Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive

AdityaDeane · 26th February 2018, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by recker_us

Hi Eeco Lovers,
Anyone aware of modifications to convert Eeco into a mini camper?
I am planning a 6 month long trip across India and want to use Eeco as the trusted workhorse for the trip.. I am contemplating on removing all the back seats make enough place for compact bed for two.

If all you need are 2 seats and no factory fitted AC, why not buy the Eeco Flexi/Cargo version

I know it has no windows on the sides, but that will give you the extra privacy as well as space to fit modifications hanging down from the roof, like the sleeping berths in the train. You can instead place your Dining Table like that or make a cabinet on one side up top to store your Kitchen equipment etc. And you can do all the above mentioned modifications on it and take it to your trip across India. It also has a metal net to separate the driver cabin from the loading area, you may decide to get it removed and use the entire cabin at your disposal. It is available in CNG as well with a safety shield to protect the CNG Cylinder from cargoes. Attaching pics for you as well.

Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive-eeco-flexi-interior.jpg

AdityaDeane · 26th March 2018, 16:06

As per moneycontrol.com, MSIL is working to upgrade the Eeco and Omni to meet the upcoming Crash Test and Emission norms. Link:- https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/te...s-2536139.html

As per Mr. CV Raman, Executive Director (Engineering), MSIL, on asking about the future of Omni and Eeco with the new norms kicking in, he said

Quote:

"We are working into this. We need to meet both the emission and safety norms. So we are evaluating various possibilities for all the models. Definitely our endeavour will be to make them (Omni and Eeco) meet (the norms). So the engineering work in going on for that."

AdityaDeane · 30th November 2018, 11:14

Maruti Eeco ‘Adventure’ edition imagined! (source)

The Maruti Eeco began life as a pick-up truck, quite literally. The Eeco is essentially a passenger van version of the Suzuki Carry pick-up truck, which means that it can haul quite some load. We got out ace rendering artist Vipin Vathoopan to put together an ‘Adventure’ edition of the Eeco. Here’s what it looks like.

Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive-eecoextremerender.jpg

As the render shows, the Eeco Van-Life edition has been given a body lift, mud terrain wheels, a matte black paint job that looks oh-so-mean, revised headlamps and of course, the customary light bars to illuminate everything in its path, off the road. The front bumper is an all-metal unit while the wheel wells get butch cladding. Contrast paint finish for the wing mirrors, logo and door handles finish the mod job.

On the inside, the Maruti Eeco van-life comes with seating for 8 adults, which means that there’s plenty of room in there. The squarish dimensions of the van means that its interiors can be customized significantly. However, since the Eeco measures under 4 meters in length, you’re looking at a roof top tent if you want to use it as a self- contained vehicle for cross country trips.

Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive-eecosquare.jpg

There’s this concept called ‘van-life’ that a lot of people interested in overland travel are adopting. Van-lifers, as they are called, use passenger vans as self contained vehicles to explore the world. The Eeco ‘Adventure’ edition is meant to be one such vehicle.

In stock form, the Maruti Eeco is a rear wheel driven passenger van, with a 1.2 liter petrol engine powering it. The 1.2 liter petrol motor makes about 73 Bhp and 102 Nm. There’s a power steering and air conditioning as basic creature comforts. The Eeco gets independent front suspension while the rear uses leaf springs.

Considering the fact that it’s one of the cheapest cars money can buy in India, with an ex-showroom price starting from Rs. 3.24 lakhs, the Eeco is like a wide canvas for imaginative buyers. The Eeco has a rather interesting history. It began life as the Maruti Versa, and the automaker got Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan on board as brand ambassadors.

The Versa flopped big time as it was considered too pricey for what was essentially a van rather than an MPV. Maruti rescued the Versa from flop territory by swapping its 1.3 liter petrol engine that was borrowed from the Gypsy with a smaller 1.2 liter petrol engine.

The Versa was rebranded as the Eeco, and this crucial 100cc difference was what saved the van. Confused? Well, the excise duty for sub-4 meter cars with petrol engines measuring under 1.2 liters was reduced, and this allowed Maruti to price the Eeco very competitively.

The Eeco was over 2 lakhs cheaper than the Versa, and this got people buying this passenger van in droves. From a flop, Maruti converted this vehicle into a hit, and currently, the Eeco sells an average of 6,000 units per month. Now, this makes it one of the top 20 best selling cars in India. What a comeback!

shashanka · 2nd December 2018, 09:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdityaDeane

....There’s a power steering and air conditioning as basic creature comforts. The Eeco gets independent front suspension while the rear uses leaf springs.

