A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance,
petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.
Eeco starts ZAR 339995 cheaperEeco from ZAR 196,900 · Sonet Panel Van from ZAR 339,995
Key Specs Side by Side
The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Engine Power
61 kW
85 kW
Torque
103 Nm
143 Nm
Engine Size
1197 cc
1497 cc
Claimed Mileage
16.9 km/l
16.9 km/l
Ground Clearance
170 mm
211 mm
Boot / Load Bay
120 l
392 l
Airbags
2
6
Kerb Weight
905 kg
1230 kg
Seating Capacity
7
2
Warranty
5
7 Years / 150,000 km
= leads in this spec
The Bottom Line
Sonet Panel Van holds a noticeable edge over Eeco, especially in key ownership areas.
Where They Actually Differ
Performance
Sonet Panel Van
+12 pts
Efficiency
Equal
Safety
Sonet Panel Van
+56 pts
Practicality
Sonet Panel Van
+1 pts
Ownership
Sonet Panel Van
+11 pts
What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)
Eeco
Strengths
Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
Less powerful engine setup
Less comprehensive safety features
Less practical in daily usage
Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to:General Use
🏆 Overall Winner
Sonet Panel Van
Strengths
More powerful engine output
Stronger safety package
More practical for daily use
Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to:Highway DrivingFamily Usage
Which One's Right for You?
Eeco
Buyers looking for a balanced all-round vehicle
Sonet Panel Van
Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
Large families needing more practicality and usability
Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind
Full Specs, Side by Side
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Model Introduced Year
2017
2022
Generation
Second-generation Eeco on dedicated commercial platform with purpose-built high-roof body; G12B engine consistent across the Eeco's SA lifespan; commercial application specific, not shared with passenger vehicle range
Commercial derivative of first-generation Sonet BC3 platform
Facelift History
Second-generation Eeco in SA since 2017; minor exterior and interior updates in 2021; specification has remained stable — the buyer segment does not require frequent feature updates
No significant facelift; tracks Sonet passenger model updates
Facelift Launched Since
2021
Original current-generation version
Facelift Version Ending
Current
Current
Body Style
Van
Van
Color Note
Solid White, Metallic Silver
Clear White, Aurora Black Pearl
Dealer Stock Note
Mid grade in the South Africa lineup
Mid grade in the South Africa lineup
Model Year
2026
2026
Production Status
published
published
Segment
Van
Van
Vehicle Type
Van
Van
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Ground Clearance
170 mm
211 mm
Wheelbase
2350 mm
2500 mm
Length
3675 mm
3995 mm
Width
1475 mm
1790 mm
Height
1700 mm
1635 mm
Kerb Weight
905 kg
1230 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight
1280 kg
1670 kg
Seating Capacity
7
2
Boot Space
120 l
392 l
Towing Capacity
0 kg
-
Front Track Width
1285 mm
1544 mm
Rear Track Width
1285 mm
1536 mm
Turning Radius
4.5 m
10.4 m
Load Bed Length
120 l
392 l
Load Bed Width
1250 mm
-
Front Legroom
930 mm
1030 mm
Rear Legroom
750 mm
860 mm
Front Headroom
1020 mm
990 mm
Rear Headroom
1000 mm
950 mm
Front Shoulder Room
1200 mm
1380 mm
Rear Shoulder Room
1180 mm
1330 mm
Boot Space Seats Folded
800 l
1143 l
Number of Doors
4
