Maruti Celerio Review

8/12/2019 Maruti Celerio Review

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CELESTIAL BEING!MARUTI-SUZUKI CELERIO FIRST DRIVE


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In t he very early days ofMaruti-Suzuki, the rapidmodel infusion by its makerstunned the Indian carconsumer. From the first

generation 800 to the next wasbut a matter of three yearswhile the Omni and the Gypsyfollowed it to market rathersimultaneously. This working toa strategy in the very same classthen might have astounded rivalsbut the method in the madness

has remained intact all throughto this period in time. In fact, letsput it this way, the maddeningbit has now been elevated to anart form in the small car class byIndias numero uno carmaker andit sure shows no sign of slackingoff in the least.

However, lets not digress andget back to the early nineties whenMaruti-Suzuki stunned the slowto nd its feet Indian motoringclass with the Zen, a slightly

larger, better congured small carwhich just ran away and cleanedup the bank and what have you.It was legendary in its appealand delivery and from that day

on, it was this small incrementalstep up approach that has paidoff handsomely for its maker. Ofcourse there have also been somelateral moves and the beauty of allthis is such that not many couldfathom whether it was a sidestepto glory or a straightforwardslingshot that did it.

Such could very well be thecase for the newest small caroffering from Maruti-Suzuki. TheCelerio is a very well constructed

and designed car (dont confusedesign with style as so many ofour countrymen are susceptible onthis count) and this combinationof substance and sustenance isbang up to date. It might not winany prizes in a beauty contest butit will more than come up as theperfect loyal mate you always wantyour car to be. Innovative where itneeds to be while yet being frugaland delightful in its performancedelivery, this has the making of yet

another blockbuster. You wouldonly bet against it at your peril!

Catch me on Twitter!

@adiljal or @zeegnition

DRAWING THE LINE

DESIGN & STYLE .... .... .

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION..

ENGINE & TRANSMISS

INTERIOR & APPOINTM

FIRST DRIVE IMPRESSI

RIDE & HANDLING ...

EARLY VERDICT .... .... ...

Adil Jal Darukhanawala - Editor-in-chief www.zeegnition.com


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It is a strange thing this,Maruti-Suzuki the mostgrounded of Indiancar makers ying

high in spirit withits wild naming spree ofits most recent new carmodels. Take its Sting Raymoniker, this was waytoo extreme especiallyfor its blunt nosed styling

approach to the Wagon Rwhen all along the verymention of that evocativename makes one considerthe decidedly 1960smuscular chic exempliedby the Chevrolet Corvette,especially the twinwindow fastback versions.

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Given this contextthen the all new additionto Maruti-Suzukis largesmall car portfolio iscertainly not a fruity takeor a salacious edible ona lunch or dinner spreadbut actually a modelname that comes to Indiafrom the rms global

portfolio, one that hasdone duty in Japan butrather more prominentlyin south east Asianmarkets. The all-new

Celerio is actually a moveby the market leader todo the impossible usingits vast product bin andutilizing vital bits and

pieces to come up with acar that is incrementallyin tune with the timesand the competition. Ohand by the way lets get

The all new addition to Maruti-Suzukis large small car portfolio is certainly not a fruitytake or a salacious edible on a lunch or dinner spread but actually a model name that comesto India from the rms global portfolio


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the name out of the way celestial river is what

Celerio means literallyin the Latin or Greekbut the moot point iswhether this car has thewherewithal to do the

business and ramp up thepassion for more punters

to upgrade within theMaruti-Suzuki portfoliowhile also sucking inmany others from thecompetition.

The Celerio is a largehatchback deemed to

operate in the spacewhere normally the Ritzoperates at the top endand the Wagon R at theother extreme. What

this clearly illustratesis that it is an even

narrower band that hasnow been further thin-sliced by its maker tomake room to push inyet another small car

offering. Fathom this andyou begin to understand

why this carpet-bombingapproach at the base ofthe huge 2.0 million plusIndian car market haspaid rich dividends for

its maker. Also the reason why

havent got to gwith confrontinthe challenge neither individuacollectively!


