti Ertiga   
 Engine Type  SOHC i-VTEC  DOHC i-DTEC  K15B Smart Hybrid  DDis 225  K15B Petrol
 Displacement  1497 cc  1498 cc  1462 cc  1498 cc  1462 cc
 No. of cylinders  4  4  4  4  4
 Power  117 HP  99 HP  105 HP  90 HP  

105 HP (Petrol)

90 HP (CNG)

 Torque  145 Nm  200 Nm  138 Nm  225 Nm  

138 Nm (Petrol)

122 Nm (CNG)

 Transmission  6MT/ CVT  6 MT  5 MT/ 4 AT  6MT  5MT
 Drivetrain  FWD  FWD

Maruti Suzuki is available with two engine options, one diesel and one petrol motor, one of which is already BSVI compliant. The diesel engine is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder unit that produces 90 HP of power and 225 Nm of torque. The petrol engine, on the other hands, is a 1.5-litre K15B motor option tuned to churn out 105 HP of max power and 138 Nm of torque and comes with the support from a mild-hybrid tech. The Ertiga 1.5-litre petrol CNG variant was added to the model lineup this July. It is capable of generating 90 HP/ 122 Nm of torque which is 15 HP and 16 Nm less than the regular petrol-powered version.

2018 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga | First drive review (in Hindi) | New engine, style and features

When compared to the equivalent models of the Honda BR-V, the Ertiga is less powerful than the SUV by a small margin. The Honda car is powered by either a 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol and a 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel mills under the bonnet, delivering 117 HP/145 Nm and 99 HP and 200 Nm, respectively. From these, the petrol-powered Honda BR-V is essentially 12 HP and 7 Nm higher than the petrol Ertiga model. The diesel version of the BR-V offers more power but less torque than the equivalent Maruti Ertiga diesel variant.

6. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga Top Speed: Which Is Faster?

 Specs  Honda BR-V Maruti Ertiga 
 Top Speed  NA  Around 165-170 kmph
 Acceleration (0-100 kmph)  

10 secs (petrol)

11 secs (Diesel)

 15 secs

7. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga Mileage: Which Is More Fuel Efficient?

As for the ARAI-tested fuel economy figures, the Maruti Ertiga takes on the Honda BR-V better. It appears to be more fuel-efficient with a rated figure of up to 24.2 kmpl for the diesel-MT while the BR-V diesel-manual car makes do with only 21.9 kmpl. Other variants of the Ertiga also offers a higher fuel efficiency levels compared to the BR-V counterpart.

 Specs Honda BR-V   Maruti Ertiga
 Fuel Type  Petrol | Diesel  Petrol | Diesel
 Fuel Tank Capacity  42 litres  

45 litres (Petrol, Diesel)

60 litres (CNG)

 Fuel Mileage  21.9 kmpl (Diesel MT)

16.0 kmpl (Petrol AT)

15.4 kmpl (Petrol MT)

 24.2 kmpl (Diesel MT)

 18.69 kmpl (Petrol AT)

 19.34 kmpl (Petrol MT)

 26.2 km/ kg (CNG)

8. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga Price: Which Is Cheaper?

Maruti Ertiga stands at the range of Rs 7.54 – 11.2 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), making it much more affordable than the Honda BR-V which is currently priced from Rs 9.52 – 13.82 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). For the on-road prices, the Ertiga serves as an ideal MPV car under 10 Lakhs budget while the BR-V looks more expensive for the price stickers of around Rs 10.62 – 16.21 Lakh (on-road, Delhi).

Prices   Honda BR-V  Maruti Ertiga
 Ex-showroom Price (Delhi)  Rs 9.52 - 13.82 Lakh  Rs 7.54 - 11.2 Lakh
 On-road Price (Delhi)  Rs 10.62 – 16.21 Lakh  Rs 8.5 – 13.28 Lakh

9. Honda BR-V: Other Competitors

Apart from the Maruti Ertiga, the Honda BR-V also competes with the premium iteration of the Ertiga, the Maruti XL6.

Other Competitors   Compare with Honda BR-V
 Maruti XL6  Honda BR-V vs Maruti XL6

10. Maruti Ertiga: Other Competitors

Maruti Ertiga now fights tooth and nails with some models like Mahindra Marazzo, Renault Lodgy, Toyota Innova Crysta, Renault Triber and sometimes it even steals the limelight of the Maruti XL6 sibling.

Other Competitors   Compare with Maruti Ertiga
 Mahindra Marazzo, Renault Lodgy  Maruti Ertiga vs Mahindra Marazzo vs Renault Lodgy
 Renault Triber  Maruti Ertiga vs Renault Triber
 Toyota Innova Crysta  Maruti Ertiga vs Toyota Innova Crysta
 Maruti XL6  Maruti Ertiga vs Maruti XL6

11. Honda BR-V vs Maruti Ertiga Verdict: Which Model Is Worth Buying?

To say a mouthful, if you are seeking a budget-friendly family vehicle that is still loaded well to the brim with comfort and safety features, the Maruti Ertiga should be the better option for you. However, in case you want a massive space inside the cabin, good enough to run your local errands or pick someone up at the airport or simply for a weekend getaway, the Honda BR-V is here for you. Well, it is easy to notice if you’ve read throughout the article, the Ertiga MPV looks better in most of the areas compared to the Honda BR-V. It is also more cost-effective. So people start questioning what’s the points here? Why should they buy a pricy MPV-like SUV while they’ve already had a true value-for-money one? Now we leave the conclusion there as you have your own winner!

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