5
Max Payload
390 kg
-
Boot Volume
120 l
392 l
Doors
4
5
Seats
7
2
Fuel Tank Capacity
35 l
45 l
Gross Vehicle Mass Kg
1280 kg
1670 kg
Ground Clearance Max
170 mm
211 mm
Ground Clearance Min
170 mm
211 mm
Ground Clearance Mm
170 mm
211 mm
Height Mm
1700 mm
1635 mm
Length Mm
3675 mm
3995 mm
Loadbox Length Mm
120 l
392 l
Loadbox Width Mm
1250 mm
-
Payload Kg
390 kg
-
Cargo Volume
120 l
392 l
Tare Mass Kg
905 kg
1230 kg
Turning Circle
4.5 m
10.4 m
Turning Circle M
4.5 m
10.4 m
Width Mm
1475 mm
1790 mm
Boot Space Seats Folded
800 l
1143 l
Front Overhang
-
800 mm
Rear Overhang
-
695 mm
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Engine
1.2L G12B 4-Cylinder Petrol
1.5 G4LC Inline-4 DOHC Petrol NA
Engine Type
Inline 4 Cylinder Naturally Aspirated
Inline 4 Cylinder Naturally Aspirated
Displacement
1197 cc
1497 cc
Cylinders
4
4
Valves per Cylinder
2
16
Power
61 kW
85 kW
Power @ RPM
6,000 rpm
6,300 rpm
Torque
103 Nm
143 Nm
Torque @ RPM
3,000 rpm
4,000 rpm
Fuel System
Multi-Point Fuel Injection (MPFI)
Gasoline Direct Injection
Turbocharger
-
No
Top Speed
130 km/h
172 km/h
0-100 km/h
17.0 sec
11.2 sec
Compression Ratio
9.5:1
13.0:1
Engine Position
Transverse Front-Mounted
Front Transverse
Cylinder Bore
68.5 mm
75.0 mm
Piston Stroke
81.3 mm
84.5 mm
Engine Code
G12B
G4LC
Engine Oil Capacity
3.5 l
4.5 l
Power
82 bhp
114 bhp
Fuel Grade Required
93 RON Unleaded Petrol
93 Octane
Cylinder Layout
Inline 4 (I4)
Inline 4 (I4)
Engine Aspiration
Naturally Aspirated
Naturally Aspirated
Variable Valve Timing
Not Available — Fixed Cam Timing
CVVT
Maximum Engine RPM
6500 rpm
6,500 rpm
Engine Type Config
1.2L G12B 4-Cylinder Petrol
Inline 4 Cylinder (I4) DOHC 16-Valve
0–100 km/h
17.0 sec
11.2 sec
Battery Capacity
-
-
Charging Port
-
-
AC Charging Time
-
-
Engine Displacement
1197 cc
1497 cc
Engine Displacement Litres
1197 cc
1497 cc
EV Range
-
-
Acceleration 0 100
17.0 sec
11.2 sec
Combined System Power
-
-
Combined System Torque
-
-
Engine Config
1.2L G12B 4-Cylinder Petrol
1.5 G4LC Inline-4 DOHC Petrol NA
Engine Cylinders
4
4
Engine Displacement Cc
1197 cc
1497 cc
Engine Power kW
61 kW
85 kW
Engine Torque Nm
103 Nm
143 Nm
Engine Valves
2
16
Induction
Naturally Aspirated
Naturally Aspirated
Max Power kW
61 kW
85 kW
Max Torque Nm
103 Nm
143 Nm
Maximum Power
61 kW
85 kW
Maximum Torque
103 Nm
143 Nm
Motor Position
-
-
Motor Power
-
-
Motor Torque
-
-
Motor Type
-
-
Power Assisted Steering
Power Assisted Steering (Hydraulic)
Electric Power Assisted
Power kW Rpm
6,000 rpm
6,300 rpm
Active Exhaust
-
-
System Output
-
-
Torque Nm Rpm
3,000 rpm
4,000 rpm
Turbo Type
Naturally Aspirated
Naturally Aspirated
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Transmission
Manual
Automatic
Drive Type
FWD
FWD
Drivetrain Layout
Front Wheel Drive
FWD
LSD Available
-
No
Transfer Case
-
-
Differential Lock
-
No
Paddle Shifters
-
No
Final Drive Ratio
4.529:1
3.56
Steering Turns Lock to Lock
3.2
15.1:1
Number of Gears
5 km/h
CVT
Transmission Type
Manual
Automatic
Clutch Type
Single Dry Plate Diaphragm
Torque Converter
Drivetrain
FWD
FWD
Transmission
Manual
Automatic
4WD Engagement
-
-
4WD Hi Range
-
-
4WD Lo Range
-
-
4WD Selector
-
-
Automatic Shift Paddles
-
No
Differential Type Front
-
-
Differential Type Rear
-
-
Front Differential Lock
-
-
Gearbox Type
Manual
Automatic
Low Range
-
-
Axle Layout
FWD
FWD
Rear Differential Lock
-
-
Transfer Case Guard
-
-
