The EECO was not designed to be a looker. Its space and price make it versatile
'Happiness Family Size' is the punchline for Maruti Suzuki's newest offering to the Indian family - the EECO launched at the Auto Expo last week, was unveiled in Mumbai today evening.
Based on the Versa's platform, the EECO doesn't look very good. But for its price, you don't get cars which offer more interior volume. The BS4 complaint 1.2-liter K-Series petrol engine produces 73bhp and 101Nm of torque at 3,000RPM.
Available in three variants 5 seater base, 5 seater AC and 7 seater, the only thing we can't understand is why Maruti doesn't offer Air-conditioning on the 7 seater variant. It does offer crumple zones and side impact beam which improves its safety ratings.
Looking beyond all that, the EECO has comfortable seats and ample leg/head room. What Suzuki calls as the Diagonal Shift Assistance (DSA) makes gear shifting easier. The EECO comes in seven colors.
The highest scoring area of the EECO is its price tag (Ex Showroom Mumbai) - Rs. 2,73,934 for the base model, Rs. 3,03,934 for the 5 Seater AC and Rs. 290021 for the 7 seater Eeco gives it a golden chance to regain some lost ground and achieve what the Versa couldn't.
Maruti Suzuki EECO Image Slideshow
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Press Release
| Maruti Suzuki launches EecoAll-new spacious family car to sport new 1,200 cc engine, transmission system
· Focus on ‘A Big Car’ with space and comfort for family · Superior functionality and drivability · Flexi-seating with 5 and 7 seater options · Roomy interiors · Sliding doors add to ease entry and exit · Air-conditioning · Range of six exhilarating colours · BS-IV compliant · Superior, in-house developed 1200 cc petrol engine with 73 bhp power · First-time ever DSA transmission · Petrol Fuel efficiency 15.1 kmpl · Beige and grey dual-tone interiors · High ground clearance · ELV compliant NEW DELHI, January 7, 2010: Maruti Suzuki, the country’s number one automobile manufacturer, has launched Eeco, an all-new spacious family car.The Maruti Suzuki Eeco is a five-door, C segment vehicle, which has been specifically designed for India by the auto-major. Eeco comes with a new, powerful and highly fuel efficient 1200 cc engine. This new engine delivers 73 bhp of raw power @6000rpm, a high torque of 101Nm@3000rpm specifically designed to meet the Indian driving conditions.The Eeco comes with a flexi design, offering 7-Seater and 5-seater options. It also offers air-conditioning. On the occasion, Mr. Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki said, “Eeco performs the twin objectives of being a spacious family car and a dependable vehicle to run businesses. Maruti Suzuki engineers have especially developed the Eeco, its new powerful engine, and a new transmission system to meet the diverse consumer aspirations that look for a vehicle that fits a large family and at the same time provides flexibility for dual use. Towards this objective, Eeco will be a new powerful attraction.” Maruti Suzuki is spearheading the adoption of more stringent BSIV norms and Eeco is the fourth model to meet these norms well ahead of the April 2010 deadline. In line with the Maruti Suzuki philosophy of making its range of vehicles environment friendly, Eeco is yet another offering from Maruti Suzuki stable which is ELV compliant. Styling: Exterior and Interior The Eeco is designed to meet the functional needs of its owner – be it personal such as an outing with family or for business. Its exterior continues the long standing Maruti Suzuki tradition of combining functional design with spacious volume. Trendy and contemporary body graphics adorn the sides of car giving it an appealing look. With balanced proportions, the 155/R13LT sized tubeless tyres add to the smooth, yet powerful drive with a good grip on the road. The dual tone interiors in shades of beige and grey provide a rich and spacious feeling. The seats have been especially designed with integrated head-rest to make for a comfortable ride. The digital meter cluster adds to the driver convenience as well as a sophisticated feel. Stance and Space The overall dimensions make the vehicle spacious and stable. The proportions lend an outstanding ergonomic layout with ample legroom and headroom at the front and rear for passengers apart from providing a comfortable driving position. The presence of sliding doors offers eases entry and exit for passengers even in congested road conditions. Safety The Eeco platform complies with all safety norms prevailing in the country. The turning radius of 4.5 metres with suspension system, tuned specifically for Indian road conditions, offers superior riding comfort, stability and handling. Superior 1200 cc petrol engine Eeco has a powerful new four-cylinder 1200cc engine, which has been conceived and designed at Maruti Suzuki. The concept given to the engine designers was to deliver the best fuel efficiency and at the same time, make it more driver-friendly. Maruti Suzuki engineers worked on incorporating the latest technologies for making this engine deliver the best fuel efficiency in its class, while meeting the driveability requirements of the Indian consumer. The engine management system incorporated in the vehicle is the latest from Maruti Suzuki. A high-pressure-injection system with optimized injectors has resulted in better atomization resulting in low emissions and fuel consumption. A high compression ratio was chosen for this engine to improve the Combustion efficiency. At the same time, engineers incorporated a knock sensor to protect the engine in case of any fuel variations. This combination also helped in improving the low end torque response from the engine making it more drivable in low-speed city traffic conditions. Intake and exhaust systems were optimized for proper breathing and hence smoother power delivery across the full rpm range. Maruti Suzuki engineers also worked on the friction development of the engine to improve fuel consumption. The engine features low friction design pistons and rings, low viscous engine oil, which makes it possible for this 1.2 litre engine to churn out a maximum power of 73 bhp and a maximum torque of 101 Nm and at the same time The Eeco uses the 5-speed manual transmission system with the Diagonal ShiftAssistance (DSA) technology__which has been extensively worked on to match the new engine to provide better fuel consumption. This DSA technology leads to an improved and gliding diagonal gear shift. The system eases diagonal motion and allows for a gear change without any break in continuity of the action, thereby improving the gear shift feeling. Environment friendly The Eeco is ELV (End of Life for Vehicles) compliant which means it uses Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Chromium within permissible limits. All four of these substances can cause irreparable damage to the environment if used indiscriminately. The ELV regulations are yet to be adapted by the Indian automobile industry. In addition, the BS IV compliant, environment friendly engine makes the Eeco truly India’s first Green Car among C segment vehicles Specially Designed for India Having been specially designed for India, the Eeco has a superior suspension which allows for a smooth and comfortable ride on rough Indian roads. All seats, front, middle or rear are equally convenient to access and individually designed to be comfortable. Eeco is available with air-conditioning option to combat the extreme climates in the country. These features make Eeco the most suitable vehicle for large Indian families that want a vehicle for both – work and family outings and fun together. A team of engineers worked on Eeco for over two years when it was subjected to various rigorous R&D tests regarding safety, stability, transmission system, engine system durability and calibration, Fuel compatibility, passenger comfort among others. Eeco represents the growing expertise of Maruti Suzuki engineers to conceive, designand produce vehicles in India. This is also in line with parent Suzuki Motor Corporation’s vision of turning India into a global hub for small car design. Eeco is offered in an array of six exhilarating colors: Metallic Glistening Grey |