Nice write-up, Aditya - I run an Eeco too and have no regrets at all! But I wanted a clarification - my Eeco is a 1915 5-seat AC model. But it does not have power steering. Has this been introduced in subsequent models or is a retro-fit available? If so, I am seriously interested!

AdityaDeane · 2nd December 2018, 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashanka

Nice write-up, Aditya - I run an Eeco too and have no regrets at all! But I wanted a clarification - my Eeco is a 1915 5-seat AC model. But it does not have power steering. Has this been introduced in subsequent models or is a retro-fit available? If so, I am seriously interested!

Hello Shashank!

I cannot take the credit for the write-up, I have just copy pasted everything from the source article. As far as I have followed about Eeco, it still does not get a company fitted Power Steering, but I guess after market EPAS or Hydraulic Power Steering systems are available for retrofitment. You may check out in the local FNGs for more on that.

Regards,
Aditya

mooza · 2nd December 2018, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashanka

But I wanted a clarification - my Eeco is a 1915 5-seat AC model.

Eeco 1915 model

I thought only Ford model T was running those days

I am sure you meant 2015. Jokes apart I feel the Eeco is a great VFM car, hope your ownership experience has been great thus far. I too have 2 retrievers and am certainly thinking of the Eeco in the near future.

shashanka · 8th December 2018, 13:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by mooza

Eeco 1915 model

I thought only Ford model T was running those days

I am sure you meant 2015. Jokes apart I feel the Eeco is a great VFM car, hope your ownership experience has been great thus far. I too have 2 retrievers and am certainly thinking of the Eeco in the near future.

Touche`, mooza!

That was some typo! Hey, great to know you have retrievers - have you posted photos in the Pets section? If you have, I'll go over the thread again to say hello.
Yes the Eeco would be a good choice for them.

shashanka · 18th January 2019, 19:57

I may be putting my foot in my mouth, but I am posting this after I've already bought the car!

We bought an Eeco in Lucknow last week. Now before folks ask me the obvious (Why Eeco?) I should explain that I have my reasons. I had 3 basic criteria which needed to be met. We already have an Eeco in Mumbai & this helped in making our choice easier.

Firstly it had to meet my budget. I have retired a couple of years ago, so the budget is important. We were expecting a windfall which unfortunately has been delayed (the original choice was Mahindra's TUV300+, with the M-hawk 2.2 L) & so the change in the choice of car. And since we did not plan to go for a loan or financing, the price was of some importance.

Secondly, it had to have enough space inside for our pair of boxers (you may have met them in the pets thread). We had just sold our Scorpio after a love-affair lasting 14.5 years. So this aspect - of sufficient interior space - was much on our mind. And I'm glad to say that our expectation was not misplaced - there is enough space for Pearl in the back and Kluso (as was his practice in the Scorpio), finds the rear bench seat very comfortable. Leaving the front two seats for my wife & me.

And last, but by no means the least - it had to be RWD. Yes, I am firmly in the RWD corner for reasons of durability & robustness - nothing to do with any handling or road-holding abilities. And I'm sure that most folks here will agree that no FWD-er (within my budget of 5L +/- ~) can hold a candle in the durability /robustness stakes

AdityaDeane · 19th March 2019, 22:28

2019 Eeco spotted at a dealership stockyard

(Link)

The 2019 Maruti Suzuki Eeco has obtained features like driver side airbag, Anti-lock Brakes, seatbelt reminder, speed alert and reverse parking sensors along with a cup holder.

Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive-2019marutisuzukieeco696x383.jpg

Targetting customers in the rural and semi-urban areas, the minivan features Diagonal Shift Assistance for smooth gear shifting, digital trip meter, integrated headrests in the front row, Engine Management System, headlamp levelling, side impact beams and high-mounted stop lamp.

Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive-2019marutisuzukieeco2696x369.jpg

The Omni, which has been on sale for nearly three and half decades, won’t be upgraded to comply with BNVSAP (Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program) norms and instead, the Eeco will likely take its place. It is expected to be re-engineered with structural upgrades to meet the full-frontal impact, off-set-frontal impact and side impact tests at devised speeds.

Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive-2019marutisuzukieeco1696x433.jpg

peterjim13 · 25th March 2019, 15:33

Hi , I have a Maruti Suzuki Eeco at my school, which was the 5 seat version with AC - including speed governors etc factory fitted.

I moved the second row seats to the back - much closer to the boot and added a row of bench seat to the middle facing the last row - just like we had in our older Maruti Omni E.

