Suzuki Auto South Africa has set out to prove this by delivering an Eeco delivery vehicle to a number of pre-selected small businesses. It picked these small organisations with the help of friends of the brand who each shared the name of an entrepreneur that could do with some help.
Each of these entrepreneurs and small businesses have access to the Eeco – rent free – for three months.
“As with many of our other vehicles, the proof of the pudding is in the eating thereof. We want entrepreneurs to drive the Eeco, see how much they can load and lock up in the loading bay and test for themselves how frugal the 1.2 litre four-cylinder petrol engine really is,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa.
Suzuki launched the Eeco just over 12 months ago with a value proposition that was unmatched in the market. This remains the same today, with the Eeco offering a loading bay that measures 1 620 mm in length and 1 300 mm in width, perfect for a standard pallet. And all of this at the price of R212 900.
The Eeco also has a load-carrying capacity of 615 kg, so you can safely and legally load a large amount of cargo.
Under the skin, the Suzuki Eeco is fitted with the group’s tried-and-trusted 1.2 litre K12N petrol engine that delivers 59 kW and 104 Nm to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. A version of this engine also does duty in the Suzuki Super Carry pickup, which has proven itself over many years in the local market.
One could be forgiven for thinking that the low sales price comes at the expense of specifications, but that would be very uncharacteristic for Suzuki. In true Suzuki fashion, the Eeco is fitted with air conditioning, dual front airbags, anti-locking brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electric stability control (ESP) with traction control (TC) and even ready-to-install wiring for the fitment of a single-DIN radio.
Also included are the dual sliding side doors and a large rear door that can open wide for easier loading and offloading.
