Maruti Suzuki, India's largest manufacturer of passenger cars, launched Eeco, a multipurpose vehicle (MPV) in Ahmedabad today.
With Maruti Omni being largely used by the cargo segment, and the Versa failing to create a buzz in the market, the company needed to focus on the passenger side. Introduced in three variants at a price range of Rs 2.58-2.89 lakh, Eeco aims at fulfilling this gap. Currently the company sells 550 Omni each month.
"With the launch of Eeco, we have fulfilled our aim of upgrading the Omni. As far as the demand for Eeco is concerned, we hope to attract, in good numbers, corporates, first time buyers as well as those who have already bought an Omni in the past," said Vishal Sharma, regional manager, Maruti Suzuki India Limited.
The vehicle comes with an option of 7-seater (Rs 2.71 lakh, non-a/c) or 5-seater (Rs 2.89 lakh, with a/c), with a further option of six colours.
Addressing the issue of long waiting periods for Maruti cars, Tarun Garg, general manager, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, "We understand that the market for our cars went beyond our imagination but we are trying to increase the supply according to the demand. Our current capacity is of 10 lakh cars and we have invested Rs 1.3 crore to increase the output. We aim to bring down the waiting period by the end of this month onwards." The company aims to export 1.3 lakh cars by the end of this financial year.
