[TusharK]

According to a media report, Maruti Suzuki is likely to upgrade the Eeco and Omni to meet the new crash test norms that will come into force on October 1, 2019. CV Raman, Executive Director (engineering), Maruti Suzuki India Limited has told the media that the carmaker is evaluating various possibilities for the Omni and Eeco in order to meet future emission and safety regulations.



Both the Omni and Eeco are based on out-dated platforms that weren't designed to meet modern safety regulations. This became more evident when the Eeco scored a zero star rating in Global NCAP crash tests. Despite this, both models amount to around 10% of Maruti's monthly volumes, which is about 12,000-13,000 units per month.

Future iterations of the Omni and Eeco will have to undergo various crash tests including full frontal impact, offset frontal impact and side impact tests. Apart from crash safety norms, stricter emission regulations will also come into force from April 1, 2020. Thus, both models will have to be upgraded with BS-VI engines.

Currently, both cars are powered by BS-IV petrol engines. The Omni is powered by a 796 cc, 3-cylinder engine that produces 34 BHP @ 5,000 rpm and 59 Nm @ 2,500 rpm. A 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine with 72 BHP and 101 Nm of torque on the other hand powers the Eeco.

Source: Money Control

[amvj]

I wonder how they will include crumple zone in Omni. May be the front end of the car will change and look like Eeco ?
The now discontinued VW camper van passed any safety tests ? If yes then Maruti can implement similar provisions on Omni.

http://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=23082

In the current Omni, I believe the driver and the passengers are the crumple zones.

[yatin]

@amvj, well said!

Will the Indian crash safety norms include what was called the 'elk test'? Given the topple-friendliness of Omni/Eeco/Scorpio, I guess not!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by TusharK

According to a media report, Maruti Suzuki is likely to upgrade the Eeco and Omni to meet the new crash test norms that will come into force on October 1, 2019.

Despite not having a diesel option, the Omni & Eeco together sell about 12,000 units / month (majorly to commercial users). One can just imagine the profits made from these old & basic cars. Let's not forget that the Omni was introduced in India 30 years ago .

These cars offer the maximum square feet / rupee. Continuing their production is important not only to the bottom line, but also for Maruti to maintain a foothold in the cargo segment.

Any car that's selling in good volumes today will be upgraded for the new norms. The $$$ spend is well worth it. But still, it will be very interesting to know just how Maruti will make this tin box safer.

[The Rationalist]

I think they will need a new platform to make this possible. If Maruti is planning to make it safe on the existing platform, then that would be some achievement . I'm intrigued about the way they are going to put Airbags in Omni!

[pedrolourenco]

I remember reading an article many years ago in either "The Indian Auto Journal" or "Car & Bike International" where there was a design of a "Crash Cage" similar to a "Roll Cage" but designed to protect the driver during a frontal impact. Anyone remember it?

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by TusharK

According to a media report, Maruti Suzuki is likely to upgrade the Eeco and Omni to meet the new crash test norms that will come into force on October 1, 2019. CV Raman, Executive Director (engineering), Maruti Suzuki India Limited has told the media that the carmaker is evaluating various possibilities for the Omni and Eeco in order to meet future emission and safety regulations.

I have a doubt here, these crash norms which we are talking about, are they valid only for the cars sold in the passenger segment, or even commercial vehicles have to pass those norms??

If its only the passenger segment, then Maruti can simply move the trio of Omni, Eeco and Gypsy to their commercial showrooms without any modifications, and still be eligible for sale.

Regards,
Shashi

[chiranjitp]

Modifying these two cars to meet the upcoming crash safety tests would be difficult. The Eeco has a small bonnet in the front which might be modified to have have crumple zones & such things. While w.r.t the Omni, I can't think of anything that could be modified to make it more safe, the ABC pedals are just a few centimeters away from the front bumpers.

It has to be said that these two cars are still selling in high numbers & are one of the cheapest way to transport 8 people (specially the Omni). It would be interesting to see the modifications that Maruti carries out to make them pass the crash tests, though I have a feeling that the Omni might be discontinued after the crash tests come into effect.

[peterjim13]

Good note, we are about to buy in a used Eeco with barely 10K on the ODO for about 3.5K. This is for my PreSchool ! Will the updated car come in anytime soon ?

[ChiragM]

I believe that the Omni can be updated to meet new crash test regulations.

Google gave me a crash test video of the VW T3. It is not the best, but it does show that a van can be made safe using high strength material to absorb the impact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO_AfCFQR2M

The same principle can be used on buses and trucks as there is no bonnet. All the new buses and trucks must meet set safety requirements. I found two videos from Scania and Volvo demonstrating the safety capabilities of their trucks. Volvo even goes on to perform a head-on collision. They use high-strength collision absorbing beams to protect the occupants during a front impact. It looks effective and I feel that Suzuki will probably look at the same. This might increase the weight of the next-gen Omni/Eeco but some compromises have to be made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOk5s5Nj2qQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4SyZWl-1mA

Closer to home, here is an impressive frontal impact test conducted on a Mahindra Maxximo. There is hardly any deformation to the cabin. I can only see the steering wheel move up a little.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sx_gkS1d2E

[volkman10]

Maruti WagonR 7 seater based on Suzuki Solio could replace Omni, Eeco next year ?






Link

[jpcoolguy]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Maruti WagonR 7 seater based on Suzuki Solio could replace Omni, Eeco next year ?

If it is true, then the pertinent question is will they be able to provide at the cost of the current Omni and Eeco prices which are almost half of the current Wagon R prices. This is pretty important as the buyer segment of these vans are not for private use rather mostly for commercial purposes and will expect a very low sticker price.

[pavi]

Maruti Suzuki has given its venerable Eeco people mover a major safety upgrade. The move comes in the run up to the implementation of new norms that mandate the fitment of certain safety equipment for a car to be eligible for sale. In compliance with the norms, the Eeco has received a driver airbag, ABS and rear parking sensors. All versions of the Maruti Suzuki Eeco will also feature a driver and front passenger seatbelt reminder as well as a speed alert system that alerts the driver by means of a series of beeps when speeds exceed 80kph.

Safety upgrades aside, the Maruti Suzuki Eeco does not get any mechanical or cosmetic changes.

Modern day essentials such as power steering have been given a miss too underlining the Eeco's budget and utilitarian positioning. The people mover is available with Suzuki's long standing G12B 1.2-litre petrol engine that's mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The Maruti Suzuki Eeco is available in five and seven seat forms and can also be had with a factory-fitted CNG kit. Maruti also sells the Eeco as Tour V that is equipped with features like a speed governor etc, tailored for fleet and cab operators.

The addition of the aforementioned safety features has bumped up the price for the budget people mover by around Rs 400 to Rs 23,000 depending on the variant.

Source

[volkman10]

India's bestselling van gets a makeover.

Maruti Suzuki will stop the production of the current Eeco in July and launch the next generation of the country's largest selling van during the festive period.

Link