MPVs have always been a popular category in the local automotive scene. They offer enough room for creatures and cargo and are equipped with a capable and economical engine. That said, it’s no surprise that many Filipino families have fallen in love with these multi-purpose vehicles, just like the Toyota Avanza and the Suzuki Ertiga.

Interested to see which is the better MPV? Find out as we pit them against each other in this spec sheet melee.

Exterior

	Toyota Avanza	Suzuki Ertiga
Dimensions (L x W x H mm)	4,190 x 1,660 x 1,695	4,395 x 1,735 x 1,690
Wheelbase (mm)	2,655	2,740
Ground clearance (mm)	180	180

From the outside, the Suzuki Ertiga appears as the larger of the two MPVs. The king of kei cars has made the Ertiga longer, wider, and taller than the Avanza. It also has a longer wheelbase which makes it experience a slightly better ride quality.

Based on their exterior dimensions, this round goes to the Suzuki Ertiga.

Interior

Depending on the variant, the Toyota Avanza comes with either a urethane or leather-wrapped steering wheel, fabric seats with or without accent stitching, and either a urethane or leather shift knob. Similarly, you can either get a 2DIN radio audio unit or a digital multimedia system depending on the variant.

Meanwhile, all models of the Suzuki Ertiga come with a urethane steering wheel. Depending on the variant though, you get fabric seats with or without shiny brown diagonal strips and a brown shift knob that comes with or without a satin chrome ornament. In terms of in-car entertainment, the Ertiga offers either a 1DIN audio tuner or an eight-inch multimedia audio system.

Both MPVs are neck and neck in this round so we’ll call it a tie.

Engine

The Toyota Avanza can be had with either a 1.3 or a 1.5-liter engine under the hood. The 1.3- engine can be mated with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic while the 1.5-liter model only comes with a four-speed automatic shifter. Depending on the setup, the Toyota Avanza makes anywhere from 95 to 103 horses with either 121 or 136Nm of torque.

On the other hand, all variants of the Suzuki Ertiga are fitted with a 1.5-liter engine mated with either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission. Regardless of the setup, the Suzuki Ertiga makes 103hp with 138Nm of torque.

With more options in terms of engine and transmission, we give this round to the Toyota Avanza.

Safety

When it comes to safety, the Toyota Avanza offers airbags and seatbelts, ABS with EBD, and in higher variants, wireless door locks, plus an alarm with an immobilizer.

Conversely, the Suzuki Ertiga comes with its own suite of airbags and seatbelts, ABS with EBD, an immobilizer, and in higher variants, rear parking sensors.

With equal safety features, we’re calling this round a tie.

Pricing and variants

Toyota Avanza

Avanza 1.3 J MT – P743,000
Avanza 1.3 E MT – P876,000
Avanza 1.3 E AT – P919,000
Avanza 1.5 G AT – P1,012,000
Avanza Veloz – P1,077,000

Suzuki Ertiga

Ertiga 1.5 GA MT – P763,000
Ertiga 1.5 GL MT – P883,000
Ertiga 1.5 GL AT – P923,000

Verdict

This MPV matchup ended with a tie as both the Toyota Avanza and the Suzuki Ertiga offer features that are equally as good as the other. That said, choosing between MPVs all boils down to personal preference.

Photos from Toyota and Suzuki

Also read: 

Conservative cabin: What’s inside the Toyota Avanza?

Avant-garde: Checking the colors of the Toyota Avanza