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One look at the new Maruti Suzuki Eeco and you know that, even under any earth-shaking circumstances, it’s not going to be a cult car. Even if you paint it with cheerful, earth-saving hippie imagery, it still will be a humdrum breadbox. I mean, look at it – the words panel and van were never made for each other till the Eeco came along.
Actually, it wouldn’t be right to say that because the Eeco is nothing but a cleverly modified Versa. Yes, that very same Esteem-engined van that even Big B and his son could not move fast enough. But Maruti Suzuki is a clever manufacturer. What they have done is essentially lopped off the Versa’s high roof, modified its external appearance slightly, stripped the interiors to as much would be acceptable, and finally (and more importantly), adapted the Esteem engine to meet both the BSIV emission norms as well as gain from the 1.2-litre excise duty benefit. That’s right. The old G-series 1.3-litre motor has been downsized to 1200cc and to make it meet the emission legislation, changes include a new injection system, Nox sensors and altered compression ratios. And the icing on the Eeco cake is of course a terrific price tag for both the 5- and 7-seater versions that has got cab services, BPO logistics providers, large families, small businessmen and the rest of BSM excited. Yeah, it’s not just Lambos that turn us on. And why is that? Maybe it’s because the Eeco is powered by an IC engine and runs on four wheels. Isn’t that reason enough?
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