Transmission Speeds
5 km/h
CVT
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Claimed Mileage
16.9 km/l
16.9 km/l
City Mileage
14.7 km/l
13.7 km/l
Highway Mileage
20.0 km/l
20.0 km/l
Fuel Tank Capacity
35 l
45 l
Emission Standard
Euro 5
Euro 6
AdBlue Tank Capacity
-
No
Auto Start Stop
-
Yes
Average Fuel Consumption
5.9 l/100km
5.9 l/100km
Claimed Fuel Consumption
5.9 l/100km
5.9 l/100km
Fuel Efficiency
5.9 l/100km
5.9 l/100km
Real-world Mileage
16.9 km/l
16.9 km/l
AC Charging Power
-
-
Charging Port Type
-
-
Charging Time AC Full
-
-
Charging Time DC Fast 80pct
-
-
Charging Type
-
-
Combined Consumption
5.9 l/100km
5.9 l/100km
Combined Consumption L 100km
5.9 l/100km
5.9 l/100km
DC Charging Power
-
-
Fuel Economy Combined
5.9 l/100km
5.9 l/100km
Fuel Tank Litres
35 l
45 l
Fuel Type
Petrol
Petrol
Low Range Ratio
-
-
Combined Driving Range
-
-
Electric Consumption
-
-
Range Real World Highway
-
-
Range Real World Mixed
-
-
Range Wltp
-
-
Low Fuel Warning
-
Yes
Fuel Consumption Extra Urban
-
5.0 l/100km
Fuel Consumption Urban
-
7.3 l/100km
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Airbags
2
6
ABS
Standard
Yes
Electronic Stability Control
-
Yes
Traction Control
-
Yes
Hill Descent Control
-
No
Hill Start Assist
-
Yes
Child Safety Lock
Standard
Yes
ISOFIX Mounts
-
Yes
Brake Assist
Standard
Yes
Tyre Pressure Monitor
-
Yes
Engine Immobiliser
Standard
Yes
Alarm System
-
Yes
Central Locking
Manual Central Locking
Yes
Side Impact Beams
Standard
Yes
Seatbelt Warning All Seats
Front Seats
Yes
Speed Alert System
-
Yes
Pedestrian Detection AEB
-
No
Front Parking Sensors
-
No
Safety Rating
Not Independently Rated — Commercial Vehicle
5
Whiplash Protection
Basic Head Restraints
Yes
Lane Change Warning
-
No
AEB
-
No
BA
Standard
Yes
Brake Override System
-
Yes
Curtain Airbags
-
Yes
Driver Airbag
2
Yes
EBD
Standard
Yes
Engine Immobiliser
Standard
Yes
Hill Hold
-
Yes
Passenger Airbag
2
Yes
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
-
No
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Front Seats
Yes
Side Airbags
-
Yes
TCS
-
Yes
Blind Spot Monitoring
-
No
Knee Airbag
-
No
ABS EBD
Standard
Yes
Anti Theft Alarm
-
Yes
Driver Front Passenger Airbags
2
6
Driver Passenger Airbags
2
6
ESC With Traction Control
-
Yes
Fatigue Detection
-
No
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Cruise Control
-
Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control
-
No
Lane Keep Assist
-
No
Lane Departure Warning
-
No
Blind Spot Monitoring
-
No
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
-
No
Parking Sensors
-
Yes
Rear View Camera
-
Yes
360 Degree Camera
-
No
Autonomous Emergency Braking
-
No
Driver Fatigue Alert
-
No
Traffic Sign Recognition
-
No
Auto Highbeam
-
No
Auto Lights
-
No
Auto Wipers
-
No
Drive Modes
-
No
EV Mode
-
No
Rear Parking Sensors
-
Yes
Reverse Camera
-
Yes
Adaptive Cruise Control
-
No
Park Assist
-
No
Around View Monitor
-
No
Blind Spot Warning
-
No
Emergency Braking
-
No
Forward Collision Warning
-
No
Front Camera
-
No
Parking Distance Sensors
-
Yes
Parking Sensor
-
Yes
Pre-Collision System
-
No
Rain Sensor Wipers
-
No
Rear View Camera
-
Yes
Reverse Camera Type
-
Yes
Reversing Camera
-
Yes
Surround View Camera
-
No
Eco Mode
-
No
Sport Mode
-
No
Automatic High Beam
-
No
Spec
Eeco
Sonet Panel Van
Seat Material
Vinyl (Wipe-Clean Commercial Grade)
Cloth
Seat Adjustment
Manual 4-Way Driver
