India's largest passenger car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India launched its new model the Eeco at 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi. Eeco is a multipurpose vehicle which comes with a price tag of Rs 2.58 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.

The price of the car is very competitive as the 7 seat segment has no car costing under Rs 3 lakh. Eeco is set to replace Versa, which is a multi seater van as it has the same looks and dimension with a lighter and more efficient engine. Omni is another model from the company which sells a few hundred units month, however this model is generally used for cargo. Thus Eeco is best placed to cater to the segment which is looking for a bigger but affordable MPV.

The development cost for the new model is believed to just Rs 60 crore enabling the company to price it so competitively. The car uses the same platform as Versa and is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine with an output of 73 bhp of raw power @ 6000 rpm.

The engine for the car is developed indigenously by the company and presently will be used only for Eeco however plans are to use it on other models as well.

Eeco comes in six colors and have the option of seven or five seats. The 7 seater and 5 seater Eeco is to cost Rs 2.71 lakh and Rs 2.89 lakh respectively. Some experts said an option of diesel engine is required.

Mayank Pareek, marketing and sales executive officer, Maruti Suzuki ruled out plans for a diesel Eeco and said that the company in addition to the small cars is looking to expand its presence in each and every segment in the market.

The company showcased its R3 model and announced plans to launch sedan Kizashi by the end of the year.