The Maruti Omni (Suzuki Carry) is a good little van in India. Launched in 1985, the Omni was the cheapest car you could buy in India (not so after the Tata Nano) and all for very good reasons. It is powered by a reliable 796cc petrol engine which would offer good fuel economy.
The 33.3PS and 57Nm of torque may not sound like much, but the Omni can carry up to 8 people, also can serve as a delivery van or even as an Ambulance for that matter.
[Head to YouTube if you're unable to watch the above video.]
So what are the modifications one can do in an Omni? For a start, we've seen a few Omnis in Rajasthan carrying an external Hitachi air conditioner (retrofitting an AC in an Omni the normal way is a bit difficult). A few Omni owners prefer to put screens in place near the windows. Lends a homely atmosphere to the car!
This gentleman from Sydney, Australia, likes to hoon differently. We hear that the 796cc engine has given way for a tuned turbocharged rotary engine (Wankel engine) sitting underneath the front seats. As you can see and hear, this Omni is epic!
[Head to YouTube if you're unable to view the video above.]
At the end of the video, you would notice that there is almost no rubber left in those rear tires. Much like the Mercedes SLS AMG featured on Top Gear.
Maruti says that over 40% of Omni owners buy another one again. We know why!
