The stunning Maruti Ertiga and its 6 closest rivals

Despite the then environment minsiter of India Jairam Ramesh slamming sports utility vehicles as fuel guzzlers, SUVs are increasingly becoming popular in the country. This trend was once more evident at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

The automakers at the event gave major focus on the upcoming launches of their utility vehicles in the country by unveiling various SUVs/MUVs/MPVs.

Even India's largest passenger carmaker in Maruti Suzuki best known for its hatches, sedans and vans, could not resist the temptation to announce its upcoming MPV -- the Ertiga.

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This compact MPV is the same Maruti RIII concept that was exhibited at the 2010 Auto Show.

The Maruti Ertiga has capacious and modern interiors with ability to seat as many as seven occupants with the seating layout of 2+3+2.

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The looks from the front resembles a mixture of New Maruti Swift and Maruti Ritz hatchback and is said to be based on a stretched Ritz platform.

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The Maruti MPV is expected to be launched by March this year with an expected price tag that ranges between Rs 600,000 and Rs 800,000.

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The launch period of its contenders will also be more or less the same.

Now, let's see if the dominant market leader is ready to take on the challenge thrown by its competitors mentioned below.

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Mahindra Xylo Mini

Mahindra Xylo Mini will pose a serious threat to Maruti Ertigaa.

The vehicle will be a compact version of the existing Mahindra Xylo.

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The front and rear looks are expected to be inspired from the New Mahindra Xylo along with the signature Mahindra grille.

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The compact Xylo will be a 5+2 seater, which means rear most row will be there only for children and in their absence it can be folded to increase the luggage space.

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The Mini avatar of Xylo will be sporty with smart roof rails and spare wheel mounted at the tail gate with the expected price of Rs 500,000 to Rs 700,000.

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Ashok Leyland Stile

Commercial vehicle giant Ashok Leyland displayed its first passenger-cum-utility vehicle at the Delhi Expo.

The structure and looks of this vehicle is said to be inspired from Nissan Evalia MPV, but it will have some low cost interiors to attract the utility end of the market.

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The vehicle will be a healthy alternative to Chevrolet Tavera with its 7 seater and 8 seater options.

But it may lack the air conditioning, ABS and airbag features that will surely be seen in the mid and top end variants of the Maruti MPV. The expected price of this inaugural MPV from Ashok Leyland is above Rs 600,000.

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Nissan NV200 (Evalia)

The Nissan NV200 or Evalia is something that not only Maruti Ertiga should be scared of, but also the established MUV segment leaders like New Mahindra Xylo and New Toyota Innova will get panicky.

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This mean machine by Nissan will fulfill the luxury quotient in the current MPV market that too with a reasonable price. Nissan Evalia is a globally acclaimed product and will be made available in 7, 8, and 9 seater options.

The spacious cabin will have all the modern day gadgets and will be priced around Rs 800,000 to Rs 900,000.

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Chevrolet Enjoy MPV

The New Chevrolet MPV displayed at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo seems like a strong opponent to the Maruti Ertiga though it is not as compact as Ertiga.

Its expected price range is Rs 600,000 to Rs 800,000.

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The exteriors resemble a bit of old Toyota Innova, especially the front and rear, but the front bumper and roof rail are distinctly different.

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This MPV is based on the Chinese company product known as Wuling CN-100 and as per some recent reports the Indian version will be called as Chevrolet Enjoy.

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Hyundai HexaSpace MPV

Following the footsteps of arch rival, India's second best passenger carmaker Hyundai showcased its ambitious HexaSpace MPV concept that will give nail biting competition to Maruti Ertiga.

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The looks are just superb from the front with LED headlamps that are stretched upwards together with a sporty and imposing front grille.

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The New Hyundai MPV is projected to have the same format of 2+3+2 as seen in Ertiga, while the fabric and dashboard material used in the cabin will have an upper hand.

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Mercedes Viano based Force MPV

Force Motors is now focusing thoroughly on the passenger vehicle segment with the launch of Force One SUV and were expected to showcase their promising Mercedes Benz Viano based premium MPV at the 2012 Auto Show.

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The vehicle will carry all the luxury and 'premium-ness' that a proper Mercedes vehicle should carry.

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The Force Viano MPV has been caught testing many times and it carries the front appearance of usual Mercedes SUVs such as M-Class.

Here the competition will be from the top end Maruti Ertiga.

It will be priced higher around Rs 900,000-12 lakh.

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