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So having established thereason for its introductionlets move to this all-newcar, which is longer, widerand decidedly different inits design language fromother Suzuki models of thelast 5 years. Code-namedYL7, this was in the makingfor the last couple of years.Using a mix of technicalresources from Japan and

India, the Celerio cannotin any sense of the term betermed stylish even thoughits makers claim that it doessport character highlightsto make it appealing. ThisCICO (curve in, curve out)approach does have the bynow de rigeur characterslashes on the anks, bothbelow the waist line and one just kicking up above the silllevel. Add to that a new wide

stance smiley grille up front(almost an interpretation ofthe Toyota Liva with moreslats thrown in) anked bydecidedly rakish swept back

headlamps, an evstylized front buma sizeable air dama stepped bonnet indicate contemp

We found thebe pretty bland toobvious but then method in the mathat calls for a pespecications or ameasurement of t

dimensions. It is its 3600mm lengtall-new 2425mm oorpan that the along with a verytrack that helps toa 1600mm overalwhich helps with being endowed thbit we term presecertainly are prettcars around but thCelerio is the one

presence among tcrop and it certainstrong in this intastrain which is soa small car holy g

DESIGN & STYLE:Substance for the formand an abject lack whein the latter element!

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With next to no overhangs frontor rear and with the 14-inch wheelsmarking up all four corners, one canmake out a pretty lusty-to-devourapproach that pays handsomely onceyou step into the cabin probablythe most spacious we have seento date in a Suzuki hatchback. Andwhen you take in the fact thatnewer tackle from the competition especially the Ford EcoSport -pales in comparison in this regardyou know that even without sayingit Maruti Suzuki is delivering thatknock out punch from the start!Also a point worthy of mention isthat when you pop up the hatch youcan squeeze in 235-litres in volumeterms of luggage. It is not just aboutthe dimensions that are signicantbut the fact that the car tips thescales at just around 810 to 830kg

(kerb weight depending on trim andequipment levels specied) and youbegin to get the picture.

A logical corollary to this lightweight approach was to ask whetherthe Celerio meets impact legislationand the Maruti Suzuki boffinsinformed that it does meet all Indiancrash test norms thanks to not justbetter design of crumple zones andsuch but also because of the ampleuse of high tensile steel sectionsin critical areas of the Celeriosmonocoque. These help give it thatstrength and rigidity to go with thelightweight package and as we shallsee going forward there are otherbenets to mind and heart as well.


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W hat is trulyimpressive aboutthe Celerios chassis andsuspension is not that itbreaks any new groundbut just very carefuldesign and optimization

has gone into getting thestructure spot on not justfor rigidity but also forNVH and the same holdstrue for the suspensionfront and rear. No radicaladvances on any front

here but just precision anddiscipline in the designand the manufacturingprocess to get the sum ofthe parts to deliver big.McPherson struts do thebusiness up front while a

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION:All new cobbled up using smart thought and raidingthe ample yet varied Suzuki small car parts bin!

coupled torsion beam axlewith coil springs holdsup the rear. The Celeriocomes with electricallyassisted power steeringthat is nicely weightedrather than having amplefeel or feedback but giventhe category it serves,this is far more importantthan being razor sharpor overtly telepathic.Nonetheless a 4.7-metreturning radius is nothing

to sneer at for a car of itsproportions especiallythat wide bit.

The Celerio runs on165/70-R14s on the VXiand higher versions whilethe entry level LXi versionrides on 155/80-R13rubber. Tyres on all thetest cars at our disposalin Jodhpur were JKs andthey seemed well tunedto the overall ride of thecar. Brakes up front are

ventilated discs wdrums being the option on the reaSurprisingly ABoffered, even as and it is only penon the top end Zthat too as optionMaruti Suzuki nsuss this out soonthan later and ma hygiene factor con and power sthave before it.


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One of the biggest assetsthese days for any smallcar is to rely on a frugalbut very well built one-litre petrol mill capableof delivering the torqueydriveability that ends uppaying big in low fuel costs.

Many carmakers the worldover have realized that athree-cylinder in-line unitis the best conguration toemploy in such a scenarioand Suzuki is no different.However, what is importantto note is that Suzuki hasmore experience of triplesthan many other big namesin the auto business and its998cc K10B unit (christenedby its marketing whizas the K-Next engine) isbrilliant in its role underthe bonnet of the Celerio. Ithas been extensively giventhe once over (even though

it is a relative youthe business!) espin the areas of fricreduction and alsoignition revisionsthe recalibrated mdeliver 90Nm of tat a very easy 350

Comparatively noon tech unlike themotor made by Foin the EcoSport, thengine is though fconsistent and stabbeing way too senin our driving consomething which very plank on whiis expected to shin

I mentioned eathat NVH was a kthat the Maruti-Suengineers paid a gof attention to andfrom the rigid yet structure and high

ENGINE &TRANSMISSION:Tweaked to the gills is while the latter pulls abunny out of the provemagicians hat!

