VAN hailing: 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van review

I don’t know the first thing about them, but I love an honest, no fuss commercial vehicle like the 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van. You know why? Firstly, there’s not a lot to know, quite frankly. It’s no spaceship, like the Mercedes-Benz EQE we tested recently. And the people who use them don’t need to be rocket scientists either. Life is so complicated as it is … why have a complicated car?

Moreover, a white-good like the 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van has a job to do. It has a purpose, and if it does it well, it gets a tick in the win column. That’s it. I also believe cash-strapped South Africans are so drawn to the simplicity and good value of Suzuki Auto South Africa’s offerings right now. We’re genuinely excited about the affordable tjorrie, rather than the top-of-the-range offering with all the bells and whistles.  

2024 SUZUKI EECO PANEL VAN

In another life, many decades ago, I worked in the film industry in production. I even obtained my Code 10 truck licence as an adjunct to further my career. In those days I spent hundreds of sweaty hours piggybacking heavy film equipment to and from Cape Town’s rarefied film locations. A call time of 06h00 for the ‘talent’ meant the crew had to be on set at 05h00 setting up. So, I had to collect all the gear at 04h00 in my panel van.

If that’s your job, you want utter dependability from your vehicle in the blurry-eyed hours of the morning. Then, after one shot of the actress sampling the low-fat yoghurt at sunrise on a desolate beach in Noordhoek was in the bag, you’d pack everything up again and move location hundreds of kilometres away to a paddock, in Rawsonville, to get a shot of a horse hoofing through some hay. That’s the life of hard-working people. Much like the small business owners who’d consider a 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED, NOTHING MORE

Let me tell you, while relatively basic and small, the R212 900 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van is like a lavish ride compared to the flat-bench-seated and un-air-conditioned whatchamacallits I drove two-decades ago. In fact, for its size, it’s one damn practical conveyance. It’s 3.65-metres long, even if it’s not that wide at just 1.48 metres, with stowage capacity of 615 kg. The key to the 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van’s charm is it weighs just 925 kg and has a really tight 4.5-metre turning radius. It’s equipped with sliding side-access doors and one generously sized top-hinged tailgate. This all-around access ensures light work of loading anything.

Even after you’ve loaded your cargo, the interior includes plenty of cleverly smaller stowage spaces, like little shelves beneath the floor, and slots behind the driver and passenger seats. Infotainment and tech is where Suzuki has saved a bit of money to lower the asking price. Rear-parking sensors are infinitely useful, but there is no multifunction display or rev counter. Your lot in the dash is an odometer and a fuel gauge. You have 32-litres of petrol to play with, but there’s no fuel-consumption or range-till-empty display. There is no central locking either, so you have to get into the habit of circling the vehicle and locking all the doors manually. You do get an aftermarket radio, air conditioning and traction control to tame any inadvertent rear-wheel-drive powerslides in the wet. On those skinny 13-inch tyres suspended on a rigid rear axle, believe me, that’s a good thing …

SURF’S UP

Under the floor of the 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van is Suzuki’s trusted 1.2-litre petrol motor. It produces 59 kW and 104 Nm of torque, which powers the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. Remember, it weighs less than a tonne unladed, so it’s actually pretty sprightly to drive. Row through the gears and hope whatever you have in the back is secured tightly. We were unable to test the vehicle’s zero to 100 km/h performance (and it doesn’t seem appropriate in this vehicle), but we bet it’ll be as quick as a typical workhorse bakkie.  

Suzuki claims an economy return of 5.4 l/100 km on the combined cycle. And, as mentioned, there’s no average fuel economy display, so we’ll have to take them at their word. The Japanese firm is generally pretty close to their claimed figures due to the lightweight platforms it’s perfected. Plus, your fuel economy and performance will vary greatly depending on how laden the vehicle is. We detached the rear divider, reclined the passenger seat and loaded a couple of surfboards and wetsuits for a surf mission.

THE VERDICT

One criticism we can level at the 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van though is there could and should be more tie-down hooks. That way you can securely fasten items down. Unless you’ve got the rear chockfull of stuff, objects can move around easily and possibly break. Nevertheless, for a small business owner, all this load-carrying convenience is yours for just R212 900. And in today’s economy that is brilliantly priced. Especially when you consider how versatile a panel van can be. It can be used for work during the week and surf missions or epic camping trips on the weekend. But we’ll share more on that last point in the coming weeks’, when we test a certain Suzuki Eeco Vanlife Concept. Stay tuned …

THE FIGURES

• Best for: Simple, affordable motoring for small businesses.
• Not so sure: More hooks to secure items in the stowage area. Limited rear visibility.
• 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van
• Engine: 1.2-litre petrol
• Power: 59 kW, 104 Nm
• Performance: 0-100 km/h (untested)
• Gearbox: 5-speed manual
• Economy: 5.4 l/100 km (claimed/combined)
• Tyres: 155/R13 Ultima XP-C1 
• Price: R212 900

Did you enjoy this 2024 Suzuki Eeco Panel Van review? Be sure to share your thoughts with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates. Check out our most-viewed articles from the last week …

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