For all you ICE-loving motorists, switching to a full electric vehicle (EV) could still be considered a wild decision, with concerns about the price, the range, and battery costs for EVs. If you want to, well, dip your toes first to get a feel of the proverbial waters, but still enjoy your experience of internal combustion engines (ICE), then Suzuki Philippines offers its 7-seater mild hybrid compact multipurpose vehicle (MPV) Ertiga.
The newest iteration of Suzuki’s bestselling compact MPV comes with a host of upgraded features and amenities. But what created the most buzz during its launch last Monday at the Blackbird in Makati City was the integration of the automaker’s own “mild” hybrid system, plus its gateway price of just P954,000.
Knowing that hybrids still don’t come cheap in this neck of the woods, it was understandable for some online kibitzers to be unable to wrap their heads around a hybrid vehicle that goes for just six figures, with one Inquirer Mobility reader remarking, “It costs this cheap because their (hybrid system) isn’t actually a hybrid. They just added a few extra features to their alternator to accommodate a start-stop technology.”
That speculation was quickly addressed by Kennedy F. Adia, group head of the automobile product development of Suzuki Philippines’ automobile marketing department. He explained: “Basically, the Smart Vehicle Hybrid by Suzuki (SVHS) is a parallel hybrid system, more commonly known as mild hybrid. This system is equipped with the Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) that uses the kinetic energy during deceleration to generate electricity for charging both the lead-acid battery and lithium-ion battery. During standing start, take-off and acceleration, the ISG uses the electricity from the lithium-ion battery to start and support the engine, this suppresses fuel consumption by reducing engine load. In addition, the engine is equipped with the EASS function (Engine Auto Stop Start) which stops the engine when the vehicle stops to prevent unnecessary fuel burn. The ISG and EASS work together to achieve better fuel consumption.”
The Ertiga’s SVHS has been tested to improve the engine’s fuel efficiency by as much as 7.6 percent compared to previous non-hybrid Ertiga models. In actual official fuel runs in real city traffic conditions, and as supervised by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), this has translated to a fuel mileage of 12.54 km per liter.
Suzuki Ertiga’s SVHS is integrated into the 1.5-liter gasoline engine, with the ISG effectively replacing the conventional alternator, which now does the job of charging the batteries and providing power to the electric motor, which in turn provides supplemental power to the internal combustion engine during standing starts and acceleration. The EASS automatically stops the engine when the vehicle is in idle to prevent unnecessary fuel consumption, limit emissions, and minimize engine noise.
So, yes, there is a hybrid system in there, no doubt. And even just mildly, that hybrid system saves gas, reduces noise and air pollution, and just like how that one famous astronaut said, upon stepping on the moon for the first time nearly 54 years ago, “That’s one small step for man…,” well, you know the rest.
Numerous upgrades
The new Ertiga also flaunts upgraded features and functions, such as: Electronic Stability Program, Hill Hold Control, Automatic headlamp with follow-me-home function headlamp function, cruise control, modern designed front grille, new form tailgate with chrome accent, 4.2” full-color TFT LCD multi-information display (with 10-inch touchscreen audio with Smartlink connectivity), passive and active safety features (dual air-bag and ABS with EBD), and body structure revolving around Suzuki’s TECT (Total-Effective Control Technology) and new Heartect platform, which makes the body light and rigid, and effectively absorbs impact upon collision and improves overall driving dynamics.
The new Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid comes with 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual transmission offering improved fuel efficiency and power delivery.
Norihide Takei, director and general manager for Suzuki Automobile, told motoring media: “The introduction of the New Ertiga Hybrid marks a great beginning for Suzuki Philippines as we introduce our first hybrid entry in the market. With the Ertiga being our flagship and best-selling model, incorporating the hybrid technology and other benefits that it has, this makes the product a well-packed choice for our customers.”
Jude Racadio, national sales manager for Suzuki Philippines, projects that initially 500 units per month for the new Ertiga Hybrid will be sold. “Hopefully, in the succeeding months, the goal is to surpass its previous volume level of 600 to 700 units per month.”
Coding exempt
Suzuki’s first hybrid vehicle qualifies the new Ertiga to the implementing rules and regulations of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (Evida). Future owners will enjoy perks such as exemption from the number coding scheme, 15-percent discount on vehicle registration, priority lane on vehicle and franchise registration, and Tesda training programs, among others.
The new Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid comes in four variants, competitively priced as follows: P954,000 for the GA M/T, P1,068,000 for the GL M/T, P1,103,000 for the GL A/T, and P1,153,000 for the GLX A/T. The new Ertiga Hybrid will be available in all 71 Suzuki Auto dealerships nationwide.
