[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by Mpower

1) I am curious to know if the 1.2 engine can pull with 7 people and AC.

2) have they reduced the bore or the stroke of the G13?

1) Eeco is not available in 7 seat AC version.
To the best of my knowledge, three versions are available.
a) 5 seater standard
b) 5 seater AC
c) 7 seater standard.

2) I tried getting this information, but its not listed in Maruti website.
Now Esteem had Bore X Stroke of 74X75.5.
If we reduce the Bore to 71 then bore X stroke is 71X75.5. This leads to 1196cc figure. Not sure on this, but I think it would make sense to reduce bore to make rather than stroke.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by rpmx1000

A short test drive, will post a better one later if I can eke out the time! A quick question about delivery time ( The boards prominently said in the showroom that the Swift VDi with ABS had a cool 3 month waiting period!) yielded answers like "1-2 weeks , sir!".I would'nt be surprised if this does meet the 40k/year sales target, but throw in some better parts ( don't you have enough of those, MSIL?) and the numbers could really zoom northwards.

Looks like the Eeco is selling like hotcakes in Kerala. There is not a single day since the past Saturday that passes without spotting atleast one new Eeco on the road. I drive daily from Kodungallur (in Thrissur District) to Ernakulam, and I'd spot atleast one Eeco per day!

Glad that the Eeko is better - atleast than the Omni. I was just hoping they bring a "premium" version with better seats and some more accessories. The car will sell like hotcakes if Maruti plonks in the 1.3 DDiS

[rpmx1000]

Originally Posted by rr_zen

Short and neat review. Can you throw more light on the triangular gear shift ? I read about it on the website but would like to know how superior it is over the regular one(if at all).

It is indeed better. While not exactly triangular, it's more like the slotting is such that you don't have to follow the 'triple H'.Or to put it better, you don't mistakenly end up in 1st gear like on other cars. I don't have a shifting habit like that but my wife does. She started with an 800 and I guess for these kind of drivers it will be a major boon.It is very good to use but the 1-2 shift was not good in the vehicle I drove. I hope that is not the case in general but I felt it was important to include in the review. Other BHPians across the country can check and verify this. I have a feeling this topic merits a full blown thread.

Originally Posted by Mpower

I am curious to know if the 1.2 engine can pull with 7 people and AC.

have they reduced the bore or the stroke of the G13?

Dude ,come on! did'nt the Omni pull 7 people with AC ? The question would be, at what speed? Well methinks it can. This vehicle is very good under 100 kph. Above that , no guarantee. You'd see figures like 0-100 kmph in 30 seconds (speculating!)..

[sachinj12]

Saw the 7 seater in the showroom, Sagar automobiles. Bannerghatta road.

Some observations:

The front seats have ample leg room ( I am 5'9)

The second row has a single half a bench;two adults is a tight fit there, the shoulders rub. The leg room is just adequate, or rather I daresay slightly cramped. But its ok, manageable.

The 3rd row is strictly for people under 5'4. My knees hurt when I was seated in the last row.

Cost cutting is evident, almost in-your-face.

Plastic looks real cheap.

The sales person has no clue whether its a K-series, each has a different answer. One common description from all was, "Sir, engine is 100% aluminium"

Fantastic ground clearance.

Tyres look puny. One look at the tyre and instant doubts will arise in your mind.

Turning radius is lesser than K series estilo. (Estilo- 4.6m, Ecko- 4.5m)

[aargee]

Spotted a test drive vehicle today in Chennai

[airbender]

1. 5 - seater std - 3.23 lakhs
2. 7 - seater std - 3.42 lakhs ( too much of a difference!)
3. 5 seater A/C - 3.58 lakhs

Pricing is the best part here.

[vivekgk]

I took a test drive of the Eeco a couple of days ago at Trivandrum. Here's how it went.

First of all, I had to wait for two days to get a TD. Apparently, there were so many inquiries that they were on a waiting list. I finally got one, thanks to my friends who works at Indus Motors here in Tvm. I must say that I had no interest in the car at all, but my dad saw it being reviewed on a TV channel, and got interested.

My friend was only a bit late with the Eeco, and I immediately took the wheel, with Dad and Sis on the back seat. Rightaway, I noticed that the view outside was excellent. I could see all around me, and reversing was even easier than my Maruti 800, because of the high seating position. The dash plastics are of passable quality, I'd say Alto-level. You can see where they cut costs though, like the instrument cluster with the blanks, and the thin steering from the Alto. I decided to hit some really bad backroads to check out the ride, leading to the NH bypass where I could check the grunt.

Moving on, I found that the engine was smooth, and had loads of crisp low end torque. I hardly had to apply any throttle to get it moving, and quickly learnt that the trick was to shift early. I was expecting a screamer, the engine being based on the G-series and all, but Maruti has done some good work here. I'm sure that this baby will return really good mileage. There was enough power for overtaking, and the engine didn't get rough when given the stick. I could feel some vibes, but nothing serious. The handling was precise, never feeling even a bit vague. I was amazed by how quickly I got used to it.

The ride was not so good. I could feel every imperfection on the road, and my Dad and Sis were very vocal about it. The rear seats lack headrests. It was worse than the Alto, and even worse than my M800. I suspect that the 155-R13LT Light Truck tyres are spoiling the party. Changing over to softer passenger car tyres would probably do wonders, because the suspension setup looked good on paper, and handled big bumps really well without bottoming. It was the small irregularities that were transmitted over to the occupants, something that is usually absorbed by the tyre sidewalls. Maybe 175/70 Yokohamas all around...