Now I have an issue with the performance of the AC, can I go back to the dealer to add another AC / Blower to the roof. Do you know anyone who have done that to Eeco, as I do not know anyone else could comment on the same on tbhp. Thanks

Leoshashi · 25th March 2019, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterjim13

Now I have an issue with the performance of the AC, can I go back to the dealer to add another AC / Blower to the roof. Do you know anyone who have done that to Eeco, as I do not know anyone else could comment on the same on tbhp. Thanks

Have you contemplated the unit from Versa SDX model? That should be a fairly direct fit IMO.

Regards,
Shashi

silverado · 25th March 2019, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Have you contemplated the unit from Versa SDX model? That should be a fairly direct fit IMO.

Regards,
Shashi

Versa had a higher roof and could accommodate roof top blower, not sure if EECO can.
My assumption is that AC is cutting off due to higher load, does AC work fine when car is empty?
Is the cooling ok even at backseat when its empty?

peterjim13 · 25th March 2019, 18:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Have you contemplated the unit from Versa SDX model? That should be a fairly direct fit IMO.

Thanks for this tip. Will the dealer be able to do this addition. Also great if you could share pictures of the rear AC in Versa, I haven't seen it as yet. Is it roof mounted?

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverado

Versa had a higher roof and could accommodate roof top blower, not sure if EECO can.

Ah ! Roof AC - would be my only option.

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverado

My assumption is that AC is cutting off due to higher load, does AC work fine when car is empty? Is the cooling ok even at backseat when its empty?

Yes & No !

The AC's blower when fixed to the center - is disrupted by the seat back - of the bench seat in the middle - this typically affects the flow of air.

On the other hand, the car runs at noon - say post 12 with occupants in the 3rd and fourth row. So the outside heat - lack of sun-film and of course the increasing number of occupants makes the front AC not so great except for the driver.

AdityaDeane · 1st April 2019, 16:38

New Eeco (7 seater Standard variant) video review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPweQl1_mc

amvj · 7th February 2021, 17:07

Eeco vehicle recall:
I am not sure whether this is shared or not.

https://www.marutisuzuki.com/importa...-for-customers

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has proactively announced to voluntarily undertake a recall for Eeco vehicles manufactured between November 4th 2019 and February 25th 2020, and few Eeco vehicles in which headlamp has been replaced in the field.

The Company will inspect 40,453 units of Eeco for a possible issue of standard symbol missing on the head lamp. Any action, if required, shall be undertaken free of cost.

Owners of the suspected vehicles under this recall campaign will be contacted by Maruti Suzuki authorized dealers in due course of time.

30th November 2018, 11:14	#63
AdityaDeane Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Manali Dehradun Posts: 1,290 Thanked: 4,055 Times	Re: Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive Maruti Eeco ‘Adventure’ edition imagined! (source) The Maruti Eeco began life as a pick-up truck, quite literally. The Eeco is essentially a passenger van version of the Suzuki Carry pick-up truck, which means that it can haul quite some load. We got out ace rendering artist Vipin Vathoopan to put together an ‘Adventure’ edition of the Eeco. Here’s what it looks like. As the render shows, the Eeco Van-Life edition has been given a body lift, mud terrain wheels, a matte black paint job that looks oh-so-mean, revised headlamps and of course, the customary light bars to illuminate everything in its path, off the road. The front bumper is an all-metal unit while the wheel wells get butch cladding. Contrast paint finish for the wing mirrors, logo and door handles finish the mod job. On the inside, the Maruti Eeco van-life comes with seating for 8 adults, which means that there’s plenty of room in there. The squarish dimensions of the van means that its interiors can be customized significantly. However, since the Eeco measures under 4 meters in length, you’re looking at a roof top tent if you want to use it as a self- contained vehicle for cross country trips. There’s this concept called ‘van-life’ that a lot of people interested in overland travel are adopting. Van-lifers, as they are called, use passenger vans as self contained vehicles to explore the world. The Eeco ‘Adventure’ edition is meant to be one such vehicle. In stock form, the Maruti Eeco is a rear wheel driven passenger van, with a 1.2 liter petrol engine powering it. The 1.2 liter petrol motor makes about 73 Bhp and 102 Nm. There’s a power steering and air conditioning as basic creature comforts. The Eeco gets independent front suspension while the rear uses leaf springs. Considering the fact that it’s one of the cheapest cars money can buy in India, with an ex-showroom price starting from Rs. 3.24 lakhs, the Eeco is like a wide canvas for imaginative buyers. The Eeco has a rather interesting history. It began life as the Maruti Versa, and the automaker got Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan on board as brand ambassadors. The Versa flopped big time as it was considered too pricey for what was essentially a van rather than an MPV. Maruti rescued the Versa from flop territory by swapping its 1.3 liter petrol engine that was borrowed from the Gypsy with a smaller 1.2 liter petrol engine. The Versa was rebranded as the Eeco, and this crucial 100cc difference was what saved the van. Confused? Well, the excise duty for sub-4 meter cars with petrol engines measuring under 1.2 liters was reduced, and this allowed Maruti to price the Eeco very competitively. The Eeco was over 2 lakhs cheaper than the Versa, and this got people buying this passenger van in droves. From a flop, Maruti converted this vehicle into a hit, and currently, the Eeco sells an average of 6,000 units per month. Now, this makes it one of the top 20 best selling cars in India. What a comeback!
	(6) Thanks