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The intelligent electronic actuator is whathelps control and synchronize both clutch andgear shift operations; a rather cost-effective

solution instead of going automatic usingconventional systems


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The automated manual transmission is best enjoyed when slotted into the manual shift tiptronic mode The 5-speed manual gearbox is standard Suzuki fare with short and slick shifts and a light clutch action

steel, the all-aluminium alloyengine has all new hydraulicengine mounts which helpto keep the drive smoothand unfussy. Maruti-Suzukihas also picked a leaf fromHondas manual on engine

design and operation byformulating an all-newengine oil to reduce frictionallosses and thereby helpthose 68 horses (developedat 6000rpm) thrummingnice and easy while also

aiding the cause of low fuelconsumption. Throw in high-

grade polymer materials usedin the intake manifold andalso the fuel tank (35-litrecapacity) and you can ndfurther proof of the measuresto better the power-to-weight ratio and aid in allround performance gains.

Brings me then towhat is truly one of thesmartest moves made byany carmaker in recenttimes to help fuel customerconvenience further andthat too in a positive mannerwith not much of a trade-off.Maruti-Suzuki has a choiceof transmissions on offer

with the Celerio, the standardunit is a robust slick-shifting

5-speed manual transaxlebut the other transmissionis the one where the clutchpedal goes missing in thefootwell area of the cabin.Before you jump to sayinganother automatic wait, forit isnt exactly an automaticslush box or even a dualclutch unit but an automatedactuator helping to clutch-declutch and shift gearsautomatically dependent onthrottle position and revs.This electronically controlledactuator helps control andsynchronize both clutch andgear shift operations and is

actually a cost effective andvery efficient way to deliver

ease of driving especially inour intensely chaotic drivingconditions.

Now we have had all-automatic transmissionseven in small Marutis andHyundais but these nevercould deliver the pocket-soothing operation oftheir manual-transmissionsiblings and loss of fuelefficiency was a majorbugbear. Hence this solutionnow which results in theCelerio being pegged at anARAI-tested 23.1kmpl! Yesyou read that right 23.1kmpl which is indeed the

same for the Celemanual or automa

gear shift box! Aimportantly, this AGear Shift, as termMaruti-Suzuki pacan be employed full auto mode byor be actuated in mmode with sequenbackwards to go ugearbox or forwarshifting down aon my BMW 525also has a creep fubuilt into its electwhile the Kick Dofor added thrust dovertaking is just regular automatic


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Space at the back is plentiful and has really been optimised thanks to clever design and packaging No problem in the way the dashboard looks, but overall, the cabin could have used better plastics for a richer fee

I just couldnt get to stayaway from saying theobvious and even thoughit was barely a run under150km in and out of Jodhpur, the fact that theCelerio impressed in more

ways than one marks itout as one of the majorautomotive stars of 2014.First off lets get into itlogically by sliding behindthe steering wheel and lobehold what you have is

a terric driving position right seat height, goodforward and peripheralvision with no blind spotsby a recalcitrant A-pillarand perfect ergonomicsgiven the class of car

INTERIOR &APPOINTMENTS:Large, spacious & comfortable but could have beenbetter appointed!

that it is. Space is the keyattribute to the cabin butalong with the space alsocome new design fabricfor the seats and a dualtone treatment to thedashboard. I like the waythe interior packagingengineers had workedtheir craft but the doorpads seemed too lowrent for a car of this class.Maybe Maruti-Suzukiis picking a leaf fromthe Honda-Toyota wayof doing small cars hererather than what should

obviously be the other wayaround! Getting back toricher plastics the earlierwould be a good bet wefeel.

There is a new designsteering wheel with multi-function controls for thestereo operation mountedon it. The Maruti-Suzukiengineers have gone along way to making theirelectronically customizablecentral locking systempacked with so manysecurity settings that itmade the head go dizzy.

Too much fussinthought when simof operation woubeen the way to Available on theis blue-tooth con(shouldnt be anat all in this daywe think), lane-cindicators plus oalloy wheels. ABmentioned is an the top end ZXi!

