Maruti Suzuki has just launched the XL6 luxury MPV in India, which sits above the Ertiga in terms of positioning, and is a 6 seater with 4 captain seats. The petrol-only MPV is currently being driven by CarToq as a part of the first drive review organized by Maruti Suzuki at Jaipur, Rajasthan. We managed to spot a Tata Harrier driving alongside and decided to park the XL6 next to the Harrier to give you an idea about the dimensions and street presence of Maruti’s latest.
As the images suggest, the new front grille design, sharper headlamps and the roof rails on top give the XL6 decent street presence from the front, making it look a lot more aggressive than the Ertiga. This is also perhaps why Maruti Suzuki has choosen to call the XL6 a SUV rather than a MPV. The Ertiga-based vehicle does give away its MPV underpinning from the rear though, with a much narrower body than that of the Harrier.
Overall, for the price it’s being offered at, the Maruti Suzuki XL6 has good street presence and will quite distinct from the Ertiga on roads. It shares the HEARTECT platform with the Ertiga, and is powered by the 1.5 liter K-Series petrol mild hybrid engine that puts out 104 Bhp-138 Nm. 5 speed manual and 4 speed torque converter automatic gearboxes are on offer with this MPV. Of course, these outputs cannot be compared with those of the Tata Harrier, which is also a much heavier vehicle.
The Tata Harrier is powered by a 2 liter Fiat Multijet turbocharged diesel engine with 1440 Bhp-350 Nm. A 6 speed manual gearbox is standard on the Harrier, which is also front wheel driven like the XL6. The Harrier will soon gain a 6 speed torque converter automatic gearbox and a BS6 compliant turbo diesel engine which is likely to get a power bump up to 170 Bhp. Just so that you know, the Maruti XL6 is already Bharat Stage 6 emission norms compliant.
Bookings for the XL6 have been opened, and deliveries of the MPV are already on. While the Ertiga is sold through Maruti Suzuki’s ARENA chain of dealerships, the XL6 is sold through the NEXA chain. The idea behind this is to clearly demarcate both vehicles. While the XL6 is aimed primarily at those seeking a butch looking MPV that can seat 6 people in comfort, the Ertiga is aimed a both cab and private car buyers. This is also a reason why the Ertiga continues to be offered with a 1.5 liter turbo diesel engine with 94 Bhp-225 Nm while the XL6 doesn’t get a diesel engine option at all. The Ertiga also gets a CNG-Petrol option, again aimed at those seeking lower running costs.