18th January 2019, 19:57	#68
shashanka Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: mum, kolkata Posts: 1,264 Thanked: 1,703 Times View My Garage	Re: Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive I may be putting my foot in my mouth, but I am posting this after I've already bought the car! We bought an Eeco in Lucknow last week. Now before folks ask me the obvious (Why Eeco?) I should explain that I have my reasons. I had 3 basic criteria which needed to be met. We already have an Eeco in Mumbai & this helped in making our choice easier. Firstly it had to meet my budget. I have retired a couple of years ago, so the budget is important. We were expecting a windfall which unfortunately has been delayed (the original choice was Mahindra's TUV300+, with the M-hawk 2.2 L) & so the change in the choice of car. And since we did not plan to go for a loan or financing, the price was of some importance. Secondly, it had to have enough space inside for our pair of boxers (you may have met them in the pets thread). We had just sold our Scorpio after a love-affair lasting 14.5 years. So this aspect - of sufficient interior space - was much on our mind. And I'm glad to say that our expectation was not misplaced - there is enough space for Pearl in the back and Kluso (as was his practice in the Scorpio), finds the rear bench seat very comfortable. Leaving the front two seats for my wife & me. And last, but by no means the least - it had to be RWD. Yes, I am firmly in the RWD corner for reasons of durability & robustness - nothing to do with any handling or road-holding abilities. And I'm sure that most folks here will agree that no FWD-er (within my budget of 5L +/- ~) can hold a candle in the durability /robustness stakes Last edited by shashanka : 18th January 2019 at 20:02.
	(5) Thanks

19th March 2019, 22:28	#69
AdityaDeane Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Manali Dehradun Posts: 1,290 Thanked: 4,055 Times	Re: Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive 2019 Eeco spotted at a dealership stockyard (Link) The 2019 Maruti Suzuki Eeco has obtained features like driver side airbag, Anti-lock Brakes, seatbelt reminder, speed alert and reverse parking sensors along with a cup holder. Targetting customers in the rural and semi-urban areas, the minivan features Diagonal Shift Assistance for smooth gear shifting, digital trip meter, integrated headrests in the front row, Engine Management System, headlamp levelling, side impact beams and high-mounted stop lamp. The Omni, which has been on sale for nearly three and half decades, won’t be upgraded to comply with BNVSAP (Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program) norms and instead, the Eeco will likely take its place. It is expected to be re-engineered with structural upgrades to meet the full-frontal impact, off-set-frontal impact and side impact tests at devised speeds.
	(4) Thanks

25th March 2019, 15:33	#70
peterjim13 BHPian Join Date: May 2014 Location: Kochi/S.Bathery Posts: 690 Thanked: 708 Times View My Garage	Re: Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive Hi , I have a Maruti Suzuki Eeco at my school, which was the 5 seat version with AC - including speed governors etc factory fitted. I moved the second row seats to the back - much closer to the boot and added a row of bench seat to the middle facing the last row - just like we had in our older Maruti Omni E. Now I have an issue with the performance of the AC, can I go back to the dealer to add another AC / Blower to the roof. Do you know anyone who have done that to Eeco, as I do not know anyone else could comment on the same on tbhp. Thanks
	() Thanks

7th February 2021, 17:07	#75
amvj BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 698 Thanked: 2,437 Times	Re: Maruti Eeco: Quick Test Drive Eeco vehicle recall: I am not sure whether this is shared or not. https://www.marutisuzuki.com/importa...-for-customers Maruti Suzuki India Limited has proactively announced to voluntarily undertake a recall for Eeco vehicles manufactured between November 4th 2019 and February 25th 2020, and few Eeco vehicles in which headlamp has been replaced in the field. The Company will inspect 40,453 units of Eeco for a possible issue of standard symbol missing on the head lamp. Any action, if required, shall be undertaken free of cost. Owners of the suspected vehicles under this recall campaign will be contacted by Maruti Suzuki authorized dealers in due course of time.
	(1) Thanks