Speaking aboand space the drhas pretty much conguration bu


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The 235 litresof boot spaceis not class

leading, but ashade betterthan many in thissegment

The airy cabin has over 15 different utility nooks and holdersand is dotted with occupant convenience features

The top end version gets power adjustable outside rear viewmirrors as well as power windows all around

Unlike even some German luxury cars, the Celerio featuresthat all important USB and AUX audio connectivity

Seat height adjustment for the driver for those of slightly smaller or larger

have done with a slightlylarger surface area forthe seat squab and in thezeal to reduce weight andalso liberate a few extramillimetres for the backbenchers, the seat backshave been made way toothin. The large cabin is

sure to win many friendsand there is ample head,elbow and leg room for theback benchers, perhapsthe best in the categoryeven if you factor in theHonda Amaze. Throw inthe large 235-litre bootspace and over 15 differentutility nooks and holders;the cabin is dotted withoccupant conveniencefeatures. Another veryimportant detail, whichshould delight many, isthe ease with which theback doors swing openwide and the low sill

What you have is a terric drivin right seat height, good forward peripheral vision with no blind srecalcitrant A-pillar and perfect e given the class of car that it is

height to get in and outof the rear seats. This isvery good functionalityand when you check outthe well dened H-pointsfor optimum ergonomicseating at the rear youwill see that in the vitalareas the packagingengineers have put in acommendable effort.

Instrumentationis simple with a largedial analogue speedodominating the senseswhile on the centralconsole on the dashboard

the large rotary sfor the air con systand out prominThere are differeunits available foZXi and the VXwhile a multi-fuinformation dispis integrated intoinstrument clustethe AGS-transmequipped modelsalso a gear shift on the instrumeninforming the drcog he is in shouto be reminded.


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The rst thing that strikesyou is how good the carfeels once it starts rolling andthe driving position certainly

adds to the expectations. Theengine is a jewel and really putsthings into proper perspective,irrespective of the transmissionemployed. I drove the manualtransmission car rst and it wasthe usual slick and positive feelthat Marutis are noted for. Themanner in which the torque isproduced - more than enoughlow down but strong and thickin the mid-range (which iswhat matters in Indian driving

conditions) is the key to theCelerios overall performance.There is not much to fault acrossthe driving spectrum and in factthe strong driveability along withthe light weight and also to acertain extent the new frictionbusting moves in the drivetrainare responsible for both in-geardriving thrust and also hugebenets in stretching the mileageto the 23.1kmpl claim made byits maker.

The ASG is the real gamechanger though and it workslike a breeze. While not actuallya proper automatic it does the job very efficiently with good

shift quality (here time is ofthe essence) that is more thanadequate for regular operationon our roads. There is provision

built into the gear gate for usingit as a proper automatic or if oneprefers manual shift actuationthat is also possible with thesequential shift gear changewhich is so very much like whatI have in my daily driver - theBMW 525d. Driving the Celeriowhile in automatic mode, it issheer modulation of the throttlepedal which will help effect theupshifts quicker if you intendto achieve both linear forward

progression along with highfuel efficiency. I think that manyowners will need to get to gripwith this throttle modulationbit but it isnt difficult to learnand once you have masteredthis line of action expect theCelerio in ASG guise to match itsmanual transmission-equippedsibling on the fuel efficiencyfront as well! Speaking withthe Maruti-Suzuki engineersand product managers, I wastold that in many a situation,with good understanding ofthe ASG mechanism plus theneed to know when to get offthe throttle and back again to

effect the upshifts - its a touchy-feely thing this! - the ASGCelerio returned a shade higherefficiency than the manual!

I for one liked the creepfacility which is so very muchneeded when crawling in slowbumper-to-bumper traffic andthe best thing is that it keepsthe engine humming in lowrevs without compromising onmomentum or impacting the fuelefficiency. And of course there isalso the kick down facility whenin full auto mode to have extrathrust when needed to overtake just like in a proper automatic.

The ASG is a strong pointerto more convenience in the classfor the masses and that too it is asmart yet less pricey method todeliver in the small car segmentcompared to a full blownautomatic gearbox. The chancesof this sort of a transmission alsoappearing in other models inthe Maruti-Suzuki portfolio aremore than bright but it will alldepend on how effectively thispiece of kit is priced - too highand it will negate everything, sohow balanced is the sticker tagin comparison to the manual isgoing to be a big detail for theend user.

