We take the small but mighty Suzuki Eeco, updated for 2024, for a drive to see what the automaker's latest utilitarian offering can do.
Interestingly, Suzuki offers two of the cheapest utilitarian vehicle options: the Super Carry and the Eeco, which cost R177 900 and R205 900, respectively.
We spent a week driving the Eeco, the panel van variant, around the streets of Cape Town.
Small and economical
Like many of Suzuki's small-car lineup, the Eeco doesn't excel at speed and power, with frugal city-slicking the main priority. It's powered by a 1.2-litre engine that generates 59kW at 6,000 r/min and 104Nm at 3,000 r/min, coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox. Suzuki claims that its K12N engine has an average fuel consumption of 5.4 litres per 100km.
In South Africa, every Eeco is sold with two airbags and ABS braking, ESP, and EBD as standard. Rear parking sensors are also part of the equipment list, which comes in handy due to minimal rear visibility.
The load bay is wide and flat, offering a loading length of 1,620 mm from the rear door to the start of the steel grid partition fitted as standard between the loading bay and cockpit. It also has a certified load-carrying capacity of 615kg with two passengers and a full tank of fuel on board. Directly behind the polyurethane steering wheel is a basic digital instrument cluster. The compact cabin also includes air conditioning and a 12V power socket.
Why choose the Eeco?
Not only is the Eeco the most cost-effective option on the market right now, but it also offers reliability. Suzuki has yet to experience any major issues with the Eeco and doesn't foresee repair or replacement parts costing a significant sum.
The Toyota Quantum is the undisputed market leader in the country, but the Eeco is a brilliant alternative that ticks so many important boxes. The van is already a market leader in countries such as India, where it has sold close to a million units since it was first introduced in 2023.
Overall, the Eeco is 3 675mm long and 1 475mm wide, so it can park where other larger vehicles can't, which can be a massive bonus when space is constrained.
The drive
Being a small van, the cabin space is tight and takes some getting used to, but driving in the city proved a fun experience. Gear changes are nippy, and even if top-end speed is lacking, we found getting up to 80 km/h just fine.
Anything above and the empty load bay can make for a loud drive due to the lack of any real insulation. We found the narrow and tall design made strong winds or the wake from passing cars tricky to contend with. This is expected due to the van's light nature and narrow 13" steel wheels, which make you feel the road imperfections more.
The lack of power steering meant doing three-point or U-turns required more elbow grease than usual with a 4.5-metre turning radius.
Overall, Suzuki put together an affordable package, which is evident when you see so many of them on the road. The Eeco will only propel the brand further up the sales charts and push them to new heights in SA.
Spec and pricing
1.2 2WD 5MT - R205 900
The Suzuki Eeco comes with a 3-year / 100,000 km mechanical warranty.
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