The Celerio is set to create history. Though Maruti's has the largest range of small cars in the country, there were no new launches in the segment for quite some time. The Celerio is a complete small car that has been launched after a long gap.
What's so special
There are many small cars, so what's so special about the Celerio? It is the most fuel-efficient petrol car in the country - one litre of petrol will give you a mileage of 26.68 km. No other car in the country can claim such an advantage.
Secret behind mileage
The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Durajet engine is not new. The 1.2-litre version of the K10C engine is already in use in the Baleno and the Swift. However, the 1.0-litre unit is much more technologically advanced than the 1.2-litre engine. First, it has two fuel injectors for each cylinder for better fuel economy. Every bit of fuel will be burned, leading to cleaner combustion and smoother performance. Second, it has a higher compression ratio, helping convert the energy in the fuel to mechanical energy more efficiently. It helps squeeze out every bit of power.
Third, the internal friction in the engine has been reduced, utilizing a variety of friction-reduction technologies, such as roller-rocker type valve lifters. Four, exhaust gas recirculation that reduces engine knocking. And five, engine automatic stop start that turns off the car when stationary and restarts when needed, thus saving fuel.
Not just tech
The Celerio is not just a technologically advanced product. It also has a better design and several new features. The new looks are totally different and the facilities and finish are premium. We can take pride since the engineers behind the design revamp are all from India.
New platform
The new Celerio is designed on the Heartect platform. It gets a completely new 3D organic sculpted design and sporty elements. The headlamps are oval in shape. The black sporty grille has chrome lining. The fog lamps in a black console. It also gets a new set of 15-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. The wheel arches are flared, providing a muscular look. It also features droplet-styled taillamps.
Bigger
Compared to the outgoing model, the new Celerio has grown bigger. At 3,695 mm length, 1,655 mm width and 1,555 mm height, it is 55 mm wider and has a 10 mm longer wheelbase, providing more space inside. The ground clearance is 170 mm, which is 5 mm more than the old model.
Black beauty
Black is now in vogue. The Celerio too gets an interior that is predominantly black. Since it shares several parts from the premium hatch Ignis, the Celerio too has a premium feel inside. The meter console is a combination of analog and digital elements. The seven-inch Suzuki smart studio infotainment system comes with a smartphone navigation system.
The steering wheel sports a silver finish, while the twin slot AC vents have a chrome finish. The power window switches are now in the centre console. The AMT model gets a new gear knob. The seats are comfortable with better leg-head rooms in the rear. The switches for the rear power window are between the front seats. The rear seats can be split in 60:40 ratio.
Powerful engine
The 89 Nm of torque and 49 kW of power is more than enough for this small car. It can also boast of a segment-first start-stop switch. The hill-hold assist in the AMT model that prevents rollback on inclines is exclusive to the Celerio in the segment. Those using the AMT model had always hoped for such a feature.
Comfortable, safe
The higher fuel efficiency does not affect the performance in any way. The drive is excellent. The AMT is almost at par with fully automatic cars. The safety department is taken care of by hill-hold assist, dual airbag and 12 other features.
Change is constant
When it was launched in 2014, the Celerio came with a lot of innovations. The automatic manual transmission or the AMT was first introduced in the Celerio in the country. Later, most carmakers in the country followed in the footsteps of Maruti. Today, not only small cars, even SUVs feature AMT gearboxes. After seven years and six lakh units, the Celerio in its new avatar is a car that symbolises change.
Price
The ex-showroom price of the Celerio starts from Rs 4.99 lakh and goes up to Rs 6.94 lakh.