Maruti Suzuki will sell the new Eeco in both commercial and passenger segment like the model it replaces
Maruti Suzuki Eeco Next Gen is expected to launch by the end of this year and it is one model by the company that’s often looked upon. It doesn’t create the same buzz as a Swift would. But it has been a steady and consistent performer in the PV (Passenger Van) and CV (Commercial Van) segments despite the April 2022 recall.
Eeco is the spiritual successor of Maruti Suzuki Omni which is jokingly hailed as the national kidnap vehicle. Omni was a runaway success owing to its tough ladder-frame chassis, robust leaf spring suspension, 7-seater layout, rear-wheel-drive architecture and a peppy petrol engine. The main strength of the Omni was its sliding doors which are very practical.
The Eeco retained almost all of Omni’s strengths and attributes and on top, it added more space, more convenience, more efficiency, a factory-fitted CNG option and many more. For starters, it didn’t look like a box on wheels which Omni did and also came with slightly better aerodynamics. Eeco was launched in 2010 and has been selling in very decent numbers.
Current Maruti EECO To Be Discontinued
Maruti Suzuki is expected to pull the plug on Eeco by the end of July and launch the new Eeco by the festive season. Current model is rudimentary in its build and design and feels the same way on the inside too. Basic features like power-steering and steering height adjustment are given a miss too. Even AC is optional in some variants. In terms of safety, it gets ABS and Maruti Suzuki offered dual airbags as standard since Dec 2021.
The company is shifting its focus towards exports and we’ve seen this motion in effect as Maruti Suzuki was the largest passenger car exporter in the last year. We can expect that the company will export the 2022 Maruti EECO to certain markets. The new model is expected to get basic features like AC, power steering, steering adjustment and seat adjustment as standard.
To keep the cost down, it is expected to stay mostly true to the current-gen Eeco in terms of design and construction. Instead of the current 1.2L G12B petrol engine making 72 bhp and 98 Nm coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission – we can expect the new gen EECO 2022 model to get updated engine. Power and torque figures might also increase. CNG EECO will also be on offer.
Launch & Competition
Maruti Suzuki Eeco New Gen will be launched by the end of this year. We can expect the company to unveil the product around the festive season. Since there’s no direct competition to Eeco, it will continue to garner record sales in both PV and CV segments.
Currently, Eeco is also sold as a delivery van named Eeco Cargo. We can expect a Cargo variant from the upcoming model too. Eeco range starts from around Rs. 4.6 lakh (ex-sh) and the new model might get a small price hike owing to some updated features. Current monthly sales of EECO averages at about 10k units. New gen EECO could help boost this number even higher.
