7-seater comparo: Suzuki Ertiga vs Honda BR-V

The country’s seven-seater segment has shaped up to be a competitive category with manufacturers putting out new nameplates or updating existing models every now and then.

On that note, we’re going to take a look at two updated contenders to see which of the two will best suit your needs. On one corner we have the Suzuki Ertiga, and on the other, the Honda BR-V.

Interested to see which car will come out on top? Join us in this seven-seater comparo.

Weigh-ins

The Suzuki Ertiga measures 4,395 millimeters (mm) long, 1,735mm wide, and 1,690mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 2,740mm and a minimum ground clearance of 180mm.

Meanwhile, the Honda BR-V has an overall length of 4,490mm, and overall width of 1,780mm, and an overall height of 1,685mm. Its wheelbase is 2,700mm and it clears the ground by 207mm.

At a glance, the Honda BR-V has a beefier build than the Suzuki Ertiga. It also has a higher ground clearance, which makes it a more suitable ride for conquering more challenging roads.

Exterior

Outside, the Suzuki Ertiga wears a chrome front grille flanked by halogen projector and multi-reflector headlamps. It also dons a black lower front air intake with an integrated housing for its front fog lamps.

To its side are chrome door handles, body-colored side mirrors, a pair of 15-inch alloy wheels, and blacked-out pillars that give the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) a floating roof design.

Its rear end gets a pair of LED combination taillamps, an inconspicuous roof-mounted spoiler with an integrated third brake lamp, reflectors, and a discreet-looking rear bumper.

As for the Honda BR-V, it packs a simple yet angular front fascia with a minimalist-looking gloss black front grille surrounded by two LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights. The lower portion of its front end gets a honeycomb-style air intake bordered by LED fog lamps on each side.

The side profile of the Honda BR-V boasts black wheel arches and door claddings, two-tone side mirrors, body-colored door handles, blacked-out B- and C-pillars, as well as roof rails. It rides on 17-inch alloy wheels.

At the back of the Honda BR-V are two LED taillamps, a high-mount stop lamp, a roof-mounted spoiler, and reflectors on each of the sides of the bottom rear bumper.

Overall, the two seven-seaters offer styles that manage to emanate the different ends of the spectrum with the Suzuki Ertiga coming in as a classy people carrier while the Honda BR-V offers a simple, yet aggressive-looking vehicle.

That said, we will call this round a tie.

Interior

The Suzuki Ertiga packs a set of seats finished in plush fabric material. Nevertheless, it gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a shift boot covered in the same hide. To up its classy cabin, Suzuki gave the Ertiga wood-style appliques, which can be found on the vehicle’s steering wheel, dashboard, and door trims.

In terms of technology, the Suzuki Ertiga offers an instrument cluster that combines analog and digital gauges and an eight-inch infotainment with a touchscreen display as well as Bluetooth and Smartphone linkage connectivity.

Not to be outdone, the Honda BR-V gets leather seating, a leather central armrest, a leather steering wheel, and a leather shift knob. It also has soft-touch materials fitted on its dashborad and door trims.

When it comes to car tech, the Honda BR-V offers an instrument cluster with both digital and analog gauges and a seven-inch touchscreen instrument cluster with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Thanks to a larger infotainment screen, classy wood trims, and an overall homey cabin atmosphere, we will give this round to the Suzuki Ertiga.

Engine

Power for the Suzuki Ertiga comes from a 1.5-liter K15B engine paired with an integrated starter generator, which makes the MPV a hybrid car. Mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, its powertrain produces as much as 105 horses with 138 Newton-meters (Nm) of pulling power.

In a media drive event, the Suzuki Ertiga clocked in at 25.46 kilometers per liter (kpl).

Likewise, the Honda BR-V is powered by a 1.5-liter engine. It is, on the other hand, mated to a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission. Power figures are at 119 horsepower with 145Nm of torque.

According to Honda, the BR-V clocks in at 23.49kpl.

Despite losing the battle for power, the Suzuki Ertiga offers better fuel efficiency, so we give this round to the MPV.

Safety

In terms of safety, the Suzuki Ertiga offers features like airbags and seatbelts, an anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), an electronic stability program, hill-hold control, a reverse parking camera, and an immobilizer.

Meanwhile, the Honda BR-V gets the same set of features such as seatbelts and airbags, a reverse camera, ABS, EBD, vehicle stability assist, hill start assist, and an emergency stop signal.

Both seven-seaters are neck and neck in this round, which is why we’ll call it a tie.

Verdict

The Suzuki Ertiga emerges the victor in this seven-seater battle. Not only does it have a classy cabin but its powertrain setup allows it to cover more distance making it a fuel-efficient ride.

The Suzuki Ertiga is offered in four variants and is priced from P954,000-P1.178 million.

Photos from Ruben Manahan IV, Suzuki, and Honda

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