Yes, not many love MPVs when it comes to looks, however, no one can argue against the fact that they are immensely practical people movers. Toyota’s Innova has been the best selling MPV so far followed by Maruti’s Ertiga, which is placed lower in the ranks and in comes the Honda’s entry into this segment.
But will the new Mobilio by Honda make any serious dents to the sales of the Maruti’s poster boy Ertiga? Or will it end up as a dud?
While it may be too soon to answer that question, let’s have a close look at the two cars’ specifications to get a better view of who overshadows whom. We are not considering Innova here since it is horrendously overpriced which makes it a whole segment higher than the regular offerings.
Maruti Ertiga vs Honda Mobilio: PETROL
| Specification | Honda Mobilio (PETROL) | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (PETROL) |
| Engine | 1497cc i-VTEC | 1373cc K-series |
| Max. Power | 119PS @6600rpm | 95PS @6000rpm |
| Peak Torque | 145Nm @4600rpm | 130Nm @4000rpm |
| Transmission | 5 speed manual | 5 speed manual |
| L×B×H (in mm) | 4386×1683×1603 | 4265×1695×1685 |
| Wheelbase | 2652mm | 2740mm |
| Ground Clearance | 189mm | 185mm |
| Turning Radius | 5.2m | 5.2m |
| Fuel Tank | 42L | 45L |
| Mileage (ARAI Certified) | 17.3kmpl | 16.02kmpl |
| Weight | 1131 kg (E), 1145 kg (S), 1161 kg (V) | 1160 kg |
| Front Dual Airbags | Only in top variant | Only in top variant |
| ABS with EBD | Only in top variant | Not available in base variant |
| Prices (Ex-showroom, Delhi) | Rs 6.49 lakhs to Rs 8.77 lakhs | Rs 5.80 lakhs to Rs 7.35 lakhs |
As we can see that the Mobilio is physically longer but loses to the Ertiga in terms of width as well height but the biggest surprise is that it even lags behind when it comes to its wheelbase.
However, the 1.5L i-VTEC petrol engine is clearly the better motor out there. It is more powerful (24PS) and more importantly produces higher torque which is a blessing when carrying loads. Mobilio is also more economical with an ARAI certified mileage of 17.3 kmpl as compared to Ertiga’s 16.02kmpl.
On the roads this should translate into at least a kilometer more of running within 1 liter of petrol. Though Mobilio, at 42 liters of capacity, has a smaller fuel tank but owing to better fuel efficiency, it would translate into a very similar travelling range! Mobilio also has a slightly higher ground clearance.
For the petrol, Mobilio clearly has en edge when it comes to the engine, however, its prices appear to be optimistic and have a significant difference variant to variant.
Honda Mobilio vs Maruti Ertiga: DIESEL
| Specification | Honda Mobilio (DIESEL) | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (DIESEL) |
| Engine | 1498cc i-DTEC | 1248cc DDiS |
| Max. Power | 100PS @3600rpm | 90PS @4000rpm |
| Peak Torque | 200Nm @1750rpm | 200Nm @1750rpm |
| Transmission | 5 speed manual | 5 speed manual |
| Weight | 1214 kg (E), 1231 kg (S), 1246 kg (V) | 1240 kg |
| Wheelbase | 2652mm | 2740mm |
| Ground Clearance | 189mm | 185mm |
| Turning Radius | 5.4m | 5.2m |
| Fuel Tank | 42L | 45L |
| Mileage | 24.2kmpl | 20.77kmpl |
| Tire Size | 185/65 R15 | 185/65 R15 |
| Front Dual Airbags | Only in top variant | Only in top variant |
| ABS with EBD | All variants | All variants |
| Prices (Ex-showroom, Delhi) | Rs 7.89 lakhs to Rs 9.76 lakhs (RS variant Rs 10.86 lakhs) | Rs 7.23 lakhs to Rs 8.49 lakhs |
Once again the Honda Mobilio gets a more powerful engine which produces 10PS of more power and at a lesser rpm, ensuring better performance off the block. It produces relatively lesser turbo lag ensuring a smoother drive. On the other hand, Ertiga’s DDIS motor is the same which we have known for years. If we discount the turbo lag under 2000 rpm, it is the more ‘fun to drive’ car here.
Here comes the bigger shot – Mobilio boasts of a segment leading 24.2kmpl of ARAI certified mileage, thanks to the i-DTEC mill which does duty on the new City and Amaze. In comparison, Ertiga’s 20.77kmpl look bleak! For some reason Mobilio diesel’s turning radius is 0.2mm longer than its petrol variant as well as Ertiga’s.
Its again in the pricing front that Honda appears to be slightly over enthusiastic, specially considering that Ertiga currently is running with some fantastic offers of upto Rs 50,000.
In terms of variants, Mobilio gets a better looking RS variant which certainly gets it some brownie points and on the other hand, Ertiga gets CNG variants in the lineup.
Related: Mobilio vs Ertiga – Variantwise Price Comparison