6-Way Manual
Heated Seats
-
No
Ventilated Seats
-
No
Steering Type
Hydraulic Power Assisted Steering
Yes
Steering Adjustment
Tilt Adjustable
Tilt and Telescopic
Ambient Lighting
-
No
Folding Rear Seats
Third Row Fold Flat
Yes
Front Armrest
-
Centre Armrest
Rear Armrest
-
Yes
Cup Holders
2
4
Rear AC Vents
Rear Roof-Mounted AC Vents
No
Rear USB Ports
0
No
Steering Wheel Material
Urethane
Leather
Instrument Cluster Type
Basic Analogue Gauges
Digital
Interior Colour Options
1
Black
Driver Lumbar Support
-
No
Door Map Pockets
Driver Door Pocket Only
Yes
60 40 Split Seat
Third Row Fold Flat
Yes
Adjustable Driver Seat
Manual 4-Way Driver
6-Way Manual
Driver Seat Adjustment
Manual 4-Way Driver
6-Way Manual
Fabric Seats
Vinyl (Wipe-Clean Commercial Grade)
Yes
Passenger Seat Adjustment
Manual 4-Way Driver
4-Way Manual
Armrest Front
-
Centre Armrest
Armrest Rear
-
Yes
Boot Space Seats Down
800
1143
Boot Space Seats Up
120
392
Cargo Space
120
392
Driver Seat
Manual 4-Way Driver
6-Way Manual
Interior Courtesy Lamps
Commercial two-seat cab, vinyl floor covering, manual air-conditioning, analogue instrument cluster, AM/FM radio, power steering, high-roof cargo area with approximately 1.9m internal height
Performance
Sonet Panel Van +12
Efficiency
Level
Safety
Sonet Panel Van +56
Practicality
Sonet Panel Van +1
Ownership
Sonet Panel Van +11
Moderate difference between the models.
Why this scoreView full breakdown
Overall Winner
Sonet Panel Van
Performance
36/100
Efficiency
65/100
Safety
80/100
Practicality
55/100
Ownership
71/100
Eeco
Performance
24/100
Efficiency
65/100
Safety
24/100
Practicality
54/100
Ownership
60/100
So, Which One Should You Buy?
🏆KIA Sonet Panel Van
wins with 60 pts
vs 43 pts for Eeco
In structured scoring, Sonet Panel Van emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Eeco may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.
Other Comparisons Worth Checking
See how similar cars go head-to-head — you might find a better fit than you expected.
On our scoring the Sonet Panel Van edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.
Efficiency scores: Eeco 65 vs Sonet Panel Van 65. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.
Safety scores: Eeco 24, Sonet Panel Van 80. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.
Long-term ownership scores: Eeco 60, Sonet Panel Van 71. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.
Practicality scores: Eeco 54, Sonet Panel Van 55. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.
Performance scores: Eeco 24, Sonet Panel Van 36. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.
Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.
Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.
Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Sonet Panel Van edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.
The Sonet Panel Van scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.
In Depth — Breaking It All Down
The comparison between Eeco and Sonet Panel Van in South Africa
evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.
Performance: Eeco scores 24 vs 36.
Efficiency: Eeco scores 65 vs 65.
Safety: Eeco scores 24 vs 80.
Practicality: Eeco scores 54 vs 55.
Ownership: Eeco scores 60 vs 71.
Final structured scoring gives Sonet Panel Van
the advantage in this comparison.
Compare
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