FIRST DRIVE IMPRESSIONSVery positive & surprisingly close to perfect in class!


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Having been allowed todrive the Celerio overa 150km route in and outof Jodhpur which features

some very good qualitytarmac surface, the Celeriofelt superb. The wide trackand the long wheelbasedeliver a very planted feeland with the car being just rightly tyred forour conditions and userappeal, the ride is fairly welldamped. We will need towait for a complete road testof the Celerio to deliver amore exacting verdict of the

ride over a selection of roadsbut overall the packageseems strong on this front.

The steering is nicely

weighted and hasabout the right fethis segment of cdont need overtl

stuff from the frocoming up to ovethe family driver how the Celerio iAll controls fall tand with a fantasposition, hauling hurling the car thcorners is made benjoyable and preeasy. The stance under braking anis positive and wi

users in this classand overall this ishandling, very stproposition.

RIDE & HANDLINGPlanted and neutral!


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Overall Width: 1600mm

Track (F/R): 1420mm / 1410mm

Overall Length: 3600mm

SPECIFICATIONS SUZUKI CELERIO

ENGINEType: 998cc Inl ine 3-cylinder,12-valve,all aluminium K10BLayout: TransverseMax Power: 68PS @ 6,000rpmMax Torque: 90Nm @ 3,500rpmEmission standards: BS4+OBD II

Accelerator pedal type: Electric (drive by wire)

TRANSMISSIONGearbox: 5-speed manual / 5-speed ASGDrive Type: Front wheel drive

SUSPENSIONFront: McPherson strut with coil springRear: Coupled torsion beam axle with coil spring

BRAKES (F/R): Ventilated Disc / Drum

POWER STEERINGType: Electronic Power Steering

TYRESLXi / VXi and above: 155/80 R13 / 165/70 R14

DIMENSIONSMaximum Turning Circle: 9.4mMinimum Ground Clearance: 165mm

CAPACITIESLuggage capacity: 235 litresFuel tank capacity: 35 litres

WEIGHTSKerb weight (min/full options): 810kg/Gross vehicle weight: 1250kg

Wheelbase: 2425mm

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ENGINE

Cubic Capacity

No of cylinders

No of valves

POWER

TORQUE

TRANSMISSION

BRAKES (F/R)

DIMENSIONS

L x W x H

Wheelbase

Tread (F/R)

Turning Circle

Ground Clearance

CAPACITIES

Boot space

Fuel tank KERB WEIGHT

TYRES

SUZUKI CELERIO HONDA BRIO HYUNDAI GRAND i10 SUZUKI RITZ FO

998cc 1198cc 1197cc 1197cc 1196cc

3 4 4 4 4

12 8 16 16 8

68PS @ 6,000rpm 88PS @ 6000rpm 83PS @ 6000rpm 85PS @ 6000rpm 71PS @ 6250rpm

90Nm @ 3,500rpm 109Nm @ 4600rpm 114Nm @ 4000rpm 113Nm @ 4500rpm 102Nm @ 4000

5-speed MT / 5-speed AMT 5-speed MT / 5-speed AT 5-speed MT / 4-speed AT 5-speed MT / 4-speed AT 5-speed MT

Ventilated Disc / Drum Ventilated Disc / Drum Ventilated Disc / Drum Ventilated Disc / Drum Ventilated Dis

3600mm x 1600mm x 1560mm 3610mm x 1680mm x 1500mm 3765mm x 1660mm x 1520mm 3775mm x 1680mm x 1620mm 3795mm x 1680m

2425mm 2345mm 2425mm 2360mm 2489mm

1420mm / 1410mm 1480mm / 1465mm 1479mm / 1493mm 1470mm / 1480mm 1465mm / 1435mm

9.4m 9.4m 9.6m 9.4m 9.8m

165mm 165mm 165mm 170mm 168mm

235 litres 175 litre 256 litres 236 litres 284 litres

35 litres 35 litres 43 litres 43 litres 45 litres810 - 830kg 920 - 970kg 980kg 1005 - 1030kg 1040 - 1075kg

165/70 R14 175/65 R14 165/65 R14 185/70 R14 175/70 R14

S U Z U K I C E L E R I O C O M P E T I T I O N C H E C K

Maruti Celerio Review

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