[vigsom]

Originally Posted by Avenger

Ok. new versa it is then with alto steering wheel and dashboard looks like.
the front two seat looks like taken out of Nano with integrated headrest. I will not say I10 since the quality looks bad.
the rear benches seem like taken out a state transport bus, no headrests nothing.

What more can you expect in the standard version which is tipped to cost 2.7lacs?

The steering wheel was Alto-like even earlier.They should have used the Estilo steering wheel instead

[salilpawar1]

Clever thinking by Maruti. I guess the extreme cost cutting is a move to replace the ageing Omni in metros after new emission norms come into force.

[anachronix]

Another box, stickered, plastered and given a new name! finally, becomes a new product in the MSIL line!

[Sudan_NFS]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

If its under 4 lakhs, then it is one stonking deal. Its much safer than the OMNI and is a good family vehicle, sort of poor man's INNOVA

How can you say that this is safer than OMNI before even testing this car and even before the launch.I accept that OMNI is the most unsafe vehicle and look at the tires those are smaller than santro(smaller than FZ16).I am not sure how it will handle at corners or sharp turns with full load

[capt.chandru]

Maruthi has disappointed by giving a NEW name for the cosmetic changes made to a VERSA. Probably they will have the KB series engine powering the Maruthi RITZ.

Maruthi Should have named it as " NEW VERSA " , so the customer expectations are kept low.

[indianvirus]

This is absolutely rubbish, something like this will never work in india. Probably it will have the omni market, which itself is loosing grounds as a private vehicle. And if they name it after one of the earlier failed product, it will surely fail this time too.

[Endofdayz]

Read on.

After reading business times of times of india Bangalore, i suspect Eko is the electric vehicle concept from maruti suzuki which is being displayed in auto expo.

these vehicles are being prepared with govt initiative for common wealth games 2010 india.


source:Maruti to show its green cars in Auto Expo

Now i still hope they have something new for indian market for versa

[rajeshsundaram]

The eeco / ecko is nothing but the body of versa with modified chasis to carry a front engine I guess. Obviously this is a cost cutting measure because they are using the Versa's body panels, with the reduced ceiling height. Thats how it is possible to sell that vehicle in below 4L price range.

Clever I should say. But the success relies upon the value for money and the golden question "enna mileage tharum?" (in tamil) aka - what's the mileage? in english.

For comparison, I've give two photoshopped images below.

[rajivtelang]

This car appears to be a morphed version of alto for the front side + dashboard and the back side of the Omni. Just have a look of the backside car image from Sid. Also it appears to have 2nd and 3rd row facing each other like 8 seater Omni with one seat removed to make it 7 seater. Overall nothing new except frontwheel drive and some changes in looks.
The 5 seater is again like Omni with a lot of space behind the second row. I cannot imagine a car with rows facing each other, many people do not like that way of traveling. Versa was a better one for the interior design.
A total disappointment for me.... I am going for an Alto LXi instead. It will have all the features except seating capacity and definitely have better looks, and yeah a proven car with some bucks to save over this eeco.

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

This car appears to be a morphed version of alto for the front side + dashboard and the back side of the Omni. Just have a look of the backside car image from Sid. Also it appears to have 2nd and 3rd row facing each other like 8 seater Omni with one seat removed to make it 7 seater. Overall nothing new except frontwheel drive and some changes in looks.
The 5 seater is again like Omni with a lot of space behind the second row. I cannot imagine a car with rows facing each other, many people do not like that way of traveling. Versa was a better one for the interior design.

On the contrary, I get the feeling that all 5-7 seats are facing forwards. The 7-seater combination appears to be as follows:

2-1
-43
765

I guess the lack of the third seat along the second row is to enable people enter the third row.

Melvyn

[gitartha]

Originally Posted by GTO

If the space utilisation is of high order, this vehicle has potential in the market. But what Maruti really needs is a diesel engine. Petrol people movers don't sell, all have bombed. The only reason the Omni sells is because of its rock bottom price....something that the eeco won't have the benefit of.

Launch this car with a Linea-spec 1.3 MJD, Maruti.

IMO putting a MJD in this vehicle will sky rocket the price of the vehicle (reports indicate that EECO will be launched at a price of 3.5-4 lacs) and also lead to high maintenence cost in case of a breakdown (MJD components like injectors, solenoid valves,etc are very pricey) which will undermine the target segment of the vehicle. The main purpose of a petrol (SI) engine IMO is that you can later on fit a CNG kit to it, something you just cant do to a diesel (CI) vehicles. Most vehicles i see in NCR including 800s & Altos to even SX4s & Fiesta's run solely on CNG. Without doubt even an MJD cannot compete with CNG for running costs.

[amtak]

Originally Posted by Avenger

Ok. new versa it is then with alto steering wheel and dashboard looks like.
the front two seat looks like taken out of Nano with integrated headrest. I will not say I10 since the quality looks bad.
the rear benches seem like taken out a state transport bus, no headrests nothing. and MSIL expects 40,000 people per year to buy this

i want to

Avenger

I am sure that the pictures we are looking at are of the base version Eeco. To be honest, I like it and can buy it at that price point.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by amtak

I am sure that the pictures we are looking at are of the base version Eeco. To be honest, I like it and can buy it at that price point.

Thank God;there is one person who sees the hidden treasure

Originally Posted by gitartha

The main purpose of a petrol (SI) engine IMO is that you can later on fit a CNG kit to it, something you just cant do to a diesel (CI) vehicles. Most vehicles i see in NCR including 800s & Altos to even SX4s & Fiesta's run solely on CNG. Without doubt even an MJD cannot compete with CNG for running costs.

Agreed CNG has no competitor;however,look at the Innova and you will see that the D4D faaaar outsells the petrol(which now comes with factory fitted cng).CNG is still not freely available all over.

Originally Posted by gitartha

IMO putting a MJD in this vehicle will sky rocket the price of the vehicle (reports indicate that EECO will be launched at a price of 3.5-4 lacs) and also lead to high maintenence cost in case of a breakdown (MJD components like injectors, solenoid valves,etc are very pricey) which will undermine the target segment of the vehicle.
.

Not really,there will be enough guys who will buy it.But the 1.3 MJD will not do for a seven seater.

[pacman2881]

Originally Posted by anachronix

Another box, stickered, plastered and given a new name! finally, becomes a new product in the MSIL line!

Contrast this with Tata. They launched an all new car and branded it like a product extension- Indica vs Indica Vista.
Tata has to learn from Maruti!

With the given pricing this might well be a worthy replacement for the Omni in the commercial segment.

[rags]

Eeco is designed for people who are upgrading from omni and for people who are into small time business eg: courier companies, contractors for transporting labour, and for families of 6-7 people. its 90% versa with 10 % changes in the interior and exteriors.

Not for 0 - 60 dashing people, but for people using transport for a purpose or livlihood.

but if fitted with multijet it would become real scorcher.