Maruti’s Top-Seller Wagon R And The Most Affordable People-mover Eeco Get Safer With 6 Airbags As Standard!

Shortly after updating the entry-level Alto K10 and the slightly more premium Celerio with 6 standard airbags, Maruti has also upgraded the safety quotient of the Wagon R and Eeco. Both models earlier used to come with only dual front airbags, but now get 6 airbags as standard fitment. The Eeco also gets…

A New Seating Layout!

The seating configuration of the Eeco has been updated as well. It now comes with a 6-seater configuration which replaces the 7-seater layout that has been discontinued. All the seats in this new configuration are forward-facing. 

Along with the 6-seater option, it also gets a 5-seater option for those who want more boot space. The 6-seater layout features captain seats which allow easier access into the third row. 

Maruti On A Mission? 

Well, it seems like the popular Indian marque has been on a mission to make all their cars safer! We first saw new models like the new Swift and Dzire being launched with 6 airbags as standard, and now even most of the existing models right from the Grand Vitara to the entry-level Alto K10 have received the necessary safety upgrade. The Dzire received a 5-star safety rating, and chances are that some other Maruti cars could also get the honourable tag! 

Additionally, what’s more important is that offering 6 airbags as standard also makes our cab rides safer as cars like the Eeco, Wagon R and Dzire are also used by cab service providers like Ola and Uber. 

Other Safety Features 

Apart from 6 airbags, both Eeco and Wagon R offer safety features like ABS with EBD, 3-point seatbelts for all passengers, seatbelt reminders for front seats, rear parking sensors, and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The Wagon R also gets a reverse parking camera for more convenience while parking the car. 

Powertrain

The Maruti Suzuki Eeco is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine producing 82 PS and 105.5 Nm. The CNG version gets a reduced output of 72 PS and 95 Nm. Both engines are offered with a 5-speed manual transmission only.  

In the Wagon R, there are more powertrain options which you can understand better from the table below: 

Engine	1-litre naturally aspirated petrol	1-litre petrol-CNG	1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol
Power	67 PS	57 PS	90 PS
Torque	89 Nm	82.1 Nm	113 Nm
Transmission	5-speed MT, 5-speed AMT	5-speed MT	5-speed MT, 5-speed AMT

Price And Rivals

The Eeco is priced from Rs 5.44 lakh to Rs 6.7 lakh (ex-showroom), while the Wagon R’s price ranges between Rs 5.65 lakh and Rs 7.48 lakh (ex-showroom). The Eeco is a more affordable alternative to the Renault Triber. The Wagon R competes with the Maruti Celerio, Citroen C3 and the Tata Tiago. 

With the lack of road discipline and irrational driving, accidents sometimes become unavoidable. That is when having extra airbags could add that additional layer of safety in case of an unfortunate accident. Hyundai updated all of its cars with 6 standard airbags, and it looks like Maruti is on the same road. The Wagon R is the most popular car on our roads, which makes the update even more significant!