We put the newest 7-seater against the most popular one – Renault Triber vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga- in comparison to see which one fares better on paper.
After a slew of SUV launches in India, we finally saw some new hatchbacks being launched in our country. Renault has launched the Triber this week and it is very unique for being the only 7-seater car under 4 meters and as such, does not have a direct competitor. The nearest logical rival the Triber has is the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga but it sits a segment above it. Still, these are the two most affordable 7-seater cars in the country and if you can’t stretch your budget to buy the Ertiga, will the Triber suffice as a seven-seater car? Here we take a closer look on how the Renault Triber vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga fares on paper.
Renault Triber vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga – Dimensions
| Dimensions | Renault Triber | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga |
| Length | 3,990 mm | 4,395 mm |
| Width | 1,739 mm | 1,735 mm |
| Height | 1,643 mm | 1,690 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,636 mm | 2,740 mm |
| Boot Capacity | 84-625 litres | 209-803 litres |
| Fuel Tank | 40 litres | 45 litres |
| Ground Clearance | 182 mm | 163 mm |
| Kerb Weight | 947 kg | 1,160 kg |
Well, in terms of dimensions, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga edges ahead of the Triber in almost every respect. It is longer, taller and has a greater wheelbase as well. But that’s pretty obvious considering that the entire point of the Triber was to be under 4 meters. And it still manages to be wider than the Ertiga by just a margin. Perhaps not as spacious as the Ertiga but it will certainly enjoy the tax benefits for being under 4m.
Meanwhile, the Triber has a little more ground clearance than the Ertiga and it weighs considerably less too. Here again, the Ertiga being the larger car benefits with a much larger boot space and a little larger fuel tank capacity as well. But while the Triber is smaller than the Ertiga, it’s no way lesser.
Renault Triber vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga – Engine Specification
| Model | Renault Triber | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga |
| Engine | 1.0L, 3-cylinder engine | 1.5L, 4-cylinder Petrol/Diesel engine |
| Power | 72 bhp | 105 bhp/94 bhp |
| Torque | 96 Nm | 138 Nm/225 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-Speed Manual | 5-speed manual/4-speed Torque Converter |
| Fuel Efficiency | 20 kpl | 19.01kpl/17.99kpl (Petrol) 24.2 kmpl (Diesel) |
| Emission Standard | BS4 | BS6/BS4 |
Now, looking at the engine specs on paper, the Renault Triber is quite short of the numbers. It only gets one engine option which is a 1.0L, 3-cylinder petrol engine and its power and torque figures are significantly lower than the ones on the Ertiga from its larger 1.5L, petrol engine. Moreover, the Triber does not get a diesel engine while Ertiga gets a 1.5L, diesel engine. That said, the Triber is much lighter than the Ertiga and while the power-to-weight ratio is still not as good as the Ertiga, the performance would be better than what the numbers would suggest for the Triber.
As for transmission options, the Triber only has a 5-speed manual. The Ertiga on the other hand gets the option of both a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed torque converter gearbox for the petrol but the diesel gets just the 5-speed manual. The Triber being the smaller and lighter car also fares better on the fuel economy front but while the Ertiga gets a BS6 petrol engine, the Triber still gets a BS4 petrol engine.
Exterior Styling
The two cars look quite the part. The Triber is shaped like an MPV, has elements of an SUV in the form of body cladding all around but has the size of a hatchback under 4 meters. Somehow, all of it comes together to make for a rather proportionate and good looking car. The face is also quite attractive with a large Renault logo in the three-slat grille and funky looking headlamps. With the right set of accessories, the Triber could very easily grab some good attention for itself.
As for the Ertiga, it too looks quite attractive. It has grown in dimensions from its predecessor and the face looks quite good. The angular creases around the fog lamp housings, the character lines on the sides and bonnet, and the L-shaped LED tail lamps at the rear, all look very good indeed. It looks like a proper, well-proportioned family MPV with tons of space inside. However, Maruti just could have given the Ertiga a little larger wheels.
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Interiors and Features
As for the interiors of the Renault Triber, the dashboard layout is quite simple and neat. There’s nothing quite fancy about it but it works well. The Triber also gets a touchscreen infotainment system, dual-tone color options and nice silver accents on the dashboard and steering wheel. However, the standout feature about the Renault’s interiors have to be its three rows of seating and the huge practicality it offers. The third row is decently spacious.
The Ertiga gets a typical Maruti Suzuki cabin. While Maruti has tried to give it a premium feel with faux-wood inlays on the dashboard and dual-tone interiors, the interiors of the Ertiga have now started showing its age. The infotainment system looks weirdly stuck on and the instrument cluster looks very dated. Fit and finish are fairly decent enough but Maruti could do with a better interior design and layout for the Ertiga. It seems a bit too fussy and the Triber seems much more neat in comparison.
Also Read : Renault Triber vs Datsun GO Plus – Spec Comparison
Pricing
| Model | Renault Triber | Maruti Suzuki Ertiga |
| Price | Rs 4.95-6.49 lakh | Rs 7.55-10.06 lakh |
Now this is the incomparable part about the two cars because they sit in two different segments. The Ertiga has a starting price of a lakh more than the price of the top-spec Triber. However, MPVs are about the space and the practicality they offer. And while the Triber cannot beat the Ertiga in sheer numbers on the paper, it is actually a very good value proposition for what it is while also ticking the right boxes in being an MPV. If you really needed a seven-seater but could never afford the Ertiga, you have a brilliant option in the Renault Triber now.
