A few months after its release in Indonesia, a lot of Filipinos wondered if and when the Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid will come to our shores. At PIMS 2022, Suzuki answered the “if”, but we’re still waiting on the “when”. Let’s have a look, shall we?
Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid breaks cover at PIMS 2022
Before today, many had already speculated that Suzuki will be unveiling the Ertiga Hybrid; they were all right. The model that was recently launched in Indonesia looks exactly the same as the one on display at the Suzuki booth, and you can tell that it’s a little bit more special than the variants that are already being offered here.
Outside you’ll see that the Hybrid has been kitted out with a new grill and front bumper design, a front chin, side skirts, a rear bumper skirt, and a set of new alloy wheels as well. On the inside, gone are the brown accent pieces and they are replaced by blacked-out “metallic” faux wood. Yes, it still has that wood-looking finish, but it now looks a lot sleeker.
What makes this special is the fact that it has something added to the petrol engine. Yes, the familiar 1.5-liter K15B motor is still there, but it now gets the Smart Hybrid Technology treatment. Added to it is a lithium-ion battery and an integrated starter generator (ISG) that makes it a mild hybrid vehicle.
In this system, the ISG works as a power plant that captures and stores electrical energy in the vehicle’s battery. This energy takes care of the required electrical load when the idle auto-start-stop system kicks in. The battery lithium-ion battery recharges via a regenerative braking system.
So again, the question of “if” has been answered. Yes, the Suzuki Ertiga Hybrid is going to be offered in the Philippines! As to “when” it will be brought in still remains to be a question, though. At this point, we’re already pretty happy that getting it has already been assured. Now it’s just about being a little bit more patient until Suzuki Philippines tells us when we can get our hands on the Ertiga Hybrid.