The tables are turned on the highway. The engine has good grunt, as I found out quite by accident. I had finished the drive and was waiting by the side of the highway to take a U-turn. There was a gap with no vehicles, and I put it in first and floored it. To my delight and amazement, the back slid around and I was making corrections! I grinned sheepishly at my passengers who were looking at me as if I was nuts, and truthfully blurted, "I forgot that this was rear wheel drive".

The handling though, isn't confidence inspiring at high speeds. It lets you know that it's a van, and expects to be treated as such. The ride is much better, though small imperfections filter through.

So, will I be booking one? No. Sorry Maruti, but I'm not buying a van without power steering, no matter how cheap it is. The steering is light at low speeds, but it requires considerable effort at parking speeds and while stationary. Rs. 3.27L OTR on Trivandrum is tempting, but it is too utilitarian for my taste. Bring out a passenger version with power steering, body-coloured bumpers, better seats and better tyres, and I'd consider it if it's priced in the 3.5-3.75L bracket.

[vigsom]

Having owned and experienced a Versa in detail for close to six years,let me give my views in line

Originally Posted by vivekgk

I noticed that the view outside was excellent. I could see all around me, and reversing was even easier than my Maruti 800, because of the high seating position - high seating is the USP of this car-a-van.All round view is fantastic because of the large glass area.It is a boon in heavy traffic or when reversing in tight spots



The dash plastics are of passable quality, I'd say Alto-level. and the thin steering from the Alto - the AC switch console and the steering were common parts for the old gen Wagon-R,Alto and Versa.Thin steering can be easily overcome by a "tyre" type steering cover eg.Type-R

Moving on, I found that the engine was smooth, and had loads of crisp low end torque. I hardly had to apply any throttle to get it moving, and quickly learnt that the trick was to shift early. -you can even drive in fourth at 30kmph without harming the engine


The ride was not so good. I could feel every imperfection on the road, and my Dad and Sis were very vocal about it. The rear seats lack headrests. It was worse than the Alto, and even worse than my M800. I suspect that the 155-R13LT Light Truck tyres are spoiling the party. Changing over to softer passenger car tyres would probably do wonders, because the suspension setup looked good on paper, and handled big bumps really well without bottoming. It was the small irregularities that were transmitted over to the occupants, something that is usually absorbed by the tyre sidewalls. Maybe 175/70 Yokohamas all around... - this is the only pain; no tyre upgrade can solve this as the suspension is built for loads

The tables are turned on the highway. The engine has good grunt, as I found out quite by accident. I had finished the drive and was waiting by the side of the highway to take a U-turn. There was a gap with no vehicles, and I put it in first and floored it. To my delight and amazement, the back slid around and I was making corrections! I grinned sheepishly at my passengers who were looking at me as if I was nuts, and truthfully blurted, "I forgot that this was rear wheel drive".

The handling though, isn't confidence inspiring at high speeds. -yes,speeds upto 80kmph is advisable.I have tried 100 kmph in a laden Versa but wasn't too comfy

So, will I be booking one? No. Sorry Maruti, but I'm not buying a van without power steering, no matter how cheap it is. The steering is light at low speeds, but it requires considerable effort at parking speeds and while stationary. Rs. 3.27L OTR on Trivandrum is tempting, but it is too utilitarian for my taste. Bring out a passenger version with power steering, body-coloured bumpers, better seats and better tyres, and I'd consider it if it's priced in the 3.5-3.75L bracket.

cosmetic changes can be easily done for a small sum of money; yes,the PS is a notable omission and knowing Maruti,they'll not introduce it.You can,however,get the Versa PS column and put it in - approx 25000 rupees.

Anybody on the forum who wishes to buy and spruce up Eeco - please write to me.I will be glad to offer free quality advice.

[misquitas]

vigsom, how difficult or easy is it to add a Versa PS to the Eeco. And will it void the warranty on the Eeco?

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by misquitas

vigsom, how difficult or easy is it to add a Versa PS to the Eeco. And will it void the warranty on the Eeco?

It would be a simple job to remove the steering column of the Eeco and put in a EPS column of the Versa.Scores of EPS columns were repalced in Altos,WagonRs and Swifts in the 2006 floods here.The Versa EPS column is no different.

A competent MASS should be able to do this with ease.As regards the warranty,if the dealer/MASS does the job,it should not go void,unless there is some clause which says,"This warranty will not cover modifications"

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by vigsom

It would be a simple job to remove the steering column of the Eeco and put in a EPS column of the Versa.Scores of EPS columns were repalced in Altos,WagonRs and Swifts in the 2006 floods here.The Versa EPS column is no different."

check to see if the alternator and battery are teh same size.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by Mpower

check to see if the alternator and battery are teh same size.

The battery on the non ac 5 seater was 38B20 series(which is 35AH);not sure about the ac version.

AFAIK the EPS uses the same motor for the Alto,WagonR,Versa and Swift;and these cars have the same battery specs;so makes no difference.

[Proxima]

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Turning radius is lesser than K series estilo. (Estilo- 4.6m, Ecko- 4.5m)

Originally Posted by rpmx1000

The Eeko had arrived in showrooms last saturday in Bangalore.

I thought it was Eecko until I saw this thread. The Eeco sure does have easy-to-misspell name.

I really like the car's VFM, it should give about 12-13 kmpl. A poor man's Xylo/Innova.

[mjothi]

Perfect "FACE" lifted omni

But at this price, its going to be selling good.

[maglev]

Tested one last week, to me the Suzuki Eeco seems perfect for the price.

In New Delhi, the 5 seater A/C variant cost's R.s.: 3,10,000/- On Road.

What more can one ask for??