Maruti Celerio’s test-drive vehicle spotted

We had reported last week that Maruti had started accepting bookings of the Celerio, which was announced through a newspaper advertorial. It was also reported that Maruti had started registering test-drives of the hatchback. With the launch date set for February 6, a new batch of images of a test-drive vehicle of the Maruti Celerio has been posted by a blogsite. The pictures show the car in a new golden shade sporting the Maruti’s all-new clutchless gearbox, the Automated Manual Gearbox (AMT).

The A-Wind concept was first previewed at the Bangkok Motor Show last year. Christened Celerio for the Indian market, the car will be the eighth generation Alto globally and will replace the A-Star and Zen Estilo here.  The car will be powered by the 1.0-litre three-cylinder K-series petrol engine that is also found under the hood of the Alto K10, WagonR and A-Star.

Maruti claims a fuel efficiency figure of 23.1 kmpl for the AMT-equipped Celerio. Also expected is Suzuki’s indigenously developed two-cylinder diesel engine oil burner, though not much is known about the engine at this moment.

The AMT transmission is the most talked about technology in the Celerio. The system does away with the clutch, though unlike a traditional automatic transmission, lets the driver shift gears. Set to be showcased at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo, the Celerio will be positioned between the Wagon R and the Ritz.

Source: megapowerbosch.blogspot.in