Maruti Suzuki Celerio

Launched in February 2014, the Celerio has played a pivotal role in strengthening Maruti Suzuki’s position in the entry-level hatchback segment in India. The car has received its mid-life update in 2017 and with a few changes to the exterior and the interior, it has now become a petrol-only car after ditching the 2-cylinder diesel mill.

Its silhouette has all the elements of the small Suzuki hatchback language, but the fascia and the design is completely new. The front design is part of Suzuki’s new design language with a curved mesh grille connecting the headlamps. The headlamp console and the front bumper have been reworked, giving it a modern feel while the chrome strip on the grille gives it a premium look.

Both the shoulder-line and waist-line are bold, but they don’t add much value to this small car. The top-end variant gets a nice set of alloy-wheels. The rear is typical Maruti with the tail lamp cluster similar to that of the bigger siblings. There are multiple horizontal lines here that actually make the car look more compact from this angle.

Inside, the top-spec Celerio gets beige and black upholstery, Bluetooth enabled music system and electric OVRMs. On the safety front, optional features include ABS and dual front airbags. Two passengers can comfortably sit at the back during a long journey, the third passenger won’t have too many issues during short rides.

The Celerio provides ample leg room and knee room for the rear bench, but it is the width that is the main issue. The boot space of 235 litres is actually more than the space available in the Swift or most other hatchbacks in its segment, also the rear seat can be folded, almost doubling the storage space. The Celerio is not a feature-rich car, however, the dealers will offer many company approved accessories. In terms of safety, it now has the driver airbag standard while the passenger airbag can be bought for Rs 15,000 more for every trim.

The petrol Celerio is available in four manual and two AMT variants with both gearboxes mated to a 1.0-litre K10B engine that produces 67bhp and 90Nm torque. The Japanese carmaker is also offering a VXi CNG variant with a manual transmission. The manual is a standard five-speed unit available with all Maruti products in that range. The AMT unit, meanwhile, is a segment first, offering the interface of an AT gearbox on a manual. The Maruti Suzuki Celerio competes with other entry-level small cars like Tata Tiago, the Datsun Go and the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R.